Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park

Today was national park time :). I believe that for the first time during my trip, I was completely alone in a national park. And call me crazy, but it was great, it did wonders for my soul, allowed many thoughts and feelings, and let me do as much as I wanted. My mind could not be as free in any other way as being alone in nature. And since there was already snow in the park and it was a weekday, it wasn't too crowded, so I could enjoy nature all to myself in certain areas. Of course, it's a bit strange to be completely alone in such a huge national park. Encountering a bear, panther, or snake alone is a whole different feeling than being with another person. Going alone on hiking trails, having to find the way alone, and deciding which of the thousand trails to take and which of the many viewpoints to choose is a whole different story than being in a group. Today's national park was so huge that I drove alone through the forest park for two hours in the dark on the way back, which was even scarier. But overcoming all these fears and uncertainties makes me feel much stronger. What doesn't challenge you rarely changes you. Managing all of this alone and getting to know your own feelings and limits is super exciting. I'm sure I'll return more confident and less fearful from such experiences.

In addition, I was never really alone today. Sooo many Americans chatted with me incredibly friendly and showed deep enthusiasm for my German origin. Especially with older couples, I seem to trigger a maternal complex :D. They constantly invite me or want to take me with them. It's great to be taken care of like that :). It really gives you a lot of insider tips, even if it does keep me from hiking ;)

That's enough about the emotional aspect... now let's talk about the park facts. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park are actually two separate parks, but they are managed and operated as one. So you can basically drive through both parks at the same time, they merge into each other. Both parks are home to the largest trees in the world, the sequoia or mammoth trees. And seeing them is simply gigantic. The largest species of mammoth trees is the General Sherman Tree. It reaches a height of about as high as a 26-story building and has a volume of 1,320 cubic meters. If you were to fill the tree's trunk with water, it would be enough water for a single person to shower with for 30 years. Crazy, right? As a tiny Kathrin, I felt pretty tiny next to the tree. Now I know how insects must feel when they look up to us. The strength of the sequoia trees is fascinating. Many trees showed signs that they had survived several forest fires. But these gigantic giant trees even outlast fires... parts of their trunks and bark burn to form a protective layer over them and allow the rest of the tree to continue living. That's how mammoth trees can easily live for over 3000 years. Just imagine what they have already seen... incredible!

In the park there were some beautiful viewpoints and hikes, although some of the trails were unfortunately closed due to the wintry weather. I have to say, after being at the beach in the sun yesterday, the snow and ice today were a bit confusing. But the main thing was that the sun was shining, which always has a very positive effect on my mood. However, I have to admit that I didn't find the hikes as breathtaking as in most other national parks. The reason for this is probably that most of the hikes were forest trails. And there's nothing wrong with forests, they have something very special, mystical, and relaxing. Still, in some places, I just felt like I was walking through the woods in Saarbrücken. Probably the hikes couldn't impress me as much because it wasn't a completely new landscape for me. Crazy, right? Often I feel like I'm looking for things on my travels that I don't know from home. We often appreciate the things right outside our door at home less than the new, unknown adventure and foreign landscapes. Probably I'm already so enthusiastic about the USA just because it's so far away from Germany and therefore feels like a much bigger adventure than the Alps, for example. Actually pointless, but that's how humans are sometimes.

After my day trip, I returned exhausted to my Airbnb in Fresno. I'm staying with a very loving, sweet retired couple here. They constantly provide me with food and coffee, trying to anticipate every wish of mine and are incredibly interested in me. Sometimes it's tiring when you return 'home' after a long day, but at the same time, it's a nice feeling. So it was all the more shocking when the man of the house expressed his political views during dinner today. He explained to me how bad presidents Eisenhower and Obama were and how good and active Trump is for the country. Sitting next to us at the table was his wife, who is from the Philippines. How can you agree with Trump when you have a wife from another country yourself? He spoke disparagingly about all black people and then explained to me that he completely understands the Nazi era. After all, the Jews were evil people... When it comes to such conversations, I'm just speechless, it's difficult to react in any way. Controversial is how friendly, helpful, and hospitable this man is at the same time. The house is filled with Christian decorations and at the same time, such remarks? Unbelievable! But unfortunately, such people are a part of reality in the USA as well. I don't want to judge them, surely everyone has their reasons for thinking and speaking the way they do. However, I just hope that such hateful, racist attitudes decrease in the world before the next war happens.