Monument Valley & Goodbye Anthony

Hello from Flagstaff, North Arizona,

After 5 fun, highly exciting, beautiful but also exhausting days of road trip with Anthony, I am now traveling alone again. Well, not really alone, as I have found a nice Couchsurfing host here in Flagstaff, who allows me to sleep on the sofa. And it doesn't matter how comfortable or uncomfortable the sofa is, as I am quite exhausted from our road trip and will definitely sleep well tonight.

What else did Anthony and I experience?

'Pink' rocks

Yesterday we visited the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, a nature reserve in southern Utah. This nature reserve is so huge that it is the largest in the USA. Unfortunately, we had to limit ourselves and choose some areas that we wanted to visit.

However, the selection was great as we discovered various mountains and rock formations. The colors of the rocks varied from pink, red, yellow, and white to gray and brown. A unique play of colors!

We were also able to discover a river in the nature reserve, absolutely fantastic! The nature reserves differ hardly in beauty from the national parks of the USA, but they differ greatly in their infrastructure. The roads in the nature reserves are very basic, mostly consisting of sand and stones (and after getting stuck, we were a bit afraid of sandy roads).

Of course, we also went on some short hikes, as short distances are quite manageable for my Achilles tendon. And these hikes were full of adventures! Unlike the national parks, there were no signposted or developed trails here. So, we often found ourselves climbing on rocks without knowing where to go next. During the hike, we had to cross rivers multiple times (and it was not really warm) and overcome challenging climbing sections. We managed quite well, but when we ended up in cactus fields, we eventually realized that we had to turn around...sometimes we humans should just leave nature as it is, and we cannot explore everything.

In the evening, we stayed in a slightly more luxurious hotel, as there was nothing really cheap in the area we were driving to. Although I felt quite guilty because of the high hotel costs, it was absolutely worth it: we had great spacious rooms in the First Nations style (Native American style or in the style of the Native Americans of Utah), the food in the hotel was fantastic, and we had an incredibly great indoor pool and the best part, a really warm and excellent whirlpool. What a luxury, simply amazing after such exhausting days.

Although we didn't want to leave the hotel the next morning, we managed to do so after early morning swimming sessions and relaxation in the whirlpool...and it was worth it: because today our trip took us to Monument Valley. You have probably already seen Monument Valley as it served as a backdrop for numerous films. Especially fans of Western movies or apocalyptic movies have certainly seen this beautiful area! An absolute dream <3

This fantastic area, inhabited by Native Americans, consists of red rocks that have been shaped by erosion, water, and wind. And the shapes of the rocks are simply incredible! I am always amazed at how our Mother Nature could create such beauty!

During our road trip and our hike through this area, we naturally encountered some Native Americans. This is always incredibly interesting for me, as First Nations culture is very different from ours. The Indians live in very small huts without running water or toilets. Their horses wait outside the house to be used. Many of the Indians do not have jobs and are more annoyed by all the tourists than hospitable (which is really atypical for the USA). Sometimes, they try to make some money from tourism by selling homemade jewelry, painting pots, or making dream catchers to sell these goods. The items look great, very traditional, and made with love...only the sales spirit with a little friendliness leaves something to be desired. I think the Indians still have a hatred towards the whites...who can blame them.

After Monument Valley, Anthony and I drove 3 hours to Flagstaff to separate here. And yes, this time it was a completely planned separation :D Anthony wanted to continue to the Grand Canyon, which I want to explore with my beloved friend Anne, who will visit me soon. Meanwhile, I will use the time here in North Arizona to further explore this incredibly beautiful state. I will probably take a closer look at Flagstaff, Sedona, and Prescott and hopefully, if my Achilles tendon keeps up, explore them more by hiking.

How does it feel to be 'alone' again?

Well, it was really great with Anthony. He was very nice, helpful, organized, and funny. It's nice to be able to share the incredible landscape with someone, not having to plan everything alone, being able to share the costs, and always having company.

But as nice as Anthony was, on the other hand, it is incredibly exhausting for me to be constantly with someone. First of all, there is the language: 2 English speakers with a bad accent sometimes have to concentrate more to understand each other. Anthony is very extroverted and could talk all the time...really entertaining and funny. However, during the trip, I increasingly realize that I am actually more introverted and often appreciate peace and quiet to contemplate my thoughts and feelings. When I am together with other people, I sometimes lack the time for it because I focus more on the other person than on myself. And being together also means compromises, of course: you have to get used to each other's sleep schedules, eating habits, and moods and constantly look for small compromises. For me, it is good practice for better self-assertion. After the 5 days, however, I am somewhat glad that the practice is over and that I have time for myself again. Of course, it is also strange to be alone again, but I am sure I will grow from it and meet other amazing people.

Maybe already tomorrow in Flagstaff...and to not miss this opportunity, I will go to sleep now :)!