Day 6......Moab and Arches National Park

Day six....I survived sleeping on the ground under the stars fairly well. It has not been the first time I had camped like that....but the first time I was less than half a mile from camp and was surrounded by around 40 people. Our campsite was much less crowded. It wasn't too rough though, as you may have noticed, we had wifi (very slow wifi). It was freezing cold the first night, and I had trouble falling asleep. Not to mention my brother snores.

Anyways the next day we got up early and headed off to Arches National Park. It was SPECTACULAR. I have never seen anything like this place, and I doubt there are many, if any, other places in the world like it. I noticed over half the people we encountered on the very busy trail were internationals. I picked up on a lot of Germans, French, and Chinese visitors.

So this hike was not particularly hard....except if you have been almost completely inactive for the last 8 months like I have. My body was not ready for this x.x

Most of the pictures are on my brother's camera...and he shot them in the raw? Whatever that means....so I cannot put them on here, which is sad because all of the pictures of me are on there.

Anyways, during the entire trip I wondered about how, and even if, the native peoples lived here. It is, after all, a desert, but I couldn't help but seeing the strategical value of this land, or even how it was a fantastic place for ceremonial sites to be held.  Sever days later (aka today) I was at the Utah museum of natural history and found out that, back when the climate was different a few thousands of years ago, people did live here, but more recently the place was uninhabited due to its barren nature.

The other thing I kept thinking about was a little less appreciation for nature and history and more in the area of fantasy. I am attempting to write a novel at the moment...a novel that involves dragons. (dragons are better than everything else, there is no argument). Anyway I couldnt help but seeing this place as the home land for the dragons in my story. Everywhere I looked I saw perfect places for a dragon to perch, basking in the sun, or a cave deep in the rock that they could sleep in at night. This land inspired me, and gave me a hundred ideas for my story. Sadly none of them would have to do with the story I am currently writing, and more to do with the one that (might) come after.

So that night we returned exhausted to the campsite. I passed out around 8:30 and did not get up until 9am. I was TIRED. Oh yea, not only was I tired, I was SUNBURNED. It hurts... a lot. It is still driving me nuts. My brother put on just as much sun screen as I did and he did not burn. Bleck. Hopefully it will turn into a tan and now peel. (insert me putting on a crap ton of aloe infused lotion). I also made the mistake of trying to wash my hair with a bar of soap...

IF YOU HAVE LONG HAIR, DON'T DO IT! Worst thing I have ever done to my hair. It was a mess of tangles that were impossible to comb out, and my hair was so dry it felt like straw. A lot of you don't understand, my hair is usually as soft as silk. I bought shampoo and conditioner that night and washed it again, but it still has not recovered. Yee be warned.....

This desert has done horrible things to my skin and hair, but it was all definitely worth it