Yosemite!

I have been trying to get up to Yosemite National Park for the past few years - pretty much ever since I knew I was going to move back east. It has been on my bucket list and is finally something that I can now cross off although I certainly want to go back again and again. A lot of people told Angi and I that doing the park and getting up there and back in a day was almost impossible - we proved them wrong. Ang picked me up from the city at 8 am on Saturday morning and we set out without too much of a plan. The ride was actually great and an opportunity for us to catch up. We arrived in the park after taking the switchbacks (yikes!) around 11:30 am. I felt instantly calm. Every where we looked there was a picture spot. It was truly incredibly. We decided on the northern trail which took about an hour and a half to get across (toward Mona Lake). It was less crowded than the Valley route which we decided to check out later in the day. The sun was shining and there were people visiting from all over the world (hello, accents!) One of my very favorite spots was not too far into our day. We stopped at this amazing rock-laden area that was on an incline. I was afraid to loose my footing but once I got the hang of it, it was a bit like walking on the moon. From the top, there were breathtaking views or Half Dome. One single tree was growing out of the rock and made for gorgeous photos! I tried to soak it all in and take mental photos since the pictures would not do justice. If we would have turned around and went home at that point, I would have felt complete. It was that amazing. Our next stop was just around the corner where there was a crystal, clear lake. I put my feet in the cool water and relished in the mountain backdrop. I felt lucky and small and in awe. I had the chance to sit and just be. Wonderful. In the afternoon, we saw a wedding party; we did not see any bears - which I am totally fine with. Towards the end of the day when the sun was just starting to think about setting we went down to CurryVillage and decided to hike out to see one of the only waterfalls that was not dried up. It was almost entirely uphill and we certainly felt it. We spotted the waterfall from a footbridge about a mile and a half in and then turned around to head back. Its a good thing because it took us quite some time to actually get out of the park. I found it refreshing to not have phone service/access and to take in such beautiful nature. Maybe I am more of a camp/park/outdoorsy person than I ever thought. I already can't wait until my next visit there. Pictures to come! Off to explore my city...xoxo