Turn Around

Wall Lake | Uintas, UT

My vagabond way of life has finally come to an end. This is the first time in 6 weeks that I do not have plans to be anywhere but where I am. This is not to say that I'm not already thinking about when I can (and will) leave town again. But I have realized that I do need to focus on being here.

Yesterday I had meetings on campus and then I found myself in a colleague's office with several other people watching YouTube videos and joking and laughing. I can tell that I already like these people. When the department head talks about "plucking fruit" in the context of explaining why she'd rather be a tree than live in a tree during one of those "icebreakers" and then breaks out into laughter only to later send me an Outlook invite "to pluck fruit," it's easy to know that while these people do work hard, they do not take themselves too seriously. And while drama (and politics) do exist, it's a relief knowing that these people like each other.

Earlier this week, I returned from a quick trip to SLC. I knew that I would have mixed feelings about returning so soon after leaving and I did. I managed to squeeze in a lot of visiting with friends and some backpacking to the Uintas as well.

All I wanted from this backpacking trip was hiking an easy trail that had pretty scenery with friends. And once we reached our destination, I simply wanted to be there--none of this death-marching or climbing up high mountains.

So there was lots of sun-basking and eating and swatting bugs and napping and crafting and talking and campfiring and laughing.

BFF bracelet-making.

One of the Three Divide Lakes.

It was perfect. It really was.