wonder

Lake McDonald, Glacier N.P., 2023

One thing I didn’t expect on our national parks vacation last fall was the overwhelming sense of wonder I experienced everywhere we went. I don’t know why I didn’t anticipate that feeling, especially since I’ve experienced it before, particularly in national parks.

From our first day on the ground, I experienced awe, joy, surprise, and wonder as we drove from Salt Lake City north into Idaho. I knew Idaho was beautiful but my expectations were exceeded. Every mile we drove was beautiful as we headed further north.

(Okay, fine, maybe not the commercial areas immediately around Costco when we stopped for supplies. But the mountain views were lovely.)

And the skies were so big. I know that Montana is called the Big Sky state, but Idaho and Wyoming skies were also vast in a way that we don’t have here in Virginia. Why is that?

Then we reached Montana and everything there exceeded my expectations.

(Again, any commercial shopping areas full of big box stores were the exceptions.)

(But still, I was grateful to have options when we needed to stock up on supplies.)

Glacier National Park darn near blew my mind. And the drive from there south towards Yellowstone too. Somehow I didn’t know about Paradise Valley, just north of Yellowstone, which is stunningly gorgeous. I practically swooned. And then of course Yellowstone, followed by Grand Teton.

From beginning to end, I was stunned, amazed, awed, and even flabbergasted. I gasped many times. I said things like “holy moly” and “my gods” many times. How lucky and grateful I felt to be able to see these magnificent places.

After yet another “oh my gosh!” I mentioned to my husband that I knew I was repeating myself with comments like that but that my reactions just burst forth. His understanding response was, “There’s something to be said about feeling a sense of wonder and not being jaded. Imagine if you were not impressed by these views.”

I’ve thought about that comment for a few months now.

I grew up in a family of modest means and for us, a one-week vacation to the beach a few hours away was a big deal. By the time I left for college, I had traveled beyond Virginia to other eastern states, but that was about it. Flying anywhere for a vacation was beyond my comprehension.

I’ve been to a lot of places since, but I’ve never lost my gratitude for having the ability to travel. And, frankly, I would be ashamed of myself if I did.

So when we finally reached Yellowstone and I saw Old Faithful for the first time, I had an intensely emotional reaction. As I wrote on Instagram:

If someone had told me decades ago when I learned about Old Faithful in school that I would one day see it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it.

I embrace my sense of wonder and look forward to the next time I find myself gasping with delight and awe in a new location.