The Grand Canyon: Feeling and Filling the Void

     Well, if anyone ever tells you to skip the Grand Canyon, tell them they must be crazy!!!!  As I walked up to the edge of Mather Point, I literally started weeping.  The last time I felt like that was seeing my first Leonardo Da Vinci painting at the Ufizzi Museum.  I just could not believe what my eyes were seeing.  I still can't believe the vastness and the beauty that the Grand Canyon holds.  It is indescribable.  I took many photographs, but I will only post a few here.  I have many more that I would love to share at another time. 

The interesting thing, however, was how I have felt since I have been here.  Down in the Sedona area, my body vibrated with energy, and all felt right with the world.  Here, I have been in and out of my comfortable place multiple times.  I stayed in Williams a few nights, and I just felt uncomfortable, to say the least.  Some might say it was bad spirits or karma, but for whatever reason, I needed to leave yesterday morning and set up camp just 25 miles east in Flagstaff.  I immediately felt better.  I think, also, that as beautiful, no, splendid as the Canyon is, one can only handle it for a couple of days the first time because it is almost too much to handle, particularly when I have been so open in my heart and mind. I could feel the void both externally and internally.  I was desperate to fill whatever was missing and did not know how.  I finally, in the middle of the night, meditated and prayed deeply, and decided to start getting involved with the community in Flagstaff today so that I could feel some intimacy.  I had stayed here an extra day because I had read about the Climate March in Washington D.C.  Knowing that it was very much in response to some of the possible destruction of recently protected lands, some of which I will go to tomorrow, I knew I had to do something.  Flagstaff was having a sister march today.  Teddy and I enjoyed a couple of hours hanging out in Flagstaff and then headed over to City Hall.  I was immediately drawn to a woman in charge of education for the G.C. Wolf Recovery Project and then to a group of volunteers for the  National Parks Conservation Association.  They were wonderful to talk to, and encouraged me to go see some of these lands that our administration would like to stop protecting.  Hopefully, we will all step up to the plate and do our part.  Today was a perfect example as people started gathering for the march.  I met a wonderful woman, Nini, who is somewhat new to Flagstaff and did not mind holding Teddy for me while I took photos.  We chatted while we marched and had a very good time.
    It has been wonderful to meet people as I travel and befriend them knowing that we may or may not see each other again.  It has happened time and time again everywhere I have gone, and I have absolutely loved getting to meet passionate and interesting people everywhere who have opened up to me and I to them. 

     Tomorrow I leave for southern Utah.  It is the first time I have not made reservations anywhere, and I truly am not sure where I am headed.  I will look at an Indian Lands map that a ranger at Tusayan Ruins showed me.  I am headed toward Escalante National Monument and Bears Ears.  This is a controversial area, so I will read up on it tonight. 
     May you all have a beautiful day tomorrow, and remember to look at the beauty around you.