Island in the Sky


Jed:


I have driven to my parents house down I15 so many times in the past. Today was different. I had someone with me in the car. Aaron and I were on our way to the weekly family dinner, this would be the first time I brought a boy home to meet my family.

The feeling was a bit unreal as we got closer and finally pulled into the driveway. I had always wanted to find someone who would understand the circumstances in my life and the beliefs my family and I had. I felt positive as we walked into the house together and it felt great to finally be with that someone.

Aaron


As we pulled into the driveway I was distracted from my thoughts by an absolutely beautiful garden. The colour and variety of flowers was just wonderful. I was excited to see more and knew I would share a common love for flowers with Jed’s Mum.

We walked down the side of the house to the back garden and Jed’s Mum instantly ran over to me and gave me a big hug.  She welcomed me to their lovely home and gave me a tour of the even more beautiful back garden.

Dinner that day was enjoyed outside. There was a great turn out, with most of Jeds family in attendance. Jed and I had already shared names and family groups for both our families so I had started to learn names and which children were in which family. But with 14 adults and 17 children, I didn’t manage all the names that day.

Sitting down to dinner, conversation turned to all things about England. One of Jed’s brothers would drop the word ‘bloody’ into as many conversations as possible to see what my reaction would be. I felt so very welcome there and loved being a part of the weekly Sunday dinner experience.

Jed


After a successful first road trip, it was now time for another—this time to Southern Utah and one of the national parks, that Aaron had not heard of: Canyonlands.

Driving south down I15 from Salt Lake City, we set off on the four hour journey to Moab. We were feeling very at home with each other now and excited for more adventures together in the south of the state.

We arrived at the town of Moab. This is the gateway town to many National parks nearby. We stayed with friends while there and shared some time with them. It was the first time I had been on a road trip with other couples and been in a relationship myself. It felt great and was a totally different experience.

Aaron


Now solidly on Mountain Standard time, I was starting to wake up earlier, at least an hour before Jed. I took the opportunity to explore the area. I discovered we were not to far away from the Colorado River and went closer to investigate.

I found a road that followed the route of the river and set off. The sun was just starting to rise and it hit the steep cliff of rock on the opposite side. The colour of the bright red rock and light reflecting peacefully across the river was beautiful, painting the perfect backdrop for my morning run.

Jed


Day one in Moab and we went straight to the Island in the Sky, an awesome part of the national park. It wouldn’t have surprised me if the house from the movie ‘UP’ had landed on top of one of the cliffs. That's what this place reminds you of.


Further along the road we took off on a short hike called Azec Butte Trail. The hike is only about a two mile round trip, but does require some steep hiking and scrambling to get to the top of the Butte. The 360-degree views from the top were worth it though—you could see the Colorado and Green river winding their way through the canyons.


This trail is less popular than others, wich gives you the feeling you are the only ones out there alone in the wilderness.

From the trail we headed over to the Grand View Point Overlook. This is one amazing view. You can see miles of vast canyons carved out by the rivers and weather, with impressive variations of color and rock formations. After the fenced off area there are steep drop offs that make walking up the short trail nearby all the more exciting.


Arriving here just before sunset was perfect, as the sky filled with a beautiful gradient of color, from bright orange to dark blue. We stayed just long enough for the stars to come out. Far away from major cities, you can see so many dotted across the sky.


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