Into the unknown...
Translated with ChatGPTBefore the trip, I spent a lot of time stressing over everything that was going to be different and difficult about the journey. So, I started looking forward to getting started to prove to myself that I can handle it. Because I was sure I could! I'm confident, at least sometimes! I forgot to think that there would be tough days on the trip as well. Not everything on the trip is pure joy and happiness. I've already had two breakdowns. I've written about them before, but I'm only two weeks into this! How is this going to go?
Well, I'll tell you! Because here's the story of our 48 hours in the American wilderness.
Now it's 9:10 PM on Friday, September 15th. I'm sitting in the bed in the cabin we've rented in Grand Teton National Park. It's a beautiful place! There's so much incredible nature and lots of wildlife. That is, until we entered the reception and asked for a trail map. Until then, we had a nice little stroll down to the river after a spectacular drive up here. But from now on, the days were going to be filled with anxiety and nerves that are so far outside my body that I have to hold them in place with a big sweater!
This friendly lady can tell you that there are two nice trails here. One short and one a bit longer. But we should bring bear spray because there has been a bear around in the area in recent days. It was seen at the parking lot this morning and hangs around the river. We were like: Bear spray? How do we get it and what is it? Well, we could borrow some, she said, and took out a small spray canister with a pin and a holster. Do we throw it like a grenade? Spray it on ourselves before we walk? Spray it along the trail? No, it should be sprayed ON THE BEAR if it attacks! WHAT??
My brain has now completely disconnected, and I am unpredictable. We return to the cabin after dinner and make a plan for tomorrow.
We're going to hike a long way from here, around a popular lake. We leave the bear spray in the car because we don't see anyone else carrying it. It turns out that's because they aren't going to hike in the woods, but take a boat! Hesitatingly, we continue the hike. After 5 minutes, we meet some people who turned back because they heard growling. Morten thinks they are wimps and says we should keep going. So we do. Along the trail, there are aggressive squirrels staring at me and making noises. Insects fly over me, making clicking sounds. Then we meet some people who have seen deer. Cute and small ones. We round the corner, and I get scared. My pulse is racing. There are three of them, and they're right there. I'm just one. So, like a ninja, I sneak past them as quietly as I can. After a while, we hear rustling on the slope to our right. It's definitely a bear. I know this because I've seen and heard the bears at the Bear Park in Flå, Norway. "I can't be bothered with this," I say loudly and walk very quickly ahead. Not running, because then you get eaten! 5 km into the hike, I'm almost killed by a snake! So now I have to watch the ground as well!! I just want to get to the pier that someone lied about being halfway around the lake. It was much longer. I cry behind my sunglasses and say out loud, "It's okay, it's fine." Then I tell all the animals around me that I'm strong and tough because I'm Norwegian! 8 km later, we're at the dumb pier. I've never been so happy to enter a crowd. I'm definitely not the first one to be eaten here!
So, after a nerve-wracking 2-hour hike, filled with warnings about bears, wild animals, and other fantastic nature, a frayed KokoMiriam gets back in the car. We drive around and explore for the rest of the day! 😅
Back at the cabin in the evening, my nerves are still on edge. We have dinner and take a drive during sunset. Absolutely beautiful 🤩 from the car, of course. Now we're ready for the evening. I need to go to the bathroom and take a shower. This is where the next chaos begins. I have a bowel movement (yes, women do that too), but it's so hard that it clogs the toilet. I laugh as I plunge it open. (This seems to be a common problem since the plunger was readily available next to the toilet). Then it's time for my shower. I turn on the water to make it warm, climb into the bathtub, and pull the lever to switch the water from the faucet to the shower. I get a splash of cold water right in my face that forces me to look down. I see an insect hanging on the shower curtain. I slip back a bit and gasp. Then I realize that it's a button on the shower curtain because there are several of them in a row. I quickly finish my shower, but now I've realized how small this bathroom actually is, so I just need to get out of there.
I burst into the room to Morten, who looks at me, slightly puzzled. I tell him everything while laughing and crying at the same time. What a day! I'm so tired, but so proud! I've done things I NEVER thought I'd do. I've experienced the entire spectrum of emotions and faced each one of them! I'm a winner today! So even though this day has been filled with EVERYTHING, I've handled EVERYTHING! That's awesome!! And I know that even though I'm not enjoying any of it at the moment, I will when it all sinks in!
So, tomorrow, I'll allow myself to be a bit more protected. I won't make any big leaps. Because in two days, I'll be in Seattle, and that's a big city... We'll deal with it when we get there 😅
I hope you experience something that challenges you today. Because it's nice to feel the sensation of regaining composure. Sometimes, at least.
Love 🧡