Personal Narrative: Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon Narrative
“How are you feeling right now?” My father asked, I replied, “Excited.” This was in fact, an understatement. I had never seen or been to a natural reservation so highly known as the Grand Canyon. I have always been the type of person who enjoyed going camping or staying outside, appreciating the presence of nature. It was great news to hear. After weeks of planning, our family was on the road heading out to the Grand Canyon. After each hour, the lands we were crossing seemed to become more absent from human civilization. The expanding rocky prairie whizzed pass the car windows and reminded us of the purity of the land. Soon enough, we made it into Arizona, and then, finally, our destination.
We were all geared up and ready to start our trail down the mountainous slopes. I tried to veer off from the group director to try to stand over the edge of a canyon but it was heavily fenced. The top part of the canyons were viewable but the wall did a great job of restricting the rest of the view. Anxiously, I was walked to the inside of the orientation building. There, the supervisors went over plenty
of precautionary information for the trip. Finally, they let the metal, steel doors open; We made our first steps off the platform and onto the natural light-brown trail. I gazed over the beautiful setting that came before us and took in everything by surprise. It was the perfect view of what the Grand Canyon stood for.
We were at the top of the Canyon, and our destination was the bottom.
Looking down at my predicament, I saw a steep vertical drop that led into a crystal clear river that flowed between two main opposing canyon slopes. Everything below comprised of layered rocks, cliffs, hills, and valleys, with the occasional hint of green pine trees and plenty of bushes. The air was rich and clear at the same time. A subtle, cool breeze grazed through my thick wolley jacket and reminded me of the potential coldness of mountain weather. The sun brightened at that very moment and heated my cold body. Soon, the sun light spread throughout all of the rocky lands and gave everything a red-orange hue. “Wow what is that!?” my cousin exclaimed. Everyone turned their heads upward. Far into the clear blue sky, a pair of eagles gracefully maneuvered around a puffy white
cloud.
My family at this point just took a seat right there off the first couple of steps on the trail and looked in awe. Everyone was oddly quiet for the first time. No one was taking pictures either. It was the perfect moment of bliss only achievable through the first interaction of man and nature. I knew that this hike had already become one of my most memorable experiences. Its grandeur, size, nature of creation, history, geology, and the incomparable views it offers reminded me how interesting nature can be. If I was to say one thing I gained from this trip, I would say that I grew to appreciate the intricate designs that nature can create. This steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River is what makes the Grand Canyon what it is today. My trip to the Grand Canyon has further reinforced my love and respect for nature.