Fortifying Friendships – Trekking in Yellowstone

Friendships are beautifully complex things. As I grow older, it becomes increasingly more and more difficult to make new friends. Not for lack of trying, but because as people take on more and more responsibility – more challenging jobs, spouses, children, volunteer work, houses, aging parents – it becomes harder and harder to have formative experiences that deepen your relationship and allow you to progress to that next level beyond acquaintances. It becomes equally as hard to connect with your old friends – people move, people change, people prioritize other things – plus all of the above…so it becomes a delicious treat when you get to reconnect with people from earlier points in your life to not only catch up, but create more fortifying experiences that bring you closer.

I had the awesome, somewhat serendipitous coming-together-of-things vacation with some of my favorite people a few weeks back in Yellowstone. The stars aligned, and we were able to get Australians, LA-ians and SF-Bay-ians all together in one place for a few days of adventuring with nature. It was one of the best group vacations I’d ever been on – a true testament to the magic when you get really awesome people together for a period of time. Aside from catching up on all things life, we hiked, saw bears, a million bison, walked in a boiling river, ate some of the best BBQ/burger of my life, roasted banana majestics, hot-tubbed…it was the perfect, all-around soul healing that you really need when life moves fast. I was with my tribe. My people – the ones who just *get* me. Here are a few photos from the experience – this time post-processed! As I learn and play with Lightroom, I tried here to capture not only the beauty of Yellowstone (so much color! So many amazing nature scapes!), but the gems of humans with whom I was enjoying it with.

 

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