Another excerpt from Make Some Room: Powerful Life Lessons Inspired By an Epic 16-day Colorado River Rafting Trip Through Grand Canyon
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Throughout our Grand Canyon River trip, and especially when navigating rapids, there were times when we were fast, furious, and focused. In the Canyon, we did what we had to do in the moment (navigate a tough rapid, unload boats, and set up camp, prep, and serve meals). But after each flurry of fast, furious focus, we settled back in to the rhythm of the river.
I wouldn’t call the fast, furious, focused time “busy,” though. We were purposeful, engaged, and in tune with our surroundings.
Someone might not be available to help you right this second because they are engaged in some other task, but no one was “busy just to be busy.” We were either purposefully “doing” or we were sitting and relaxing, taking advantage of the much-needed downtime between chores, rapids, exploring, and rest.
There was no mindless surfing the internet, checking email, or worrying about what was happening on social media. No one created busy work just to be moving. It was perfectly acceptable to sit and do nothing when there nothing to be done.
Basically, we had two options:
- We were “ON” (focused on the task at hand)
- We were “OFF” (resting, chatting, restoring our energy for our next “ON” cycle)
When I think about how we lived and worked together on the Canyon versus how we live and work at home, the difference is striking.
Without our devices, we weren’t artificially overstimulated. Our brains weren’t constantly searching for the next/new/important thing to do, have, or buy. And we forgot to be fearful about missing out on something someone else out there in the world deemed “important.”
We just existed in that canyon with each other and with nature.
For instance, if we didn’t have cooking or Groover duties, we took care of personal needs. Instead of staring at screens, some of us stared in wonder at the sky, the water, and the incredible walls that never seemed to end in Grand Canyon. Others sat quietly and journaled or read books. Some snuck away to bathe in the very refreshing (read: FREEZING) cold water or to lay in the shade and nap. Some laced up boots and hiked to see pictographs, amazing views, or roaring waterfalls. Most of us did each of those things at different points along the trip.
But there was no mindless activity. We were either purposefully ON or we were OFF resting. And when we were together, we were TOGETHER…talking, sharing, learning about each other, being REAL. Because there was actually TIME for it!
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There are a few marked differences between that Grand Canyon (CG) trip and The Salmon River Slow Down trip. They include:
- the GG trip was 16 days; The Slow Down is 6 days, 5 nights
- The Slow Down has a professional crew who will cook for us and set up/manage the groovers (outdoor bathrooms).
- The rapids on the Main Salmon are smaller, more fun, and have far fewer “consequences” than the GC
- The water temps on the Main Salmon will be SIGNIFICANTLY warmer that the GC ever gets. Whew! This will make swimming, wading, bathing, and (if it happens) falling out of the raft a less shocking experience
But the things that are the same are glorious: TIME! Time to be together. To hike and talk, to sit and chat, to share deeply, to LAUGH, to discover and explore. That amount of time is precious and so necessary for our animal bodies!
IF reading all of this gets you interested in joining us for the Main Salmon Slow Down in late August of 2024, click HERE. It’s going to be an AMAZING ADVENTURE!
Warmly,
Angie