I woke up this morning so excited to go outside and meet Utah. As soon as Mike woke up, we went outside and checked the place out. The Panguitch KOA was small, adorable, and everything we needed. After taking his first KOA shower, though, Mike realized we have a lot of practicing to do to figure out best shower practices so we don’t come back into the RV carrying loads of wet things. We’ll pick up some shower baskets and shower shoes. It’ll be like the college dorms all over again (but hopefully cleaner).

I warmed up my cold brew coffee in our microwave, and then laugh about how we have a microwave. For lunch before we take off, I heat up canned chili in my coffee mug, which we realize is the only microwavable container we possess. And then laugh about how far we are from sticking our chili can right into a campfire. Microwaves in Paradise.

Before this trip, we had wondered aloud about what it would be like to not have a home base. I’ve always liked to travel, but there’s something comforting about having a Home to go back to when you’re done. How would it feel to have nowhere that’s yours? A place that’s familiar and comforting. A place full of all the stuff that fills your life. But now, even after just a day, we realize that this place will feel like having a home no matter where we are. It already feels like ours.

I’ll definitely need to get used to a slower pace, which I’m looking forward to (but doesn’t come naturally to me). Mike loves it immediately, but I can’t help but notice a small part of my brain going “You need to be DOING something right now!” I’m reminded of my summer-long backcountry camping trip in college, remembering reflecting on the fact that I used to be so busy all the time but not remembering what I actually did all day. We’re already deciding what our hobbies will be. Mike will bring his soldering iron (it’s a Tinker Trailer, after all). I want to re-learn the ukulele. And, of course, write.

Right now, I’ve got my laptop on my lap, in the passenger seat, while we’re flying through Utah. Mom was right -- for some reason, I haven’t gotten car sick in the RV, no matter what I’ve been doing… writing on my laptop, reading stuff on my phone, walking around the back. It’s strange, but awesome. Utah is beautiful. We knew it was beautiful, but it’s still different than expected. More desert shrubbery, more rolling hills, wide stretches of empty planes. Even the clouds seem more beautiful here. I can definitely see why people would want to live here. There are a gazillion RVs, most towing SUVs or ATVs, all of whom seem to be filled with people on nature adventures. The state does seem even more influenced by Mormon culture than I anticipated, which is interesting. We were looking for a local restaurant to eat dinner, but everything was closed on Sunday except Denny’s. Even the beehive highway signs, based on the state symbol, come from the Mormon history: apparently the Mormon settlers used the honeybee as a symbol of hard work and industriousness, and the beehive as a model for a properly run society. Pretty interesting!

Now we’re on our way to Rexburg, Idaho, where we booked an RV spot on AirBNB, with hookups, onsite at someone’s house (which presumably normally houses the family’s RV when there isn’t eclipse mania happening around the entire country). Looking forward to seeing more of the country.