My "Happy Place" in Zion National Park

I'm sure you've told yourself to "go to your happy place" from time to time. Usually it's a mental exercise, a visualization intended to lessen the pain or fear of the current situation. I have routinely done this every time I've visited the dentist since I was 10 years old.

This time, however, I have literally "gone to my happy place," and I couldn't be more thrilled. The last four times I've come to Zion National Park have been for work - bringing adventurous clients to test their mental and physical fortitude by backpacking beyond the boundaries of the park in the Parunuweap Wilderness Study Area, also lovingly called The Barracks. I live to see the awe-struck looks on my client's faces when they see the depths of the canyon for the first time. The last two trips were all work as I outpaced (one never outsmarts mother nature) thunderstorms, chased flash floods, and coached various phobias down the Virgin River.

My latest pilgrimage to the canyon is all about me. Sure, I have some research and preparation to do for my next guided trip, but I've also come to commune with Mother Earth and connect with the locals. I'll be here for one full week, hiking, biking, creating, swimming, eating, sleeping - all forms of active meditation to me - in my favorite place on earth. Join me during the next 6 days as the adventure unfolds!