Life is what we make it, always has been, always will be.~Grandma Moses

Provo, UT

A miracle happened last weekend. I found a hidden Jewel in the midst of the city which I deem as a plague.

The Provo River.

My favorite Scotty in the whole world and I have been trying to tube down the Provo River ever since he got into town. Friday, the stars aligned and Scotty, our fresh-from-Oregon T.T. McPhee, and fellow Georgia Belle Kelsey, and I all went to a ghetto nook on the side of the Provo River and rented rafts and a bus ride for a 2-hour magical journey.

Paddling in the ice-numbing waters, feeling the masked strength of the current, and being completely surrounded by clear blue skies and forest-green mountains reminded me that even in the midst of a desert, a jewel of an oasis can be found. 

Rivers have always taken my breath away. I love the absolute peace and serenity that the slow-moving waters bring which in a moment's notice are thrown to the riverbed as the secret current underneath grabs you and hurls you into an onslaught of rapids. I love the rush and the thrill of rowing through the rapids, trying to read the undercurrent, while dodging boulders and hanging branches and tree trunks, white water sprayed in your face. 

The Provo River offered everything I love about rivers. No, the rapids could hardly be classified as such, but they were thrilling nonetheless. The greenery of the trees overhanging on the riverbed, the fly fishermen casting their lines around our bodies, the powerful horses and timid cows drinking from the life-giving waters, and the feeling of nothingness as you look up at the rising moon in a clear blue sky touched by the tips of mountaintops makes me feel whole. Complete.

All I want out of life is to live on the river. Not to be confused with living in a van down by the river. Who would've thought that Provo could deliver such majesty?

Sorry, we didn't bring our cameras into the river with us, so this is the best for photos I can do.

Peace and Blessings