By Riley Wasek
For my birthday I went on a camping trip to Arizona with my family and a friend. These are my findings and experiences.
Day One:
We set up camp, set up the boat, and went adventuring through the mountains. It could be inferred that any natural and beautiful surroundings would be considered surreal by most people. There was something especially magical about the view of Parker, Arizona’s sliver of Lake Havasu. My friend Laine and I hiked to the top of a large hill that overlooked the water. We sat on the dirt and had long, deep conversations about life, friendships, and how one’s perspective is built through the experiences of their childhood. We sat there talking until the sun had almost set, totaling around three hours. As we hiked back down the hillsides, we had a tough time not tripping because the mountains were borderline vertical, and the entirety of the ground was covered in insecure, small rocks that would slide under your feet. That night, we set up our cots and sleeping bags right on the beach. Being a California city-dweller, it is rare that I can see the stars so vividly and in such multitudes. This day, we did not go into the water except to retrieve a raft that had blown away. Most of our day was spent traveling, and the cold nightfall did not make for very inviting water.
Day Two:
The crisp breath of air as I woke up outside was a perfect start to my day. I myself am a bit of a coffee connoisseur. However, the instant powder drip brew coffee we had with us was like a delicacy when one is apart from civilization. This was our water adventure day. My uncle has a three-seater jetski parked out in Havasu. Loading it onto the river took up about two hours of our day but was well worth it. My Laine and I are very inexperienced jet ski riders and were afraid to take the watercraft over a speed of about 50 mph. My uncle used to be a professional jetski racer and so with us on the back of the ski, he took us to speeds of up to 75 mph. This was extremely fun until a speed boat emerged from nowhere out of a hidden cove at an exuberant speed. The way a jetski works is that it needs time to slow down its speed. If you just let off the throttle, you will go flying forward off of the jetski, which is even more dangerous. So, nevertheless, we were approaching giant sets of four foot tall boat wake going way faster than someone should ever take those waves on a jetski. It sent my friend Laine and I flying off the back. We had gotten launched so high and hard that we landed in the water upside down. It was unforgettable in the best way possible. Don’t worry, we kept the jetski extremely slow after that incident. Later on in the day, Laine and I took the jet ski on a long ride down the river, stopping at different coves and beaches to explore. On one beach, we discovered an abandoned tubing raft, which we towed back to our beach campsite. We tied this raft to the back of a jetski and towed each other around the lake using it. More towards the afternoon we went swimming long the shoreline. Swimming in a lake or river as opposed to an ocean, which is what I’m used to swimming in, is an entirely different experience. There’s something so peaceful about it. We yet again slept out underneath the stars that night.
Day Three:
After a good, long, and peaceful morning walk, we headed into town. We had to drive forty minutes through straight desert to finally reach anything other than land, other than a sparse house or two. We then went thrift shopping in Arizona. The thrift store prices in Arizona are significantly lower than those in California. As much as I love and enjoy nature, I might love thrifting equally as much. We drove back and met my family at a restaurant on the lake. All of our meals had been diy camping, over-the-fire foods. While that was perfectly adequate and delicious food, nothing compared to how scrumptious the food at the restaurant was. At the end of this day, we just sailed around the lake, explored, played music, and hung out around the fire.
Day Four:
This was our last day on the lake, and I knew I had to savor it. This was such a transformative and reflective experience for me. The memories I made, the things I saw. I always pictured myself as such a city girl, and imagined my future in the city. However, after experiencing such vivid and extraordinary scenery and vibes I wouldn’t mind living in the desert one day. As is with any trip, the drive home was long and arduous but well worth the trade off for such a time. I was extremely excited to be able to go see all my friends and my cats. I found that nature, whether or not this is placebo, makes everything feel calmer.
