At the first of this year, I ended my lifelong career working in the theatre. Now begins a new chapter in our lives. Several years ago, in preparation for this time, we purchased a 16’ Scamp travel trailer. We’ve been learning the ins and outs of life on the road by going on short trips. Now we have embarked on our first major trek. We left our home in Orem, Utah a week ago and drove to Zion National Park. From here we travel on to warmer climate in Arizona. We plan to be gone for four weeks. When we return home, it will only be a short time before we head out once again.
Preparing the Scamp for our first month-long journey. We’ve made numerous trips on a long weekend and even for 5-7 days. This is our first time on the road for a month.
This will likely offer me an opportunity to devote more time to the blog as I find more time and vistas to photograph along the way. I also want to share my experiences in retirement and how we’ve learned to adjust from living in a four-level split home on a quarter acre of land to the 70 square-feet of space the Scamp offers us. So far, we’ve found that we are surprisingly comfortable.
Winter in Zion is a unique time. The leaves have mostly fallen and there is often ice to be found along the shores of the Virgin River. The crowds are largely gone during midweek and there is a beautiful serenity in the park, especially at this early hour.
Usually when we visit a National Park, we feel rushed to maximize the time we have and fill every minute with hikes and activities. With no schedule to keep, our days are long and slow. We pass the afternoon sitting in camp reading a book or visiting. I usually wake early and drive up the canyon to shoot. After an hour or two, I return to camp where Virginia has a hot breakfast waiting for me. Bedtime comes early once the sun goes down. One of the first advantages to retirement I noticed was that I began sleeping better, longer, and deeper. Where I used to get by on 4-5 hours of sleep a night while under the stress of production work, I now sleep a good 8-9 hours, and even get a nap in at times.
All seasons are beautiful in Zion. Winter allows one to see the structure of the park that is often hidden at other times of the year.
Sundays are a day of even greater rest as we tend to our church worship. We may take a walk in the afternoon, write letters, catch up with our children’s lives, or other family matters. This is a wonderful time for us.
I wonder if this stately gentleman feels much like I do at this stage of life called retirement.