My summer "vacation"

Most people I know think I'm pretty crazy, but I spent part of my summer vacation walking across the plains of Wyoming with my husband, son, and his church youth group. We walked 40 something miles in 4 days all the while pulling handcarts that were loaded with our food, water, belongings and supplies. We slept in open tents, we camped on the bare ground, we cooked our meals over the fire in a dutch oven and we washed up as best we could. We left our phones and technology at home as we tried to walk in the footsteps of our forebears, the Mormon pioneers of 1856 who pulled handcarts with their families all the way from western Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah. Many sacrificed their lives that year as they were stuck on the plains when an early winter snow fell in October. It was hard for us and for some of our youth group, but it was nothing compared to the sacrifice those early pioneers made. We were lucky to be able to walk on our nicely paved trail in the summertime and we were able to enjoy some modern conveniences like, toilets, running water, sunscreen, bugspray and plenty of food. Being out there in nature made me really appreciate the small things that you can easily take for granted when you're in the comfort of your home.

Small things that made all the difference:

• A little bit of cloud cover

• A soft dirt trail to walk on, as opposed to a rugged, rocky path

• A cool stream to wade through

• A slight breeze in the air

• Comfortable socks

• Chewing gum

• The feel of cool water in your mouth

• Music

• The feel of taking your shoes and socks off at night

• The sunset

• The beauty of the stars, and waking up at 3 am and being able to see the Milky Way, the Big Dipper, and the North Star so clearly

• Being surrounded by happy people

These photos were taken on day 1. You can tell it's Day 1 by looking at them because the kids are smiling and because our clothes are mostly clean. That white shirt I'm wearing actually looks white. By the end of it, everything I owned was covered in dirt and, I'm sorry to say, also smelled terrible. Even I didn't enjoy being around myself after 5 days of not showering.

So, anyway, if you're looking for a fun summer vacation, consider pulling a handcart across the state of Wyoming. That kind of vacation puts everything else into perspective.