I kicked off my summer with a quick vacation to visit my best friend in Salt Lake City. I was a bit apprehensive to travel alone since I haven’t had the best luck in the past. But, I wanted to challenge myself to say Yes this week to anything that was thrown my way both good and bad.
Unfortunately, my luck didn’t improve this trip. On the way there, my original flight was canceled, the new connecting flight would not get in on time it was delayed, and on the new and “improved” flight I was stuck with a four hour layover in Vegas…which wasn’t ideal since I’m not even 21! So much for gambling away my money with an Elvis impersonator and then eloping with Joe Jonas(I wish). Fortunately for my best friend, this week I planned to attempt to say yes. I told those airline employees that I’d take the first available flight to Utah.
Finally landing in Utah, my friend and I decided to cook for her and her roommates at her new house. We went grocery shopping at Costco (which is very adult when you’re not riding in the cart and eating ice cream) and I let her pick out the food she wanted to cook.
She showed me around the University of Utah where I learned about her freshman year in comparison to mine. We returned to her house and she designated me as DJ, which I normally would turn down because I hate when people don’t like my taste in music, but thanks to the Her Campus ASU team, I’m facing my baby fears.
Speaking of fears, all of us went to the basement and somehow started sharing ghost stories. Just a little background about me… I’m a major wimp especially when it comes to paranormal activity. Seriously, at summer camp when I was eight I hated the older girls because they forced me to go into the bathroom and play Bloody Mary. I DO NOT MESS WITH GHOSTS. But again, I made a deal to say yes this week and I forced myself to listen to some truly terrifying stories. Needless to say, I do not plan on seeing La Llorona anytime soon.
During the duration of my stay, my friend planned surprises for me and her friends. We went to Park City to shop, I saw the house that is the real-life replication of the Up house, and I went to Dreamscape: a local, interactive art museum. I didn’t plan any of these activities and was more than happy to say yes to attend each one! The Dreamscape was specifically memorable because there was a mirror maze/tunnel and our friends decided to spin around and race out of the maze. Shh, don’t tell my editors but I said no to this activity because unlike the friends I went with, I had been in a mirror maze before and knew that making yourself dizzy before running out was not a great idea. My friend’s black eye said it all.
We also went to the Salt Flats of Utah, which I didn’t even know existed! I got some pretty phenomenal pictures of me walking on a massive sheet of salt. I’m really happy I said yes to this rendezvous because I got to have a road trip with some pretty cool people and had a great playlist along the way, a la me.
The most spur of the moment decision made on this trip was when we decided to go tubing down a river in the mountains. Saying yes to this activity, I only had 30 minutes to get ready and an hour car ride to prepare for. When we arrived, the weather was about 70 degrees so the water was probably 40 but felt like 30. We did not think through the temperature of a river in a mountain with high elevation. Luckily, our blessed guide gave us each wetsuits that barely fit. Personally, I’ve never felt sexier than in that skin tight black suit with my white crocs. Despite watching my friend almost die when a rock attacked her butt and losing a croc when fighting the current, this was easily my favorite part of the trip.
Utah was gorgeous and a great start to my summer! I loved seeing my best friend, hammocking in her backyard, and meeting all her new friends. But I really had a blast when I just said yes.
As a control freak, it can be hard for me to be spontaneous and this activity Her Campus ASU gave me really allowed me to loosen up. Although the only dangerous thing we did was flip a U-ie on the freeway to get to the Salt Flats and tube down a freezing cold river, I would recommend to anyone this idea to just say yes! ‘Cause odds are even the dangerous stuff will be awesome… and maybe even your new favorite memories.