Otto and I visit Utah

It’s been a little quiet around here. After a holiday I always feel reflective and turn inwards a little. I don’t come back feeling desperate to share, I come back feeling inspired, creative and full, yet happy to be home. Otto has been sleeping terribly since we got back too and free evenings have been sparse. Otto and I got back just over a week ago from our trip to Utah. It was my fourth time to The States, and my third time to Utah. Utah has religious significance to me, but the main reason I go is to visit some of my extended family – I have ten cousins living in America (five in Utah), plus an aunt and uncle.

One of my cousins recently had her first baby, and I knew it wouldn’t be too long before I visited. The lovely thing about our trip is that we didn’t do anything fancy, we just spent time with family and friends. We lunched, we brunched, we slept in, we visited, we played, we pottered, we laughed, we reminisced, we chatted, we shopped and we lunched some more. It all felt so normal, and very surreal at times. I hired a car for five days which meant that we could make the most of our visit.

I am always struck by the amount of space in America. There just is so much of it. The roads are wide, everything is open, just space. It is everywhere. The landscape is so different, the colours are so different and Salt Lake City is surrounded by mountains – magnificent, yet humble and just stunning. Utah is almost twice the size of England, with 50 million less people. Now that is space! However, the downside is that you have to drive everywhere.

Jared and I last visited Utah just over five years ago, and during our trip we decided to drive up to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, which is hands down the most breathtaking place I have ever been. Utah is full of National Parks, canyons, desert, lakes, rugged terrain and mountains. It is perfect for hiking, camping and connecting with nature. Downtown Salt Lake is great for shopping and Temple Square attracts quite a crowd too.

One day we drove to the remote town of Ophir. Ophir is now a shell compared to its former glory days as a mining town. It was the perfect spot for lunch, and so quiet. The weather gradually improved during the course of our stay, and I loved the moody skies that developed into the evening.

I’d love to explore other parts of America – California, Alaska, Hawaii (of course) and Washington State, but Utah will always have big pull for me, because of the people I love that live there.

E xx