Solitude

I remember, a long time ago, when I did not appreciate solitude. I needed something to fill my days and when I was alone, constantly felt as if I was missing out on something. Then there was the challah eating. The, as-long-as-I’m-alone-I-might-as-well-eat-an-entire-challah eating. You know the one...

Today I crave solitude and not for the challah eating. Not that my life is so crazy, or I have kids or a harrowing job, I just sometimes need my alone time. Over the last few years, I have seemed to need more and more of it.

A few years ago, some friends and I went to the Grand Canyon in an RV. I am a huge fan of the RVing (as is Michael) and when we retire we will buy an RV and I will see you on my next time through Los Angeles. I want one of those maps on the back and I want to fly the queer flag high.

Digression much?

Anyway, we went to the Grand Canyon. Now, I like entertaining and so I cooked breakfast and dinner for the 6 of us most of the days we were there and we hiked and explored but I could see that the Grand Canyon was a place for me to find solitude.

A couple of months later I went back alone. What an amazing experience. I stayed in the Bright Angel Cabins for $84 a night. These are little individual cabins with full baths and a bed a desk and chairs. There’s also a TV just in case you need to watch the weather report. Which I am a huge fan of.

I spent 4 days and three nights writing in my journal, knitting, and reading. There is no cell service at the Grand Canyon. There is no internet. There is, however, a shuttle that will take you throughout the entire park for F-R-E-E which runs from before sunrise (because that is one big huge attraction at the Canyon) to after nightfall. I never felt unsafe for a moment and the hiking is stupendous. The Rim Trail (he he) is really easy, wheelchair accessible, paved for much of the way and the parts that aren’t, there is a separate accessible path.

By the way - I took that picture at the Grand Canyon at sunrise. Seriously.

There are also huge parts of the park that you can go to that are virtually tourist free and so unbelievably peaceful.

I have since been back twice. I love that place. I haven’t found anything quite like it where there is just nothing to do, but there is always something to do. Walk, see a lecture, read, look at a slide show, just peer into the canyon.

A few weeks ago, Michael mentioned that if I had lived in another time and hadn’t been Jewish, I would have made a good nun. The solitude and contemplation I get when I’m at the Grand Canyon proves this to be true…if only I wasn’t Jewish and atheist and married.