Grand Canyon Chronicles: Learning to Embrace Life, More

“Los caminos de la vida no son como yo pensaba. Como los imaginaba. No son como yo creía.”

“The journey of life is not how I thought it would be. It’s not how I imagined it. It’s not what I believed it would be.”

This song came on the radio at one point while we were driving along the southern rim of the Grand Canyon a few weeks ago before the end of 2017, and it put everything into perspective. The last time I really listened to the lyrics of Los Caminos de la Vida by La Tropa Vallenata I was headed to the cemetery in the funeral procession for my father. I remember thinking then, that life is too short to not do the things we want to do.

So, when we decided to venture out for an epic end of year family trip we knew exactly where we wanted to go, the unbelievably beautiful Grand Canyon National Park. Even when you are standing right there in the middle of it all it’s hard to believe that something so breathtaking can be real. We had to pinch ourselves a few times to realize this natural wonder and national treasure in fact was our little corner of the world for a few days.

There was nowhere else in the world we wanted to be in that moment.

We came back from this trip with so many happy moments and shared family experiences that it was like no other trip we had taken together before.

That’s the thing about creating lifelong memories. You have to create them with purpose.

Some of the fondest memories of my own father are of traveling with him. The way he used to have my mother pour cold water on him (sometimes with ice) when he was getting sleepy. The music he would play and sing along to. The stern voice in which he called our attention when we were getting too rowdy in the back seats because inevitably nobody wanted to share their two or three centimeters of personal space. Mostly his boisterous way of announcing when we had reached an important destination or landmark – say like a gas station with a restroom – for everyone to take notice.

He always loved to travel, although in truth he never was able to do a lot of it for leisure. Most of the places he was able to see in his life were a result of his efforts to provide for his family.

One of the last conversations I had with my dad before his health took a turn for the worse was about taking a trip with him and my mother. I wanted to take him to the Grand Canyon or another national park because I knew how much he loved the outdoors, and when I had first stepped foot on the Grand Canyon myself a few months earlier, I was overwhelmed with emotion thinking about my parents. Visiting such an iconic American landmark as a first generation Mexican-American, I just couldn’t help but to get a little choked up about the life my parents had led in order to ensure my family was able to establish itself in this country.

This time around it was even more significant.

He was there with me, and even though I only had his jacket on my shoulders to prove it, it was one of those moments that I can go back and relive in my heart over and over again.

It made me appreciate every single moment I spent with my family in this beautiful place much, much more.

We spent the entire week embracing the precious time we had together. Uninterrupted. Not distracted. Just reconnecting with each other and thinking about what we were going to eat for our next meal. That’s how you know you’re having a good vacation, in my opinion.

We stayed at the resort-style and newly remodeled Best Western Premier Grand Canyon Squire Inn, located in the charming little Arizona town of Tusayan, literally right at the doorstep of the Grand Canyon National Park. It was the ideal location for us because it allowed us to venture out into nature during the day, while at the same time providing us the comforts of home when we made it back to our hotel room after dark. The hot tub and indoor pool were just what this trio of weary travelers needed after long days of trekking in the canyon and playing at the hotel’s on-site bowling alley.

The look and feel of the hotel was pretty special too. The theme of the décor was all about the Grand Canyon, and everyone there seemed to be there for the same reason – to enjoy time together as a family.

We really don’t know how much time we have with those we care about. If I could turn back time and do it all over again, I would have followed my gut and just loaded up the car with my parents, Anjelica and Edgar, to go see the Grand Canyon with all of them sooner. In a way, though, I wonder sometimes if this was my father’s way of telling me to start living every single day without second-guessing the things I think I might want to do just because they might not be the most practical right now.

Our family trip to the Grand Canyon, after all, was the best holiday gift I could have ever wished for!