Sometimes a place captures your soul. Our family finds happiness anywhere we are together but some places stand out as extraordinary. Our week in Moab keeps floating back to the top of my mind.

We lived for free on BLM land. Luckily with our generator, we could charge our batteries for an hour or so each night. We washed clothes in a bucket and hung them on a line. Water was gold. There was no waste.

I’d wake up at sunrise and get on my mountain bike. The trails were glorious and abundant. The dry air, the breeze, the pink sunrise through the dust particles. The smooth rock. Just my pounding heart and single track trail.

We ate when we were hungry. Picnics mostly because we were too busy playing. The kids collected stones and organized them into drawers in a plastic case. They trade them as currency.

We laughed a lot. We took our climbing gear to “Ice Cream Parlor” and “Wall Street.” Even at the beginner level, the climbs were a challenge. We were excited, scared, and hungry for memories together.

The week was a blur in my mind it passed so quickly. I cannot think of it without closing my eyes and smiling.