We left Phoenix at noon and went directly to Oak Creek Canyon. Driving up Highway 89A immediately transported me back to the magic of childhood. Living in the house on Roadrunner with the huge wild backyard, playing fairies in the red dirt, and feeling like outside was the only safe place to be. 89A in the Canyon is just two lanes with no shoulder, a narrow path snaking through one of the most beautiful and photographed places in the world. When I was in high school working in the Sedona restaurants, tourists would tell me it was prettier than the Grand Canyon (just two hours north) and how much did I love living amongst so much beauty?

I never had the words to tell them, that you don’t know Sedona’s beauty until you’ve sat in her forest and felt her speak peace to your 7-year-old heart. You’ve never known solace until you’ve sat on the smooth rocks of Red Rock Crossing, toes in the water, ears filled with the sound of ancient wind with whispers that even though your family is imploding, the earth still loves you. You don’t know celebration until you’ve climbed to the top of Bell Rock, past all the tourists asking you if it’s actually possible, and stood on the literal top of the world, feeling both soulfully huge and physically tiny. That’s my Sedona.

We parked at about the place that Kristen said we would emerge from and then hiked back down the highway to get to the starting point. With no shoulder on the road, we walked single file, our packs on our backs, fly rods in hand. It was so warm, that we definitely didn’t need waders but the rocks are still slippery so we still wore our fishing boots, a technique called wet wading. As we walked to our drop-in spot….

After TED, I was all out of whack. And all my old strategies weren't working. I've done a lot (like a TON) of personal growth in the last few years. And I've learned many times over, that after a period of expansion, comes contraction.

A lot of aspects of our relationship worked well, and as I begin a new and beautiful relationship with my girlfriend, I am determined to bring all the good with me and let go of the not-so-good.  Mormons are known for their focus on marriage and family, so there was a lot of good to bring along.