I want to make more memories
By Elena Matyas
On October 29, 2015, Doug & I packed our SUV, clicked a not quite 3-year-old Roxie into her car seat and embarked upon a 700 mile journey to Utah.
First stop was Boulder City, Nevada where Aunt Nancy introduced Roxie to mountain goats and the merry-go-round at her neighborhood park. Roxie was ecstatic. Witnessing the thrill in her eyes as she explored the world warmed my heart and comprised the most profound moments of motherhood.
We explored Arches National Park, Canyonlands, Capital Reef, Kodachrome, Zion, Bryce, Escalante Petrified Forest and the Grand Staircase. Last stop was Red Rock Canyon.
I can feel Roxie’s weight against me as she dozed off in her Ergo carrier during a hike along the Emerald Pools Trail in Zion. I can hear her discovering her voice as she learned what an echo is shouting “Sandia!” (Spanish for watermelon) through the canyons of Arches (her favorite food at that time).
We enjoyed picnics along the Colorado River, played with the auburn sand in Canyonlands and watched the sunset light up the mesas throughout Kodachrome.
Our 2015 trip through seven national parks and two state parks was one of many adventures our family would enjoy, appreciating the best of our country. We hiked through snow in Sequoia, touched the rough bark of towering redwoods in the Armstrong forest, hunted for jabberwockies in Mariposa Grove and searched for Orcas from the peak Mount Constitution.
Weeks before her death, Roxie listened to the crashing waters at Yosemite Falls with “Gramma” at her side, and threw a snowball at daddy from Glacier Pointe.
Roxie understood the beauty of nature. During frequent trips to Santa Barbara, Roxie would look out upon the oil rigs from the 101 and ask if they were “hurting” Mother Nature. Experiencing the world through her eyes made life’s simple pleasures priceless.
As I drive on the freeway, I watch cars pass with bicycles strapped to the back-lifts. Families return from summer vacations where lifelong memories were made. Will I ever enjoy another vacation, knowing there are no more memories to be made with my little girl?