Monument Valley
I’m back from Murica! Had an amazing time, our van which we’ve dubbed The Blue Ruin, only broke down twice and I had an excellent time goofing around with Matt and all our lovely friends we were able to visit along the way. Matt is still getting his rolls of film developed but he snapped this one of me at awe inspiring Monument Valley on one of the only days during summer where it rains in the desert. The storm created a moody and almost eerie atmosphere in the valley. (If you look closely you can see the road and cars ahead of me for scale.) America’s national parks really are incredible places, ran by amazing and dedicated staff. We were lucky enough to hit Yellowstone, Arches, Monument Valley, Yosemite, Zion (my favourite), Olympic, Mesa Verde, Mojave, Painted Hills, Craters Of The Moon, Joshua Tree and even explore an unfinished nuclear power plant that was abandoned after the company went $30 billion over budget in the 80s. Whaaaaaat.
One of the highlights of the trip had to be finally visiting the famous Madonna Inn. We couldn’t stay the night as it was booked out, but we did share a meal at their mindf*ck of a restaurant. It was beautiful, crazy and a sensory overload. I can confidently say it was the fanciest meal I’ve ever had while simultaneously being the most dirty I’ve ever been (Showers were few and far between as were laundromats haha) We even got up to have a little dance to the full swing band, surrounded by gorgeously dressed couples in their best attire and us in our dirty jeans and ripped tshirts- it was a hoot.
Although I’m really missing being out on the road (After 5 weeks of living in our van and camping, it’s quite the adjustment!) I’m excited to get back into creative work. I’m moving house and should be able to finally rent myself some studio space. This is something I’ve ALWAYS wanted to do but never been able to afford. *Excitement*
After working our asses off all summer and hustling hard to raise funds for the van and our trip, it was worth every cent. If you’re thinking about heading out in a van and would like some tips or have any questions, I’d be happy to share what I can! But you should absolutely do it if you have the opportunity. x