Lake Powell & Monument Valley

And there there were Five…

From Antelope Canyon, our entourage headed to Lake Powell and Monument Valley. With a little improvisation, a bit of planning and plenty of room for surprise, I had organized a last-minute road trip to northern Arizona and our impromptu crew couldn’t have been more eclectic and fascinating if I tried.

Travel expert and ER doctor, Calvin Sun of Monsoon Diaries came along for the ride from New York. Together, we met Milan, an Arizonian who responded to my request on Couchsurfing for a car share. Between impersonations of Serbian mobsters and a wicked sense of humor, Milan had plenty of stories to share as a refugee of the Bosnian war, a diehard Nikolas Tesla fan, and a crockpot junkie. (The man makes a mean bacon stew).

Adding to the cast was Iggy, a 19-year-old Aussie who asked to join us at the last hour. She had been traveling solo for over a year and nothing makes me give a more enthusiastic high five than meeting a female backpacker who can carry a 30lb pack as well as she can handle a pair of heels. Says Iggy, “girls feel pressured to travel a certain way. Just because you want to dress up, doesn’t make you less of a traveller (and vice versa).” Amen, sister.

We picked up our final cohort, Mladden, Milan’s friend, and together, our five-person party headed north to take in landscapes that were as dynamic as our crew.