I’ve never been one for bright lights, loud noises, casinos, over-crowded tourist attractions, or gambling, so it may seem odd that one of my stops on this road trip was Las Vegas. In truth, I skipped over the strip completely– I didn’t even see it in the distance– and drove directly to North Las Vegas to visit my maternal grandmother, aunt, and uncle who I haven’t seen in about seventeen years. After two strenuous days of hiking in Utah’s national parks, I was grateful to have time to just sit, relax, and talk to others.

I got to meet my aunt for the first time as an adult and was surprised at how easy it was to talk to her, how it felt like I’d grown up with and not apart from her all these years. Just as I had felt when hiking in Zion National Park the day before, I knew she had come back into my life at exactly the right moment.

I spent most of the day with my uncle and grandmother. I could only hope to be as strong and sassy as she is at 89. Here’s a glimpse of her humor:

After my uncle took the picture below, he handed me the camera and said, “See if you like the picture.”

I said I did and showed the screen to my grandmother.

“Looks great,” she said. “I can’t see a thing, but it looks great. I don’t need to see it because these two beautiful women couldn’t take a bad picture.”

Me and My Grandmother

Although my stay was not your typical risky vacation, I know that what happened in Vegas will stay with me forever.