Road Tripping to the Grand Canyon

So, picture this rockstars – fresh out of a breakup, feeling like the main character in a sad indie movie, and I decide, “Screw it, let’s go to the Grand Canyon.”

Because, you know, nothing says “I’m processing my feelings” like staring out at a giant hole in the earth that basically screams, “You’re insignificant.” And what better way to do that than in a Mustang?

Yes, we rented a Mustang for the week, because if I’m going to be wallowing in existential sadness, I might as well do it in style, right?

The catch? Only I could drive it. No one else in the group had their licence at the time, so I was basically the designated Mustang pilot for the trip. Not complaining, though—cruising through the desert with the top down felt like something straight out of a movie.

We headed to the Grand Canyon, blasting through iconic spots like the Hoover Dam, which, by the way, is a pretty epic detour in itself, even if it does look like something out of a dystopian sci-fi movie. But holy hell, that dam is huge, too. America really doesn’t do anything small, do they?

But let’s get to the main event: The Grand Canyon. I’ve seen pictures. You’ve seen pictures. But nothing prepares you for actually standing there and looking out at it. Like, I’d spent the week before this trip moping around, thinking, “Oh, this is pretty shit, I’ll go stare into the abyss of nature and maybe cry a little.” I thought I’d be that guy, gazing into the distance, having some deep, brooding moment like, “Life is big, and I’m so small.”

But instead, I got there and all I could think was, “HOLY BALLS.” The thing is just massive. Like, I knew it was big, but when you’re standing there on the edge of this ancient, endless chasm, it’s a whole different level of mind-blowing

And speaking of edges… there are no barriers on a lot of the cliffs. None. You’d think there’d be some sort of safety rail, but nope. You can just walk right up to the edge like, “Hey, this seems safe,” and look straight down into a drop that feels like it goes on forever. It’s both stomach-turning and oddly exhilarating

I even ventured to the edge, because of course I did and was feeling little suicidal haha, and let me tell you, it’s one thing to see the canyon from the platform; it’s a whole other thing to be right at the edge with nothing between you and the void.

My legs were shaking, my heart was pounding, and my brain was like, “Mate, this is how people end up in headlines.”

The viewing platform was another trip altogether. You can walk out over the canyon on this glass-floored bridge, and it’s a whole lot of “NOPE” and “WOW” all at once. You’re basically suspended over nothingness, and every part of your body is screaming at you to step back, but your brain’s like, “Nah, this is epic.

It’s funny, because really did go there thinking I’d be sad, like, the canyon was going to mirror my own heartbreak or something poetic like that, but instead, I was just in awe. The breakup? It felt tiny in comparison to this thing that’s been around for millions of years.

The Grand Canyon basically gave me a big cosmic slap in the face, like, “Dude, get over it.”

10/10 would recommend.

If you’re going through it, or even if you’re not, standing on the edge of something that gigantic will put things in perspective real quick. You’ll either feel incredibly small and overwhelmed or, like me, you’ll walk away thinking, “Holy balls, I just stood on the edge of the world, and it was insane.”