After my first year of college, 2 of my two childhood friends and I decided it was time to do our big trip to experience America in all its beauty. We wanted this trip to emphasize our freedom to spontaneity. After a turbulent start leaving the Green Mountains of Vermont, the Grand Canyon was our first real taste of the southwest. It would be hard to contrast our home state more than this beautiful park. Our first order of business after awakening in Kaibab forest was a hike, and we picked the Bright Angel trail, neglecting the warnings about hiking in the afternoon as well as consuming alot of electrolytes. We were awestruck throughout the entire descent, and by the time we reached the bottom of the canyon, we looked up at the towering dry cliffs and realized our true scale in the grand scheme of things. Being humbled by Mother Nature is an incredible experience for those who experience it in its rawest form, and I believe this picture captures the astonishment we felt when we bore witness to what Mother Nature shared with us. And that goes both ways, as all the National Parks we visited taught us about our responsibility to preserve these very sites we were stunned by so that every future generation can experience that same sense of awe.