My license may say New York State but I’m a California girl at heart, and a recent trip to Moab, Utah reminded me of that little girl I used to know. I grew up surrounded by nature—a few hours in any direction and I could be in the snow, desert, ocean or forest—and have a profound respect for its power to heal and destroy. My proximity to such diverse topography taught me how to navigate a life of duality. I was the little girl that dressed in itchy tights and petticoats for Sunday service and ran barefoot through the sprinklers with her big sister on a hot summer day.
I was the teenager who sat on the lawn making daisy chains, wishing on dandelions and chewing sourgrass, while counting down the days until my next silk press. My summers were spent on the Mendocino forest trails, the coast of Monterey Bay and the rocky sand “beach” of Lake Temescal. California was my playground and nature was my backyard but things look a little different now.
After 10 years in New York City, I’ve admittedly lost touch with my inner flower child. And while I’m far less outdoorsy these days, I relish any opportunity to touch grass, see the stars and be reminded of just how small we are in this big, beautiful world. So when I was invited to go on a glamping reading retreat at ULUM Moab with the World of Hyatt and Reese’s Book Club, I couldn’t say yes fast enough.
The promise of a few uninterrupted days to unplug, connect with fellow book lovers and relive some childhood nostalgia amongst the red rocks of the desert was exactly what I needed. Typically, when given the choice between the beach and pretty much anything, I will always choose the beach. Water is healing and restorative; a natural elixir that awakens something deep inside of me every time I’m submerged. But after two days surrounded by the arches, canyons and rivers of Moab, I found a similar power in the desert heat.
Nestled thirty minutes outside of downtown Moab, the ULUM property appears like a fever-dream mirage in the middle of the desert. It commands rugged luxury and gives guests direct access to sweeping views of Looking Glass Arch and Canyonlands National Park, complete with beautifully curated glamping tents that would make even the most timid of city slickers instantly comfortable and relaxed. Every bit of tension immediately left my body as soon as I unzipped the canvas tent and stepped into my personal retreat.
And while I did spend a nice chunk of time reading—I brought Major Gift by Tiffany Ezuma and They All Fall in Love at the End by Haili Blassingame with me—I found myself craving stillness and quiet reflection. The next day, after completing one of the most challenging hikes of my life to Corona Arch, calling on God and the sure-footedness of a Tibetan mountain goat to see me through, I sat on the deck of my tent, sun-kissed and freshly showered, desperately trying to hold onto the primal high that comes with a 4,395 ft elevation climb and the reminder I can in fact do hard things! I felt like that spirited little girl from California all over again and in that moment, I knew that I couldn’t afford to let her go.
My time in Moab was brief but its beauty and nostalgia will remain a core memory. I already miss the calmness of starlit sky blending with the rich, dusty terracotta hues and deep, lush emerald tones of the terrain. So if you’re looking for a way to reconnect with yourself, get grounded in nature and carve out some time to read, reflect or just be still, look no further than the red rocks of Utah.
Kayla Conti is a Brooklyn-based reader, writer, and newly-liberated woman in tech. You can find more of her musing on Substack at TLDR Things, where she discusses books, travel fashion and life as a 30-something Black woman.