Rest

TAOS, New Mexico // The trip west was filled with stops at friends and families. The trip east has been the complete opposite with most nights at campgrounds and hostels filled with unfamiliar faces. It is hard to unwind when you are constantly moving into unfamiliar surroundings. I've felt a little homesick and tired these last hundred of miles on the road. Not really homesick for a specific place, but just a familiar place with familiar faces.

We have been trying to pack our days full of activities on this road trip and sometimes we get overly aggressive and burn ourselves out.

So today we consciously decided to rest. We slept in and had a lazy morning. We made omelettes in the hostel kitchen with broccoli, spinach, pepper jack cheese, and a side of banana and persimmon fruit salad. We did a load of laundry and called our mom's and some friends to catch up on all the stories we have been missing. Adam serenaded me on the piano like he used to do in the dorms freshman year of college while I sipped my tea.

Then we drove out to Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs, about 45 minutes from the hostel. For $20 per person you get unlimited access to 8 natural hot springs, a mud spring, the steam room, and the sauna all day. We spent hours soaking our traveling bones in the warm natural springs. We stretched and relaxed and recharged our batteries. We washed our faces in red mud and laughed at each other as we let it dry on our faces. The women's locker room was also complete with conditioner and hair dryers. Luxuries I have not been with for the entire trip. 

I feel like a new human. Ready to take on the world. It was a good reminder for our upcoming travel plans though. For every 10-14 active days we need to plan in a few rest days.