Big Bend was awesome, Guadalupe Mountains National Park was pretty boring. I think we went at the wrong time of year. West Texas is awesome. It is hard to capture in a picture. It just feels so big and empty. Spending that much time with my brother was mostly positive. Hanging out with family members always stresses me out, because I feel like there is something they all have in common that I don't have. And when that comes out, they always react like I am an alien being. Somehow I am the only person in my family who was not blessed with deep self-confidence. Even my little sister, who is scatter-brained and goofy like I am, sincerely does not give a single shit about what most people think about her. But the trip was great. Even the first few days when my brother someone was setting up the stove wrong and we had to eat cold meals. Uncooked veggies with undercooked rice is not great, but even in that moment I was happy to be doing something out of the ordinary. My roommates all commented that I seem taller, and everything here feels kind of small and unimportant.
Since I have been on a Murakami kick, I downloaded 1q84 for the drive, and it was a mistake. We both got hooked on the story, but it is definitely written in a really frustrating style. It just goes on and on and we were both losing our minds with impatience. My roommate who has already read it informed me that I will be extremely unsatisfied by the ending. Uh oh. Also, before picking an audiobook with a family member, maybe check out whether a huge part of the book is about sexual assault. Think about whether you want to hear 18 hours that are sometimes about child-rape while driving through Texas.
Also: I used the headlamp that August gave me the whole time. That thing is definitely way better than carrying a flashlight. Thanks, Aug.