A River Trip Changed My Whole Outlook On Life

Matthew Colver | Grand Canyon

I was a workaholic. I had been working many large engineering projects 6 days a week, no vacations, for 7 years or so. When one of the projects was near completion I felt the project could survive without me. I took a 13 day trip down The Colorado in the Grand Canyon. Going down the canyon I felt stress just draining out of me. One day floating down the river, I was looking up at the canyon walls, the blue sky, and muddy water. I just started sobbing it was so beautiful. Now I’m a big guy and I’m not one for emotional outbursts. However that canyon was the most beautiful thing I had seen in my life. After I got back to work I never fell back into my workaholic mode. I always used every minute of my vacation time. I also try to do at least one white water river trip every year. I changed. I also retired early. I’m a different person than I was before I went down the Grand Canyon.

Support the protection of 5,000 new miles of wild and scenic rivers