I thought seeing The Wave under a layer of snow would be a once-in-a-lifetime moment. And it was—just not in the way Instagram promised. The red rock was quieter, the curves softer, but the cold bit through my gloves and the silence felt heavier than awe. I took a hundred photos, but none of them looked like what I felt. The snow made everything look clean, untouched, but I was still carrying the same mess I brought with me. Sometimes you chase a place hoping it’ll change something inside you. Sometimes it just hands you back your own reflection, sharper in the cold. #Travel #TravelExpectationVsReality #SoloHikingTruth