A Family Reunion to Remember

Day 1 - 07/17/2025

I was skeptical at first—large family get-togethers are not my thing. I prefer a nice, quiet day in: some lo-fi tunes playing, my favorite fur baby curled up beside me, and a new video game to get lost in—fully immersed in its mechanics or story as the day lazily drifts by. But this weekend? Yeah, this was definitely not going to be that.

It started with my wife and me packing the truck and mentally preparing for the long 11-and-a-half-hour drive from Phoenix all the way to Mountain Green, Utah. Yeah... Not to mention, when we arrived, I knew I’d be walking straight into a whirlwind of opinions and beliefs that clashed with my own. So, naturally, I tried prepping a few clever retorts ahead of time—something quick and casual to keep conversations moving and, ideally, make it to whatever meal was being served without spiraling into a philosophical debate.

Of course, my mental list of retorts was minimal, and my thoughts were soon swept up in the usual hum of daily life—bills, work, relationships, family, food, and my recent weight gain all jockeying for space in my head. Needless to say, I had a lot to think about… and thankfully, the drive was long enough to do just that.

When we arrived that evening, I was startled—and pleasantly so—by how beautiful the condo was. It had all the amenities, and everything we needed was just ten minutes away. I quickly scoped out the area and found a nice running path where I could start acclimating to the higher elevation and maybe chip away at those extra pounds hanging on my love handles.

I woke to the sound of my alarm and headed out for a one-hour run… okay, it was more like a one-hour crawl. Still, getting out there was exactly what I needed to feel motivated for the day. When I got back—surprise!—my father-in-law had a full plan ready: a family trip to Olympic Park, all on him. It was less than an hour south and packed with world-class activities and local eats. Reenergized, I hopped in the shower and got ready for what sounded like an awesome day out.

The drive was pretty chill. We played music, talked about the artists, and took in the scenery. But when we arrived? I was not ready for the massive ski jumps towering ahead of us. They were way more intimidating in person. I quickly learned that in the offseason, Olympic Park lets patrons go down these slopes in inner tubes… and you can hit speeds up to 55 mph. No joke. I was probably the first one in line.

90m on the left, I am the little spot just below the 0 for scale I am about 5'11"

I was giddy—like, first-Christmas-as-a-kid giddy. Then we approached the gondola, and I was reminded of my own mortality, which didn’t exactly calm my nerves. Before taking on the big hill, everyone had to complete a test run on a smaller 60m slope to get a feel for the speed and safety form. I managed that, then made my way toward the 90m beast. The incline was shocking. I scooted down slowly and climbed into the inner tube, bracing for fate.

The attendant told me to lean back, feet up, and keep my butt in. I complied.

Then, just as I was contemplating the finer things in life—bills, love, tacos—I felt a nudge on the back of the tube.

I started spinning.

Then accelerating.

Backwards. 

Down a massive slope.

All thoughts stopped. The world blurred. I let out a holler loud enough for everyone in the park to hear:

“Fudge!!!!”

…Except it wasn’t “Fudge.”

And yes, I said that in Utah. I thought swearing was illegal here? (I kid, I kid.)

Shockingly, people were pretty forgiving. No one pelted me with churros or pamphlets, so I took that as a win.

I ended up going down two more times, then hit the alpine slide and the extreme zipline. It turned out to be an incredible day. I felt closer to my wife and in-laws, and realized maybe not everything has to be so serious. I didn’t need the retorts I had prepped. In fact, I couldn’t even remember them.

And I didn’t want to.

I just wanted one more run down the hill—or better yet, to find something new and exciting to do with my family. Something we’d all remember for the rest of our lives.

Wrapping up the day, we had some world-class eats at Hearth and Hill. The chef there? An absolute stud. No bias here… (okay fine—he’s my uncle-in-law). Still, I was introduced to the best homemade ketchup of my life, paired with a mouthwatering burger cooked to perfection, truffle fries, and a prickly pear hard cider that hit just right. The company? Even better. And the chef even came out to say hi! Jokes aside, he was happy to see us and gave us a quick rundown of the wild, behind-the-scenes chaos of running his own restaurant. Mad respect.

With our stomachs full and our hearts lighter, we headed back home. I felt more confident about the family reunion ahead—and, dare I say, even a little excited for what the next few days might bring. Days that would, surprisingly, replace my usual video game marathons and Cheeto-fueled introspection with something far more meaningful.

-Jordan R.