Matt

We were welcomed, but also assessed.

I'm not saying that as a creepy thing.

It was just real.

Out there, you don't let people wander your property without knowing what kind of people they are.

That first evening was normal in the best way.

Food, stories, practical talk.

We sat outside as the heat bled off into the dark.

You could see stars like someone spilled salt across velvet.

Jonah tried to make jokes.

Lila took a couple photos until Marin gently nudged her like, not now.

I recorded a few minutes of ambient audio because I always do.

Wind, insects, distant dogs.

If you've never heard night out there, it's not silent.

It's layered.

The quiet is what happens between the layers.

At some point, the conversation drifted toward where we wanted to hike.

We had a loose plan, a day trip to see rock formations, a night out camping on public land, carefully, legally, and maybe a longer hike if the weather stayed stable.

I was the one pushing for a certain area because I'd seen it in photos online.

Jonah wanted the alien-looking Badlands.

Lila wanted anything with good light.