Total Solar Eclipse

I've witnessed two total solar eclipses (so far) in life. It's an incredibly magical and eerie experience and if you ever have the chance to see one on or very close to the path of totality, I recommend it!

2017: "The Great American Eclipse"

This happened on my birthday! On August 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse crossed the US from Oregon to South Carolina. The longest totality was ~2 mins 40 seconds. In Asheville, NC, I had it for roughly 2 mins 33 seconds!

There was massive turnout; millions of people traveled to the path from around the continent. It was the first total eclipse in the USA since 1979 and the first coast-to-coast eclipse since 1918. It was nicknamed the "Great American Eclipse" because the path was entirely within the US.

My Experience

I drove down to Asheville, NC, almost last minute, to meet my brother and his family (and dog) and watch my first total eclipse! I had seen a handful of partial eclipses but since this event was so huge and hadn't happened for so long... and since my heart had just gotten broken recently... I felt like I needed to do this.

It was a day trip since it was so last minute and they had to work the next day anyway. (I was on birthday vacation.) It was 7 hours down, a few hours there, and then 7 hours back again.

I love that I experienced this with my family and I also love that it happened on my birthday. For years afterwards I existed on the glow around the edges of the moon. I'd find myself thinking of dusk coming early and silencing all birds and bugs around us, the feeling of a brief, cool, mid-day twilight before the world woke up during the day's second dawn. This happened on my birthday! And if you saw it, we were connected in that moment, because the entire time it was happening, I was tuning my brain to the sights, sounds, feelings, and the fact that countless strangers were watching the sky at this very moment across the US, here on the day of my birth.

We hung around Transylvania County (the coolest place to see an eclipse, probably) and shopped for a bit before making the trip back home.

I've misplaced all photos from 2017-2021, so that sucks.

2024: "The Great North American Eclipse"

I saw this eclipse in Dayton, OH, on April 8, 2024. The eclipse crossed Mexico into Texas and up to Maine, then into Canada. The longest totality was ~4 mins 28 seconds.

There were larger crowds than in 2017 and I remember reading many warnings that if you were traveling, to ensure you brought your own food and filled up on gas far away from the path of totality because you could expect gas stations to run out of gas and grocers to run out of food. (None of that happened on my path to the path.) There was significantly more planning across the country with school closures and traffic control. Much of the 2024 preparation was done in reaction to 2017 outcomes.

Unlike the 2017 eclipse, the 2024 eclipse came with cloudy skies in multiple locations. I have friends who traveled, stayed somewhere, and saw nothing but clouds.

My Experience

I went to Dayton, OH, to see the eclipse with family during a camping trip. While I was there, checking Instagram in the tent and feeling weird about it, I saw a friend's posts about driving to Dayton, OH, for the eclipse. I asked where, and it turned out to be 14 minutes from base camp!

I dipped out of the family plans and spent the 2024 eclipse afternoon with a friend from home in another state. The crew had a giant telescope to take photos and it was one of the first queer friend groups I'd ever hung out with (I have individual queer friends who don't know each other, but no group). I felt awkward but accepted and happy to spend the event amongst these strangers. I've known this friend since high school, which was over 20 years ago, and as someone who cosmically identifies with eclipses it was a special and fun to add this experience to our friendship resume.

We had a delicious meal, watched dogs play with each other, talked about life and the state of the world, took a little walk, entered an abandoned building, climbed an incredibly steep ladder, and watched the eclipse from the rooftop. After the eclipse they had a bonfire but by then I was back at the campsite soaking in my feels about how amazing that was, enjoying a second sunset on the lake.