On the Fourth of July, I intended to wake up early, but I didn’t set an alarm. How fortunate then, that I had another type of alarm, something unusual, and perhaps even something magical.

In my sleep, I heard noises, but I didn’t readily recognize them–they weren’t a lawn mower or a garbage truck. Then, as I was waking, I realized that they were from the burner of a hot air balloon. I jumped out of bed, only to see my apartment building being buzzed by a such a balloon, and the sky all around me being filled with various hot air balloons, flying as part of Provo’s freedom festival.