Wednesday, May 27, 2009

I'm Back Baby!

I just got back from Europe and it was amazing! I would blog about it now but I'm leaving for CA tomorrow and I need to unpack, do laundry, and then pack again. Stay tuned!

p.s. I checked my google reader and I have 120 new blog post to check. I will check them all... it'll just take some time. I hope you have all been well!

GO LAKERS!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane


See you in 2 weeks!

And GO LAKERS!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Guess What?!

Guess who just called me...

My dad!


Guess where he's at...

The Staples Center for game 5!


I'm so jealous!

GO LAKERS!

Monday, May 11, 2009

“There are no vacant lots in nature” -EA

On Thursday (May 7) I left for Moab, Utah with my housemate, Lisa, and her ward.

I thought this trip would satisfy my craving for the Southwest, but it just made me want more.

Thursday night we went to Dead Horse Point State Park to watch the sunset.



Friday was the day I had been waiting for. 

I left camp with Lisa, Allison, Spencer, and Carrie and headed into Arches National Park. We had one day, one whole day, to see the entire park, and that's exactly what we did. 

Stop One: Balanced Rock (Indiana Jones anyone?)


Stop Two: The Windows


and Turret Arch


Stop Three: Double Arch



Stop Four: Devils Garden Primitive Loop

Since we had gotten such little exercise by driving around paved roads and then walking 100 ft to the arches, we decided to do the Devils Garden Primitive Loop trail. The whole 7.2 miles! This hike included Landscape Arch, Wall Arch (which recently collapsed in August 2008), Partition Arch, Navajo Arch, Black Arch, Double O Arch, Private Arch, and a burley hike through Fin Canyon.




Stop Five: Night Hike to Delicate Arch

Nothing is more majestic then seeing the silhouette of this ancient arch in the full moon light. 


“There are several ways of looking at Delicate Arch. Depending on your preconceptions you may see the eroded remnant of a sandstone fin, a giant engagement ring cemented in rock, a bow-legged pair of petrified cowboy chaps, a triumphal arch for a procession of angels, an illogical geologic freak, a happening—a something that happened and will never happen quite that way again, a frame more significant than its picture, a simple monolith eaten away by weather and time and soon to disintegrate into a chaos of falling rock. …

“Much of the same could be said of the tamarisk down in the canyon, or of the blue-black raven croaking on the cliff, or your own body. The beauty of Delicate Arch explains nothing, for each thing in its way, when true to its own character, is equally beautiful. … If Delicate Arch has any significance it lies, I will venture, in the power of the odd and unexpected to startle the senses and surprise the mind out of their ruts of habit, to compel us into a reawakened awareness of the wonderful—that which is full of wonder.

“A weird, lovely, fantastic object out of nature like Delicate Arch has the curious ability to remind us—like rock and sunlight and wind and wilderness—that out there is a different world, older and greater and deeper by far than ours, a world which surrounds and sustains the little world of men as sea and sky surround and sustain a ship. The shock of the real. For a little while we are again able to see, as the child sees, a world of marvels. For a few moments we discover that nothing can be taken for granted, for if this ring of stone is marvelous then all which shaped it is marvelous, and our journey here on earth, able to see and touch and hear in the midst of tangible and mysterious things-in-themselves, is the most strange and daring of all adventures.” [Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire, 36-7]



Sunday, May 10, 2009

My mom

I was able to capture 3 things my mom loves in one picture:

M&Ms (chocolate), New York City (traveling in general), and me!

Happy Mothers Day!

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

I Hate Sleeping

About five to ten percent of adults have nightmares once a month or more frequently.

Nightmare #1: This is what I get for eating too much fish!


I would fall off a cliff and be attacked by giant piranhas. After I am killed, my spirit would float to the top of the cliff and watch from afar as my body is eaten.

This is the reoccurring nightmare I had through out college. It would vary slightly but it always ended the same: death. I’m the type of person that knows when I’m dreaming. After having this dream many times I tried to change it. While I was dreaming I would walk far away from the cliff or stay away from water in general. No matter how I tried to change it, the dream would carry on as always. If I tried to stay away from the cliff then I would be pushed or dragged by someone else to the edge.

I had no idea how to stop this nightmare and it continued for years. Some times I would have it a few times a week and other times it would only come every few months.

Eventually the nightmare stopped. I don’t know why, but I’m glad they did.

Nightmare #2: English class.

I am back in college and receive word that I can’t graduate because I am failing one of my classes (It’s ALWAYS an English class).

“That can’t be! I’m not even taking an English class right now!”
“Well, we have you signed up for one and if you fail it then you can’t graduate.”

It turns out that I registered for a class and then forgot about it! Now I am going to fail and I can’t graduate!

Another variation of this dream is that I am already graduated and I get a call from BYU saying that they need my diploma back because I didn’t complete my English class.

Man, oh man, how I hate that English class!

This nightmare is more common now. Since, I graduated in 2007.

Nightmare #3: Birds of prey


This nightmare consists of being chased by dinosaurs. And not just any dinosaur, but a herd of Utahraptors! Like the ones in Jurassic Park! The thing that made this dream so much scarrier then the other ones is that my little brother was always in them and I was afraid that he was going to get eaten. Don’t worry, he didn’t. I was always able to wake myself up right as the Raptors got close.

This dream is not as common as the other ones. I remember having it as a kid (probably shortly after Jurassic Park came out), and randomally through out highschool and college. But it hasn’t been for a while.

Conclusion:

I realize that I get these nightmares during stressful and life changing times. Of course, college was stressful. And my life right now is totally out of control. I don’t sleep well anyways and waking up with my heart beating out of my chest is not a fun thing.

I think that this is a reality slap that I need to make decisions. I have many paths that lie before me and, even though I love having options, I need to make a decision.

Monday, May 4, 2009

May The 4th Be With You

Happy Star Wars Day!


This is what I have planned for May:

(1) See Wolverine - check!

I liked it... I know it's been getting bad reviews, but it was entertaining. There was plenty of action and I liked the story line. It didn't follow the comic books or cartoons very well, but these movies waved buh-bye to that a long time ago. 

*Side note: Don't ever see a movie with my friends. Not only do they talk through the movie, they criticize it, which makes it hard to enjoy. If you want to talk during a movie then rent it and watch it at home. I didn't pay 9 buck to hear your opinion.

(2) Go to Moab and Arches National Park


I am so excited about this trip for a few reasons: One, Arches is on my list of places to see, and two, I told my self that every time I leave this country I will go somewhere IN this country that I haven't been before. Check, check!

(3) Backpack through France and Italy with Emily and Katey


The trip is all planned out and we are ready to go!

(4) The day after I get back from Italy, fly to OC and go to Disneyland!


I miss Disneyland. I miss my pass. I miss just going for a few hours at night with my family and friends. But hey, I live in UT so I have to make special trips if I want the awesomeness of Disneyland back in my life. And that's what I'm doing : )

(5) Watch the Lakers take out Houston and Denver (or Dallas... but most likely Denver)!

It's going to be a crazy month! Good thing I don't have a job anymore (don't worry, I have a new job and it starts in June)! 

Happy May!

Friday, May 1, 2009

Western Conference Semi-Finals

We took out the Utah Jazz in 5 games and now we are ready for the Houston Rockets. This is going to be a harder series but, let's face it, the Lakers have a better team so I'm not concerned.

The Rockets are just one of many teams the Laker swept this year. I don't think that will be the case with this series, but we can always hope!