Toast and Thursday Thirteen

Here's a toast, a toast to life: I love it! Yesterday I celebrated my 25th birthday...I'm now a quarter of a century old! The past 25 years have been great and I'm very proud of how much I've grown in just the last two years.

In the "Blog World" there is a meme called Thursday Thirteen. I haven't done one before, but there is no time like the present, right? So my first Thursday Thirteen will be a list of good things to come in the next quarter of a century:

1) Visit Prague, Czech Republic

2) Fall in Love

3) Learn to play a musical instrument...right now I really like the harmonica

4) Buy some land

5) Adopt a dog from a shelter

6) Take a hot air balloon ride

7) Study paintings in Florence, Italy

8) Write more Thursday Thirteens

9) Get a really fancy digital SLR camera

10) Become a Naturalist and work for an outdoor/environmental education program that helps people with disabilities

11) Raise some honey bees

12) Get off the "Grid" as much as possible with a hybrid car, solar and wind energy

13) Continue to laugh, love, live and learn everyday!

I've Been Tagged...

So, my friend Jess, "tagged" me. I'm supposed to list 10 weird/random things about myself and then tag others to do the same. Jess is my best friend, she knows me pretty well, so it might be a bit of a challenge to list 10 things. But I'll give it a try, into the "weird" depths of Susie; Enjoy!

1) I love pretty much all food that is the color orange. Yeap, if it's orange, I'll probably like it: carrots, TANG, squash, cheese, etc. About the only thing orange I don't like is orange soda.

2) I do not own a thong...I just don't see the point
(hope that wasn't too much info!)

3) When I was a little kid, my mom loved the show "Hill Street Blues" and so I wanted to be a cop when "I grew up"

4) I hate (and hate is a strong word that I try to avoid), Ground Hog's Day. I think it's the most absurd holiday ever. Folks get dressed up in a Tux to pull a vermit out of it's slumber and hold it up in front of a bunch of camera lights...why don't we get this excited about Earth Day???

5) I would love to one day be a bee keeper. I love honey (eventhough it's not orange) and I think bees are amazing insects.

6) I've been on TV 6 times.

7) I cried when the Sports Announcer for the St. Louis Cardinals, Jack Buck died and to this day I still get a little teary-eyed whenever I hear sound clips of him yelling "That's a winner!"

8) I can pop my right shoulder in and out of place.

9) I have a pet rock that sits on my desk at work...he's called Fraggle.

10) My first concert was to go see Reba McEntire...with my mom.

And to be sappy, I'm going to throw in #11 and say that I have the best friends in the world. They don't always realize it, but I really do have amazing friends!

Ok, now I tag:
Yellow over at A Roker Artist http://arokerartist.blogspot.com/
Nic from Finders Keepers Art Project http://fkartproject.blogspot.com/
And my friend Emily who is living in Spain right now http://mividaenespana.livejournal.com/

It's your all's turn. I've read all of your blogs, but now I want to know more about you!

Like I said before, My Job Rocks!!!

New Findings:

1) The Navajo describe rain fall as being either male or female. Male rain is the thunderous down pours; testosterone giving off energy. Female rain is a gentle rain that the Earth can soak-up and use to nuture new growth.

So, some of you that know me know that I work at an amazing organization called SPLORE. SPLORE is a non-profit that provides outdoor recreation to folks with disabilities. The Story below is from a local news station doing a story on us. This is just a tiny example of what we do. We've been around for 30 years this summer and there are several other stories that can be told, but I wanted to show an example to all of you. My job rocks and I'm soooo happy that the news finally put a positive story out to the public instead of all of the negative "stuff" we hear all the time!

The direct link to the story is:

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=1149049
(Watch the video!)

WooHoo for Camping Trips

New Things I've Learned:

1) The desert is amazing!
2) A dry wash in the desert usually has a trickle of water running through it at night. There is no water running through the wash during the day because trees and plants like cottonwoods are photosynthesizing during the day and using all of the water that passes by. However, at night, the cottonwoods are Not photosynthesizing and therefore are not using water and the water trickles through the wash
3) I want to write a children's educational book

I love getting away. I love going some place new to explore, learn and relax. I love wide-open spaces. I love mini-vacations and road trips and this weekend that well was nicely filled. I went to the deserts of Utah, hiked in Bell Slot Canyon, camped under amazing stars, woke to one of the most amazing sunrises I have seen in my life and turned into a kid again playing in Goblin Valley. I had been longing to get away, see and do new things and enjoy a little solitude. I could write forever about how much fun I had, all of the new things I saw and learned, how theraputic this trip was for me, but for right now, I just wanted to share a few pictures with everyone.

ENJOY!!

A picture of the dry wash and the water-guzzling cottonwood tree

Disco Sheila flying high!

Goblin Valley!

Just thought this was a cool shot through the Goblins.

Me, standing on top of ancient volcanic ash over-looking the Muddy River

Our lunch spot gazing off to the snow-capped Henry Mountains

Just me enjoying a climb in a beautiful cottonwood tree

Bell Canyon

Disco Sheila!

Some New Things I've Learned:
1) There are about 200,000 Catholics in Utah

The other day I was "Blog surfing" (that's a technical term I just made up by the way) and came across one guy's site that said, "Screw it, it's nice outside, I'm not writing today. Instead, I'm going to grab a beer, my sketchbook, a chair and head outside."

I sorta wish I would have took better note of this site so I could have checked back later to learn how this guy enjoyed his day off in the park. However, I decided I didn't want to learn how his experience went and instead I created my own lazy day in the park.

The weather has been getting much nicer here in Utah and I, for one, couldn't be happier. (Tulips and daffodils are starting to bloom, the red bud tress are living up to their names and the grass is turning green! Green, I love the color green and today, as I was driving back from a rock climbing program, someone was cutting their grass; what I wonderful smell I've been missing!) In celebration of the nice weather, I decided to buy a kite. I went the the park with some friends and we let the kite fly while we enjoyed a sun bath, the Spring air and just the wonderful outdoors.

I decided to name the kite Disco Sheila because she's bright and colorful and has some pretty cool moves when she's up in the big blue sky!

Disco Sheila and me; despite the scary butt-shot of myself I still thought this was a pretty cool picture. Check out the mountains, the pond below, am I lucky or what?

It had been years since I had flown a kite but I soon remembered why it is so much fun! It's an easy activity to do, the kite is pretty entertaining to watch, you're outside and it's a relaxing activity where can go into an almost meditative state...all of which is highly enjoyable to me. I'm lucky enough to be in a setting where I could fly Disco Sheila and then gaze at the snow-capped mountains in the background, or get distracted by the park's lake at the bottom of the hill filled with ducks, geese and sea gulls (despite the fact that I'm NO where near a beach, it sure felt like it because of the sea gulls always calling and soaring above). In the end, I'd always come back to watching Disco Sheila and her bright colors and being very happy about my Spring activities.

This weekend, I hope you say "screw it" and head outside too!

Wow, Last Weekend!

New Things I've Learned:

1) Aspen trees grow in groves; meaning that several trees can all be connected through a root system. One way to tell which trees in an aspen grove are all part of the same root system is by observing when their buds appear on the branches. Trees with the same root system (or trees that are all part of the same grove) will all bud at the same time whereas another aspen grove might bud a day or so later.

In my last post, I wrote about how I couldn't wait for the weekend. I was looking forward to day-light savings time and going on a dog sledding trip. I was not disappointed with my anticipation of the weekend, as I had an amazing experience! I could go on and on about the trip, but I thought I'd highlight it with pictures. Enjoy!

The group from last weekend's amazing trip!

The beautiful and mesmerizing Grand Tetons. We spent Saturday afternoon snowshoeing in Grand Teton National Park! (I think I was drooling a bit when I took this picture, I love this place!)

"The Grand" Teton Mountain (Can anyone believe I actually came back after this trip? I had a hard time leaving)

On the reins of dog sledding. It's hard to put into words just how amazing it is to go dog sledding. The dogs love what they do, it's an amazing feeling to be driving the sled and your surroundings are breath taking!

Puppy love! Me and the lead dogs of my team: Eske and Cree.

The view from the Grand Teton Science School in Kelly, Wyoming. Just think, this might be my new front yard for a year!

Like I said earlier, there are so many things I could go on and on about concerning last weekend. If anyone has any questions about my adventure, please don't hesitate to ask. I love talking about this and I could post my responses.

P.S. There were two highlights of the trip that cannot be explained in pictures. 1) I received a letter from one of the participants I was helping. I'm not going to write exactly what she said (that's something I want to keep for myself) but she just wanted to thank me for helping her have an amazing experience. I cannnot explain how much the letter meant to me, but I will always treasure it as, eventhough I love my job, it's hard sometimes and receiving a letter like this can really change one's perspective. 2) I had been praying for some kind of clarity on what I should do after I finish my year of AmeriCorps. Part of the trip last weekend included staying at the Grand Teton Science School and I gained an interest in going to Graduate school there to gain skills in nature interpertation. Not promising I'll go there, but it's something I'll be thinking about!

Hurry-up Weekend!

Things I've Learned:
1) When backpacking, it's recommended to only carry 1/4 of your weight in your backpack.

2) If you're backpacking or camping and you're trying to light a fire, bring a set of those birthday "trick" candles that don't go out when you blow on them. That way, if you're match keeps getting blown out, or if they get wet, etc., you'll have the birthday "trick" candles to add some extra lighting support.

Oh, how I wish the weekend would get here soon! On Friday, I'm leaving Salt Lake to head-up to Jackson Hole, Wyoming...woohoo! I'm going up there to go snowshoeing at the Grand Teton Science School and to also go dog sledding. I went on the trip last year for work and it was one of the most amazing trips of my life! I never thought that I, a girl from small-town Missouri, would go on such an amazing trip with great people and now I get to go for a second time!

I'm also looking forward to this weekend because Sunday is one of my favorite times of the year. Sunday is the day we get to "Spring" our clocks forward. Some folks might think I'm a little crazy for being so excited about this one day because we also lose one hour of sleep. I'm so excited about this time of the year that I could care less about losing an hour of sleep, I could lose a whole day's worth of sleep and I'd still be incredibly giddy. Losing one hour of sleep for one day to gain an hour of extra sunshine in the afternoon is a heck of a trade to me!

I like this day not only because I gain some extra sunshine, but because it's the sign that Spring is soon to arrive. Don't get me wrong, I like winter, especially in Utah as everything is beautiful covered in snow, but I can't hold my excitement back knowing that Spring and all the wonders that come with it, are fast approaching. Right now I feel like a kid in a candy shop as I'm daydreaming about the day that I get to wear a short-sleeved t-shirt, drive in my car with the windows down while listening and whistling to some great music.

My Job Rocks!

Things I've Learned:

1) About 100 inches of snow has fallen in Utah during the month of February...amazing!

Wow, so my job rocks! My job is a lot of work, long hours, little pay and all worth it. Working at SPLORE is perhaps the hardest job I ever have (or ever will) love. There are so many reasons why I can explain that I love my job; so many experiences that I have been a part of and will always cherish. One such memory happened last week. I was taking a group of elementary kids (both with and without disabilities) indoor rockclimbing. These kids were amazing and they taught me so many lessons.

So often it's hard to find people without disabilities wanting to hang out with people with disabilities, let alone kids! However, this group all became friends and all shared each other's successes, creating great commaradie. If one kid was climbing, all of his peers would chant his name, cheering him on. Sometimes a kid would get scared to climb higher, or didn't think he could make it to the top, that was when his classmates would yell back, "you can do it, you can do it, keep going...THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS CAN'T."

Wow, the insight of a 1st grader. I often wonder, "who gets the most out of a SPLORE trip? The participants or the staff and volunteers?"

Feed Burner

Things I've Learned:
1) White rhinos aren't actually white. Being lost in translation, "white" was originally "wide," describing the mouth of the rhinos. What was first called the wide rhino, got changed to white rhino.

OK, so for a quick update. I don't have much news, or a very long entry, but I wanted to all to know about a new update to this site. If you look to your right, you'll see a link to subscribe to this blog. All long as you have a Google account, you'll get updates of this site.

Woohoo! Now I just wonder if anyone still reads this and if you'll actually subscribe??? ;-)

In the meantime, I'll find something to write to entice you all to sign-up for this blog (did I mention it's free?). Also, stay tuned as I hope to add some more updates, content and update the look of this site.

Learning to be Small

So, I usually start off each post stating all of the new things that I've learned lately. This time, however, I don't have much to report along the lines of new facts I've learned (unless you want to learn that Alanis Morissette has a twin brother named Wade). I have learned a lot though since the last time I wrote, but instead of learning random facts, I've learned a lot about myself.

I took an amazing hike this weekend (the pictures above don't do the hike justice). Lately, I've been hearing a lot about a place in Utah called Donut Falls. Donut Falls is a waterfall that runs across the top of a slab of granite rock. The granite slab creates a cavern, which opens up and you can walk into a room. On top of the granite slab runs a creek and there is a hole on top of the slab that the water pours through. After hearing so much about this wonderful place, I decided to check it out myself.

At first, I was a little nervous about going on this hike by myself because I wasn't positive of the way. After guessing which paths to take and asking a few fellow wanders for some directions, I was on the right track. I finallly made it to the falls and realized that I had to scramble up (and thus also down) a few snow and ice-covered boulders.

Another group in snowshoes were also scrambling up the rocks at the same time. A lady turned to me and said, "You must be brave to do this by yourself." Joking back I told her that I was either brave or stupid. After the scramble, I reached the top and a state of gratitude and awe that I can't explain. The falls were beautiful and the scenery that I passed through behind me was powerful. I was so grateful that I made this journey and so grateful to witness such a great gift from God. I was also grateful that I went by myself; some time to pass through this wonder on my own, with solitude on the mind, refreshing my soul.

The hike back seemed shorter that the hike there (they always do). I was in a great mood and my mind was wandering from one joyful thought to the next. I started thinking about how I read earlier in a magazine that one of the readers' favorite things about the outdoors was the feeling of being small. At first I didn't understand what was so great about feeling small because sometimes that can be overwhelming. As soon as that thought crossed my mind, however, my attitude changed and I realized that I did like feeling small, feeling surrounded by beauty and wonder for miles around me. At that same moment, I looked to my right and saw this cute, little pine cone on the branch of a huge tree. This pine cone was so small compared to me (about the size of my thumb), and the tree on which it grew. It was at that moment, a sign, that no matter how small we are, we have a purpose and I'm where I'm supposed to be. Just that one realization made this an amazing hike, let alone all of the wonderful sights along the way.

Be Open

Things I've Recently Learned:
1) Years ago, Native Americans and Early European settlers used to make Birch Beer. They would boil down the bark and sap of a Birch tree, add some honey and then let it ferment.


There has been a motto going around work and I liked it so much that I thought I'd pass it along to all:

Be Open.
Because some visionaries are blind.
Because some communicators are deaf.
Because some movers and shakers are paralyzed.
Because the only true disability is a mind stuck in the closed position.

One Year! Thank You!

Things I've Recently Learned:
1) The Sugar Maple has been in cultivation since 1753; being used for landscaping, lumber and syrup!

So, one year ago today I made my move to Utah. For years, I always wanted to go on adventures, try something new and move West; but until last year, I would always get a little too nervous to make the leap and would some how back out.

So, today I'm celebrating me taking a leap of faith one year ago today. A leap that was exciting, rewarding, scary and uncertain all at the same time. A leap, that at the time I was so nervous to make, but am now so grateful that I did. Sometimes, as I'm wondering through the mountains or getting lost in the sun setting upon red cliffs, I still can't believe I'm here.

After all of the amazing things that I've seen and done, I still long for home. It might sound corny, but I truly do love where I'm from. At home, I become a victim of comfort. Perhaps it is the familiarity of knowing where I'm at, who I run into or just knowing what kind of tree I'm standing next to.

It's hard; feeling like I belong in one place, while longing for another. I have no regrets moving to Utah, in fact, I think it's the best decision I've ever made. It's hard to have any regrets when you hear and see you're making a positive impact on others' lives and thus your own. Nonetheless, longing may be one of the hardest emotions one can endure. Could this be where the phrase, "Patience is a Virtue" comes from? Even though I long for home, my family, friends and even my dog Maggie, I must be patient and focus on the now and soak-up the experiences I'm having.

After one year of being in Utah, there are those that I owe some thanks to. Thank-You to my family for supporting me in this transition. Thank-You to my friends for always being there for me and for supporting and encouraging me. Thank-You to some amazing folks that I've met along the way to keep me motivated. And Thank-You to countless others that have inspired me in ways unimaginable.

Journeys conjeur-up a lot of emotions, but in the end it's about growth and learning and right now, I'm doing a lot of that. I'm no longer a victim of comfort and I find myself wondering, 'What's next?'

Poetry?

Things I've Learned:
1) Steel is the most recycled product in the U.S. After the collapse of the World Trade Centers on 9/11, a lot of that steel was melted down, recycled and is now being used to build the new USS New York naval ship. About 24 tons of steel from the WTC will be used to make the USS New York!

So, for the last three weeks I have been at home in Missouri for the Holidays. Whenever I get the chance to go home for awhile, I love reminicing about the past and this includes looking through old pictures, notes, etc. Well, this time I found an old poem I wrote. By no means do I think of myself as a poet, it's an artform that I never really got into. Nevertheless, I thought I'd pass it along...

"Journey"

I am but one of hundreds, thousands, millions of snowflakes
All scurring to the Earth below.
Each on unique, each one beautiful, each on serving different intenetions.

One my spiral down to delight the mittens of a child
One may glisten in the aged eyes of wisdom
And one my comfort the remaining leaf of a gingko.

I am but one of hundreds, thousands, millions that make a journey.

I may flutter down to a desolate lake
Transform the placid surface with a ripple
Extending out to the edges and tickle the feet of cattails.

I am but one of hundreds, thousands, millions of different, unique and beautiful snowflakes.
Alone we might have different effects, but as a whole we transform the scenery.

I am but one of hundreds, thousands, millions...
Making a Journey
And touching the environment around us, as we haphazardly fall from the sky.

But for now, I am just one of those millions
Masked by the beauty and confusion around me.

Persistence

Things I've Learned:
1) There actually are quaking aspen trees in Missouri; however, they are only found in the very Northeast corner of the state.
2) Harps have 47 strings and 7 pedals.
3) 2000 years ago, midwives would cut the umbilical cord of newborns with a hard-crust of bread! Using a disposable crust of bread was much more sanitary than a sharpened stone.

OK, so it's the New Year. A time to have a fresh, new start, a time to reflect on the past and resolve for the future and get all sentimental about various stuff. If I had a dollar for every time I've been asked, "So, Susie, what's your New Year's Resolution?" well, I'd be able to afford liposuction rather than actually sticking to a resolution to lose weight. Basically, everyone has the same resolutions, I call them the top three: lose weight, make lots of money at a new job and stop smoking or other bad habits.

For the past couple of years, another blogger, Christine Kane has been picking words to be mindful of for the coming year instead of making resolutions that just seem to get recycled from one year to the next. I thought, 'hey, I can handle a word to live by.' So for 2007 my word will be persistence.

Persistence, the act or quality of being steadfast, especially in time(s) of discouragement, opposition or obstacles; to perserver. I picked the word persistence because so many times I'll get excited about trying something new or starting a new project and then flake my way out of continuing with these projects when things get a little "hard." I have learned that I am an incredibly good rationalizer. If, for some reason, I'm feeling too lazy or unmotivated to do something that I know is good for me and growth, I can always rationalize my way out of what I should be doing.

My intent for being mindful of the word Persistence is to become more steadfast in living a more healthy and conscious life. I intend to be more persistent with my artwork, my friendships, my exercise, work, and yes, Blogging too! (This should make my friend, Emily very happy!) I hope that being mindful of the word presistence will teach me more about myself, the world around me and maybe even teach me about a few more words such as courage, determination, conscousness, kindness, or growth.

Susie at Random

Things I've Recently Learned:

1) "Mele Kalikimaka" means Merry Christmas in Hawaiian.

2) Since piglets grow soooo fast, 147 piglets were used to make the movie "Charlotte's Web"

3) This was from an email that I received from my cousin: "The best thing for being sad," replied Merlin . . . "is to learn something. That is the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder in your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or you may know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then--to learn.” (Merlin to Arthur in "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White)

So, in the "Blogging World" I've noticed that there has been a neat trend that has been going around; it's called, "tagging." One blogger will be tagged to write 5 Random Things about themselves and then they'll tag their friends to do the same. I wasn't "tagged" to do this, but I saw this on other sites and thought it looked fun. I'm not going to tag anyone else to do the same but if you think this is fun, go ahead and add it to your site...just let me know so I can go and check it out.

#1 I am addicted to Tang
Yeap, you read it right, it's the astronaut drink. I'm not addicted to anything else but I love sugar-free Tang. My parents bought Tang one day on a whim just to try a new sugar-free drink, I had a little bit too and now I'm known to drink 2 liters a day!

#2 I am a Missouri Master Naturalist
Even though I currently live in Utah, I grew-up in Missouri and I love the outdoors of Missouri so much that I decided to take some classes after college graduation to become a Missouri Master Naturalist. Missouri Master Naturalists are volunteers in Missouri that learn all about Missouri's natural history, flora and fauna, water sheds, soil, geology, etc. and then apply what they've learned throughout their community. In a week I'll be helping with a controlled burn and I'm very excited.

#3 I had an imaginary, imaginary friend
What's that mean? Well, when I was little, I would hear my parents talking about how "so and so's" kid was so cute and funny with their imaginary friend and I started wondering why I didn't have an imaginary friend and I felt left out. I thought that if I were to be a "normal" kid, that I should have an imaginary friend. So I thought about the situation for a bit (and realized that I the concept of an imaginary friend was goofy) and decided to tell adults and other friends that I was normal because I have an imaginary friend. And if anyone was wondering, my "imaginary" imaginary friend was a little old Irish man in a kilt that played the bagpipe and wore a pinch-bill cap...his name was Bob.

#4 I'm a Gypsy
My mom's side of the family is Bohemian and Bohemians are often called Gypsies. I have never traveled to Europe, but Prague, Czech Republic is #1 on my places to travel.

#5 I'm a ENFP
On the Myers-Briggs Personality Test, ENFP stands for Extroverted, Intuition, Feeling & Perceiving. According to the website, www.myersbriggs.org, I am, "Outgoing, friendly, and accepting. Exuberant lovers of life, people, and material comforts. Enjoy working with others to make things happen. Bring common sense and a realistic approach to their work, and make work fun. Flexible and spontaneous, adapt readily to new people and environments. Learn best by trying a new skill with other people."

Thinking About Paths

Things I've Learned:
1) The black-throated sparrow can survive in the desert and low-water conditions by, eating insects and green vegetation and then metabolize moisture from their food. They can also reduce losing moisture in their waste by one forth when water is scarce (Naturalist's Guide to Canyon Country).
2) The Plains prickly pear has a larger inhabitated range than most cacti. It can be found from southern sections of Canada to Texas. Unlike most cacti, the plains prickly pear can survive at, or below, freezing temps (Naturalist's Guide to Canyon Country).
3) The dry, fluffy snow that makes the "famous powder" in Utah is called Talcum Snow.
4) In 1976, the Chicago White Soxs baseball team's uniform included shorts!
5) While taking a "Blog Hiatus," I learned that I really enjoy Nordic skiing.

This past weekend I went to Millcreek Canyon to go Nordic skiing with some friends and I had a blast! It was more fun that I expected, to tell you the truth; at first I couldn't imagine that trying to "jog" up-hill on skis in the freezing cold could be much fun, but I proved myself wrong. Now by no means am I claiming to be any good at this sport, in fact, a friend compared me to a clumsy duck on ice-skates. Never the less, this new adventure was a lot of fun and it's a new activity that I intend on doing more often.

After this weekend I thought, 'Did I ever imagine that I'd find myself in the mountains enjoying Nordic skiing?' I've been in Utah for 11 months now and sometimes I still can't believe I'm here and seeing what I'm seeing, doing what I'm doing or experiencing what I'm experiencing. I mean, I'm a girl from a town of 500 people; Hawk Point, MO, a town I love and call home. As hard as it was for me to leave my corner of the world, I went to the "big city" of Springfield, MO for school and now I find myself 1300 miles away in the "booming" area of Salt Lake City, having an array of experiences of a lifetime.

Admist this reflection I think, 'Wow, how did I get here? What events in my life lead me to Nordic skiing in Millcreek Canyon this weekend? What has influenced or inspired me to be where I am today?' Could this be a debate of Nature vs. Nuture -- was I determined to be on this path? No, I don't think so, I think life throws all sorts of forks in the road that we decide (consciously or no) to take.

One path that I took to get where I am now is an academic path, a path of curiosity. I remember in 6th grade, me and my classmates took a test that would tell us what we're "supposed to be when we grow-up." I don't really remember what the test said, all I remember is that I tried to figure out the test so that I could be told that I'd have a "cool" job. Turns out, the test didn't really have any influence on me, but picking up a copy of National Geographic later that day did. For various reasons like getting to travel, write, meet interesting people, take pictures, and getting paid to do so, I decided that I wanted to be a photojournalist. I followed that academic path throughout high school, on my own and onto college where I got involved with a lot of volunteering which lead me to the possibilities of AmeriCorps. I found the perfect AmeriCorps program for me. A program that would foster my desire to travel and try new things, write and help others; and now I'm sitting here, writing about the journey I've been on.

The academic path, however, was not the only route of getting to where I am today. There have been many paths that I am grateful for, paths filled with choices, chances, people and inspiration. One of my favorite sayings is, "I'd rather regret something I've done that regret something I didn't do." My mom always said (and no, I'm not trying to sound like Forrest Gump here), is that she regrets not doing something like the Peace Corps. I didn't want to live with a regret like that and so I did some research on AmeriCorps and, as the old saying goes, "the rest is history."

For me, the decision to actually join and go through with the AmeriCorps adventure wasn't as easy as it sounds. I was worried about the whole thing; Would I like it? Would I do a good job? Could I handle being 1300 miles away from home? Through my wavering confidence, I heard an old Zen saying, "Leap and the Net will Appear." Take this chance, take this opportunity and something will catch you.

How did I decide to come West? I had never been out West and I was curious about the romantic ideas of adventure and expanding the free-spirit. Perhaps this was inspired from hearing the free-spirit tales and adventures of some close friends that I greatly admire or from reading about Muir, Thoreau or Kerouac. Either way, it's another fork in the road that helped me find myself where I am today and doing things I've never dreamed of doing: River rafting, rock climbing, dog sledding and even Nordic skiing.

Reflecting upon the paths I've stumbled upon, blazed or trekked through, I'm grateful to be where I am and I can't help but wonder what will happen when I find the next fork in the road?

Finding Writing Inspiration

Some things I've learned since last time:
1) People in Utah like to put their Christmas lights up early. This weekend there were a handful of houses already showing off their holiday lights.
2) The state flower of Utah is the Sego Lily.
3) The plateau striped whiptail lizard is a species of lizard that is only comprised of females. There are no male striped whiptails; the females lay unfertilized, yet viable eggs. The offspring are essentially clones of the mother!


Lately I've been in a writing slump. I guess sooner or later everyone goes through a writing slump but knowing this doesn't make the slump any easier. Last week I found myself at an outreach event. I admit, the event was pretty boring and long. All of the sudden I found myself upset at myself for not bringing a book or my journal to help pass the monotony of sitting at a table, handing out brochures and watching the hands of a clock that didn't seem to pass time. I kept thinking, "I really wish I was writing right now; I can't wait to get home to open my journal and put pen and thoughts to paper."

Once I finally got home from a long day, I was excited to have the chance to write. After waiting hours for the chance to write, I sat on my bed and tried to think about what I would write about...no thoughts seemed to jump to mind. For some reason, I seem to believe that everything I write must be poetic, "deep" or enlightening instead of just enjoying the act and process of writing.

My excitement soon turned into frustration because I couldn't find any "topics to muse about." I decided, "This won't be a deep entry, I'll just casually write about my day." And before I knew it, I had two pages of notes, ideas and ramblings and, truthfully, I felt pretty proud of myself. After two pages of what seemed to be nothing, I remembered an email I received earlier from a friend. It was one of those emails we've all seen several times; one of those filled with pointless survey questions. About half-way through the ever-so-enlightening-survey, filled with questions like, “what is your favorite food?” I came across a question that asked, "What inspires you?" I thought, 'Now this is really a question worth answering amidst all of this hooey.'

What inspires me? I said that people helping others inspires me. Good music inspires me. Passion inspires me. The perfectness of Nature inspires me, like the picture posted above. Good writing also inspires me which is perhaps the reason I had such and "urge" to write the other night. Earlier in the day I received another email from a different friend. It didn't ask me if I preferred vanilla or chocolate ice cream; instead, it was a report on my friend's travels through Europe, headed to Spain. My friend's writing of what she has seen, done, felt, etc. were all beautifully written in an email that I felt I was walking through. It truly was an amazing update of my friend's travels and thoughts, and perhaps it was the inspiration for turning "nothing" into four pages in my journal.

So, if you could be a crayon, what color would you be? :-)

Just Stuff

Howdy!!!

I know I haven't posted for awhile and I really don't have much to say today BUT I have been keeping track of all the new things I've learned while I've been on my "Blog Hiatus," so I thought I'd pass some stuff along. Enjoy! As I'm sure you've already noticed, I added some pictures on here as well because, quite frankly, I just like pictures :-)

1) The tighter you grip a ball, the slower the speed of the pitch.

2) Americans produce 210 Million Tons of waste a year! (Gross! My personal mission is to reduce my production of waste and to be more mindful of my environmental impact. I'll start listing ways that we can all make a positive difference in our world).

3) Genes account for only 48% of the factors that determine one's IQ.

4) The United States is the largest consumer of bananas. On average, we eat 26 pounds of bananas per year.

5) The Wellsville Mountains in northern Utah are the steepest mountains in the U.S. Their steepness is determined by their height and the width of their base.

9 Reasons Why I Should Marry Chris Carpenter

Things I've learned:
(Let me first say that I've been slacking on this a bit; I've been totally tied-up with work and any of my free time has been spent watching Cardinal Baseball. Woohoo, go Cards! Next week I intend to add more pictures, facts and entries; but for now, "Let's Play Ball!")
1) It is customary in Major League Baseball that the starting pitcher for the team is the one who selects what kind of music should be played in the locker room before the game.

OK, so I'm 24 and single, but I've just found the man of my dreams. It's Chris Carpenter, the outstanding starting pitcher of the St. Louis Cardinals. Why is he perfect for me, you may ask? Just read the 9 reasons why below:

1) He plays for the greatest baseball team in the world...the St. Louis Cardinals!!! And, (heaven forbid) if he ever plays for another team, I'll still support him. (Unless, of course, for some very Odd reason, he starts playing for the Chicago Cubs! A girl has to set her limits somewhere!)

2) I've always thought he's cute...beard or no beard.

3) He is a Cy Young Award winner!

4) I have his rookie card!

5) Chris Carpenter's favorite band is the Dave Matthews Band. How nice? Mine favorite band is the Dave Matthews Band too.

6) Just like me, his favorite cartoon is Tom & Jerry.

7) His favorite athlete is Tom Brady. OK, Tom Brady isn't My favorite athlete, but I Do have a lot of respect for the guy. Once we're married, of course Chris Carpenter would be my favorite athlete!

8) He is afraid to fly. I might not be afraid to fly, but I'm 24 and I've only flown twice in my entire life...both times in just this past year! I am scared of actually going through airport though; they're all so big and confusing. This fact might not be completely compatible, but it's close enough.

9) Last, but not least, he wears red shoes. How ironic, I LOVE red shoes. Every time there is a game on; I get a little superstitious (just like all baseball players are superstitious) and wear my old-school red Adidas sneakers.

So, as you can see, Chris Carpenter and I are a match made in heaven. Now, all I need to do is meet him. If anyone has any ideas on how to do that, please let me know and I'll make sure to invite you to the wedding of the century! :-)

Why do I Blog?

Some new things I've learned:
1) Most people associate the Kiwi fruit with New Zealand; however, kiwi was first grown in China and it was called the Chinese gooseberry. A kiwi needs at least 240 frost-free days to grow!
2) The Utah state tree is the Colorado spruce (Colorado?)

So, I have been blogging for a month and a half now, but what is my purpose for this Blog? I have to admit, I haven't posted as often as I would like, but I am glad I have stuck with my new task. And it turns out, there are several reasons why I like blogging.

One reason is because it allows me to put some thoughts down. There are several times throughout the day that I find myself just contemplating about various issues; however, I don't usually get the chance to express those issues or stories. One goal I had when first starting this blog was to keep track of all the new lessons/facts that I've learned. I must say that that goal has forced me to pay closer attention to life around me and it's been great having a record of the new things I've learned! Whether others find the facts "amazing" or not, I still think most of them are pretty interesting and you never know, one day I might be on Jeopardy and the answer might be, "The land where kiwis origniated." I could quickly reply to Alex and say, "What is China."

Another great aspect of blogging is that it allows me to totally be myself. That might be a strange statement to make because I always try to be myself, but I do find myself acting differently around different groups. (Susie, what's your point here, you're not making sense). What I mean is that some groups only see certain sides of me and each side is genuine, but it's almost like I get in a personality pattern with these groups because I know what each group expects me to be like. While blogging, it's just my thoughts, my words put out to the cyber world, a chance for new folks to not have any reserved expectations of me and therefor an opportunity to not hold anything back.

I love meeting new people and blogging allows me to connect with others. Just the other day, I came across a blog of a woman in Moab, UT...a place that I love and spent a lot of time at this summer. As corny as this may sound, this is a place to share so I'll share that other blog I found, it's called Novelist in Training and I highly recommend checking out her photographs of Moab because they're amazing. Another blog that I frequently check out and comment on is Christine Kane's Blog. She's an amazing singer/songwriter and her site was a great inspiration for me to start my own. Sometimes the world seems so big, but this allows me to still hear other's thoughts on issues and ideas I find interesting.

And the last, but not least, reason I like blogging is because I like to write. That statement might seem a little ironic if you went to college with me because you know that, eventhough I was a journalism major, I hated having deadlines and would greatly procrastinate on my assignments. The truth is that I really do like to write, but I hate being pressured. The pressure seems to take the enjoyment out of the writing and I don't feel as creative when I do so. Here, I can give myself the assignments and the deadlines are whenever I feel like presenting them.