Road Trip!

What started as a road trip from California to Iowa to Idaho to California had to be condensed due to gas prices. I estimated it would've cost $1500 in gas alone to make this triangle, so Tarl and I decided to go to Idaho this time and fly to Iowa in the fall. I grew up taking road trips to Iowa to see my extended family every other summer, so I absolutely love driving down an empty highway with nothing but amazing scenery all around. My favorite thing to obseve is the changes in the geology as you go along. Here are a few snapshots of the trip!!

Montana and I stretching our legs somewhere in Idaho.

Tarl playing in Dad's Harley.

Tarl and his old roommate Rion with Baldy (Sun Valley)in the background.

Shooting with the Uncles....

.....wine tasting right after!

Zion..the only hike we could muster: it was 105!

Twenty-nine

29 and feeling the most fabulous I ever have...From about 17 to 24 I felt so horrible and depressed on my birthdays. I think I just felt that everything was slipping away so quickly and I wasn't accomplishing enough. Looking back I think it's because I wasn't doing what I really wanted to be doing. I was going through the motions of what I thought I should be doing, or more of what society wanted of "us": Go to college get your career going. What I really wanted to do was get out of Moreno Valley and experience life..whatever that may have entailed. When my 25th rolled around, I woke up and suddenly felt alive, like this was my time. I went skydiving on that day and that act truly symbolized how my life was about to change. I had been teaching fourth grade for one year, I had been in a serious relationship for four, and had lived in the same town for 21. Something inside me was about to shift drastically. That summer I ended my long term relationship. I had never been through any type of break up before, so the pain was almost unbearable and there were times where I didn't think I was going to be okay. I worked through one more school year, about to start my third when God literally gave me a sign to start living the life I wanted. I wasn't exactly sure what that was anymore but one thing I knew for sure: the life I wanted did not exist in Moreno Valley. I knew I wanted to go somewhere far enough away and somewhere where I'd meet people like me. I chose Mammoth Lakes in hopes to become a ski bum perhaps. I really wasn't sure, but three weeks later my Jeep was packed with my belongings and I left my home. That first leap was what I needed in order to break away from a financially secure career I was iffy about as well as the securities of the familiar. Now a few years and two states later I am in a place where I am free to be the me that I want to be.

The Tea Cup is Already Chipped

I bought myself a new tea mug as a reward for not having caffeine for the 40 days of lent (no I'm not a practicing Catholic, but some rituals just stick!). After making the trip to Starbucks to pick up the mug I had been eyeballing, I did the dishes and low and behold there was a chip in the bottom of the mug. I was really bummed! My first reaction was to return it, but I really didn't feel like going through the process. I've got a pretty good habit of turning a disappointing situation into some kind of life lesson and I remembered this quote I read somewhere from some guy..."The teacup is already chipped." It just so happened to fit literally into my situation, but I was pretty enlightened when I had first read the quote. It's pretty much an entire theory: everything is temporary. Simple, but powerful. The new smell from our cars will eventually diminish, our favorite black shirt will fade, or you may fall out of touch with an important person in your life. It reminds me of when I bought my Jeep. I had had it for about a week and half when I backed it into a cement pole. (I cried on the way home.) Or when I got my new snowboard this winter. It was so beautiful and the bottom was so smooth, I didn't even want to take it out on the icy, rocky hills of Bear Mountain. But I did, and it rides even more beautifully than it looks. Unfortunately the bottom is no longer smooth, but that's why we have wax! I'm glad I now have a constant reminder of this quote, it helps to have one in our materialistic world.

**How's this for ironic: I wrote this blog while I was at work(it was slow) and when I went to grab my sweater on the way out, it was gone! This happened to be my one and only favorite zip up hoodie and it was nowhere to be found. How weird is that?

March Miracle

Tarl and I have spent the last week and a half removing the 10 inch ice covering from our front walkway and the 5 foot snow mound in our front yard. We live on the south side of the street, so the sun helps to melt it a little, but not much. Everywhere are signs of spring: the buds are showing on the trees, daffodils are starting to poke out the ground, and the bluebirds are back in town. I've been envisioning myself in flipflops enjoying the afternoon reading in the sun on my front porch. I've started to think of what flowers I want to plant this year and how great my lawn is going to look....then the forcast said snow! So I was thinking, oh if it does snow it won't be much, maybe a couple of inches, it probably won't even stick. It started coming down about 3 o'clock on Saturday afternoon, and snowed on and off until about 9 o'clock Sunday morning. I woke up this morning to about 9 inches of snow cover!! I was so bummed!! I'm so over shoveling and I just got my front yard back and it's covered again! I kept the curtains closed, cranked the heater up, and apologized to Montana for not taking him on his usual morning walk. So I'm sitting on my futon studying for my finance quiz, when I heard some girls screaming and laughing. I rolled my eyes and grumpily peeked out my front window. (The house across the street is a vacation rental, as are most of the houses on my street, and there is a family staying with about 4 pre-teen girls.) They were out having the time of their lives with this little gift from mother nature. So it made me think: just yesterday they were having snowball fights with the dirty, icy snow banks and today they get to experience a fresh snow cover. If you've never seen a fresh snow cover, it is truly one of the most wonderous sights. All of the snow is so light and clean, just resting on the tops of the trees, fences, and roof tops. In a matter of a few hours the whole world looks entirely different and utterly beautiful. I was thankful to these girls for changing my perspective, got in the shower, and took the dog out. What an amazing day! Now the sun is shining and all of the new snow is gliterring and sparkling like millions of little diamonds. Now I'm giggling at how annoyed I was earlier and thank God for allowing me to experience this beauty everyday. I got this shot of the lake on our walk. This is why I live here!!