Hello, to all my HUNDREDS of faithful followers! It is time, alas, for another update.
And, sadly, but not really because I VERY rarely update this bloggerdoo, I think this post is only to report that I will be switching to another blogsite, and a new blog, a blog that i will likely continue to update approximately 3 times a year. so, to my dedicated crew d'etat (i just googled this phrase and found out that it does not, in fact, mean anything) you are cordially invited to my new bloggertownville! i think i may periodically come back and check this one, and maybe even update every now and then, just because it reminds me so fondly of the summer of 09, which i have sentimental attachments to for a variety of reasons!
ok well, im off. hmm... maybe not to a good start... the tumblr (the new blog site) is currently down. is this an omen? maybe. or maybe its the productivity gods telling me to stop messing around and get my homework done, which is why i came to walkers with my laptop in the first place. but i dont wanna do it.. its a spider diversity homework assignment that i turned in with a partner a few weeks ago, we worked on it for hours, and got a 69 on it... ok, really???!?!! who gives people 69s on homework assignments?? so i can redo it and turn it in for more points.. but i DONT want to. i... am sick of school. wow. burnt out is the BIGGEST understatement i can think of. not to mention i am tired and kinda sick from my run earlier. ugh....
ok. im leaving now. farewell, WFAW. youve seen me through some stuff. i will miss you. (kinda). adieu.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
A Peach and a Grape
Well, hello. Here I am, back in the Grand Canyon. Where this blog was born! I am staying with Brad, who was one of my bosses last summer. and amanda lives here too, who worked in the BA. and of course daniel. teeny tiny baby daniel. at the moment, we are sharing a TWIN BED in the loft upstairs. yes, i said twin. mind you, neither one of us are that small of people. good!
so i think it may take me a few days to get into the groove of being here. i dont have a car, and i dont know exactly where we are in the park in relation to the rim, so i dont have anywhere to go or anything to do. and at the moment i have no food! we havent gone to the store yet, so today i have had a peach and a bowl of grapes (thus the title of this little posty.)
so yes. oh and daniels at work, and has been since about one. he went to work out with jeff this morning (another guy i worked with last summer), and somehow managed to lock his keys in his car and had to call the canyon triple a people to come. so me and amanda and jeff were sitting on the porch watching the triple a guy try to open the car in the rain with daniel standing there kinda trying to help. it was pretty fun.
other than that, i called my mom today, and chatted with sarah gadway the great on the phone. that was a real treat! and ive read a lot of my book, my 963-page book that i am desperately trying to finish. other than that- not much has been accomplished. which i am actually ok with. i think tomorrow i am gonna go for a run. i need to i think. and to eat an actual meal.
right now were sitting in the living room, watching espn (hd, in case you were wondering). on a huge tv. usually i dont see myself in this kind of situation, enjoying this kind of thing, but i am actually really loving it right now. its a nice clean high-ceilinged place and i have absolutely NOTHING to do and nowhere to be, and i love that! no homework, no nothing. glorious!
i do wish daniel was here at the moment. brad just told me that he's glad i got more talkative over the last year, i guess because im sitting here on my computer not really talking to anyone. he's making banana bread at the moment. i will DEFINITELY be eating some of that. cant wait, i am SO HUNGRY.
ok well, this was a relatively short and un-interesting update, just to give a little update on whats going on. no emotional breakthroughs in this post, but maybe soon!
so i think it may take me a few days to get into the groove of being here. i dont have a car, and i dont know exactly where we are in the park in relation to the rim, so i dont have anywhere to go or anything to do. and at the moment i have no food! we havent gone to the store yet, so today i have had a peach and a bowl of grapes (thus the title of this little posty.)
so yes. oh and daniels at work, and has been since about one. he went to work out with jeff this morning (another guy i worked with last summer), and somehow managed to lock his keys in his car and had to call the canyon triple a people to come. so me and amanda and jeff were sitting on the porch watching the triple a guy try to open the car in the rain with daniel standing there kinda trying to help. it was pretty fun.
other than that, i called my mom today, and chatted with sarah gadway the great on the phone. that was a real treat! and ive read a lot of my book, my 963-page book that i am desperately trying to finish. other than that- not much has been accomplished. which i am actually ok with. i think tomorrow i am gonna go for a run. i need to i think. and to eat an actual meal.
right now were sitting in the living room, watching espn (hd, in case you were wondering). on a huge tv. usually i dont see myself in this kind of situation, enjoying this kind of thing, but i am actually really loving it right now. its a nice clean high-ceilinged place and i have absolutely NOTHING to do and nowhere to be, and i love that! no homework, no nothing. glorious!
i do wish daniel was here at the moment. brad just told me that he's glad i got more talkative over the last year, i guess because im sitting here on my computer not really talking to anyone. he's making banana bread at the moment. i will DEFINITELY be eating some of that. cant wait, i am SO HUNGRY.
ok well, this was a relatively short and un-interesting update, just to give a little update on whats going on. no emotional breakthroughs in this post, but maybe soon!
Friday, July 2, 2010
one big holiday
ok. well. i actually wrote a blog entry a long time back that got deleted, back when i was in san luis at the uga campus the first time. and i was so annoyed that it got deleted that i didnt rewrite it and never wrote another one. so i officially have ONE blog post from my 2 months in costa rica. goooooood one.
i am currently back at home in alpharettafieldtownville, what a dream. ive actually enjoyed being back so far, which is a little suprising. i was ready to come home. actually, i was REALLLLLLY ready to come home. by the last few days, i was just in a horrible mood and acting really withdrawn and i honestly didnt feel like hanging out with people at all. i was pretty bad. and now that im home i really wish i hadnt done that. i was just so eager to get back here. and (since im sure none of them will read this) i just didnt click with my second group as much. i missed the first group the whole time and just wanted them to be back. the second never really felt like my family. not to say that i didnt have fun on the second part of the trip because i definitely did. we stayed at really awesome places, like mawamba lodge in tortuguero national park up on the carribean side, and the rafiki lodge down on the pacific side. both were suppeer nice with pools and a water slide at rafiki and big open bars and amazing food. definitely didnt have anything like that during the first trip. and i saw a ton of cool birds, including scarlet macaws! and chlorophonias we went up into the canopy bridges. those might have been the prettiest birds i saw the whole time. they were SO BRIGHT, it was incredible.
i also started doing some data gathering for my senior thesis project while i was down there. some bird foraging data that i am going to compare to birds foraging up here. cooper said hes never had anyone do their senior thesis based on costa rican info before, so it should be pretty interesting.
but ya, im glad to be home. sisterhenz comes home tomorrow and we are going out to a yummy dinner somewhere, then her and i are gonna do crafts!! wooohoo!! and i have to clean gomperz cage, print costa rica photos off at walgreens (and frame some as GIFTIES for people!) and i think thats about the only obligations i really have! woot. got my papers done and dress fitted and all that. i am goin to grammys on sunday and then maybe to athens for the 4th fireworks that night, or i may come back here and go to kristys. well see how i feel. all i know is i leave for arizona on the 7th and i am soooo excited! i cannnnooott wait to go see little teeny tiny daniel whiskerbaby. i think that was one of the main reasons i wanted to come back...oops.
alright well i am getting really distracted right now, watching videos of cumbia on youtube ( its a type of dance, a lot of people did it in costa rica and i really want to learn!!)
more later. bye forever
i am currently back at home in alpharettafieldtownville, what a dream. ive actually enjoyed being back so far, which is a little suprising. i was ready to come home. actually, i was REALLLLLLY ready to come home. by the last few days, i was just in a horrible mood and acting really withdrawn and i honestly didnt feel like hanging out with people at all. i was pretty bad. and now that im home i really wish i hadnt done that. i was just so eager to get back here. and (since im sure none of them will read this) i just didnt click with my second group as much. i missed the first group the whole time and just wanted them to be back. the second never really felt like my family. not to say that i didnt have fun on the second part of the trip because i definitely did. we stayed at really awesome places, like mawamba lodge in tortuguero national park up on the carribean side, and the rafiki lodge down on the pacific side. both were suppeer nice with pools and a water slide at rafiki and big open bars and amazing food. definitely didnt have anything like that during the first trip. and i saw a ton of cool birds, including scarlet macaws! and chlorophonias we went up into the canopy bridges. those might have been the prettiest birds i saw the whole time. they were SO BRIGHT, it was incredible.
i also started doing some data gathering for my senior thesis project while i was down there. some bird foraging data that i am going to compare to birds foraging up here. cooper said hes never had anyone do their senior thesis based on costa rican info before, so it should be pretty interesting.
but ya, im glad to be home. sisterhenz comes home tomorrow and we are going out to a yummy dinner somewhere, then her and i are gonna do crafts!! wooohoo!! and i have to clean gomperz cage, print costa rica photos off at walgreens (and frame some as GIFTIES for people!) and i think thats about the only obligations i really have! woot. got my papers done and dress fitted and all that. i am goin to grammys on sunday and then maybe to athens for the 4th fireworks that night, or i may come back here and go to kristys. well see how i feel. all i know is i leave for arizona on the 7th and i am soooo excited! i cannnnooott wait to go see little teeny tiny daniel whiskerbaby. i think that was one of the main reasons i wanted to come back...oops.
alright well i am getting really distracted right now, watching videos of cumbia on youtube ( its a type of dance, a lot of people did it in costa rica and i really want to learn!!)
more later. bye forever
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Rice and Beans!
Hello little blog! How nice to see you. I am here in Costa Rica, and have been for I think almost three weeks! I have another 4 weeks to go. So far I have been in San Jose, La Selva Biological Station (a rainforest), a little town called San Ramon, an Absolute Wildlife Reserve in Cabo Blanco called San Miguel (a dry forest, though there was more rain there than I have ever seen in my life!), the neighboring small hippy town of Malpais, and now the UGA Costa Rica campus in San Luis (a cloud forest). So, there has been much traveling, and much to see! We are having lectures, doing research projects, going on hikes, having free time, eating Costa Rican food, getting up early to birdwatch, those sorts of things. I have kept a very extensive journal and so am not really gonna go into much detail here... but it has been a lot of fun so far! My suitcase is covered in mold and my backpack smells like mold, and it makes my shirt smell whenever I wear it... I have tons of blisters on my feet, but the millions of bug bites on my legs are at last healing! All sorts of things like that. I have made a lot of new friends, and love spending time with them and doing Costa Rican-y things. In Cabo Blanco and La Selva we had no real computer access, so we were forced to spend all of our time together and finding things to do.. here there are computers, and other people here, we arent quite so isolated with just ourselves so we dont spend as much time playing cards or ultimate frisbee or skipping rocks in the ocean or anything like that. but we still go on night hikes together and eat meals together and work on our projects, so it is still a really cool experience. it is nice to have a group of people to do it with you, because otherwise being in a foreign country would be much less fun in my opinion.
well, i am not really homesick so to speak, but i do miss having a big bed to myself and a clean shower and no one to tell me when i have to wake up, and the kind of food i like it eat and all that. and unstructured time---there is sometimes a bit to much structure here for my liking. after my next program (from june 12 to the 29) i will go home for a few days and then head out to see daniel in arizona and spend about a month out there. i am very excited for that... i really like arizona and can not wait to see my kittenmush!!! i have actually thought about last summer a lot since ive been here, and how different it was and how weird it is that it was already a year ago!! its crazy.. it would be fun to go to the canyon again, it would be strange though that not everyone from last summer would be there.
ah well, i need to go journal and work on my project and do productive things. i will try to update this again soon, with more specifics about what is goin on here in the tropics.
adieu!!!
well, i am not really homesick so to speak, but i do miss having a big bed to myself and a clean shower and no one to tell me when i have to wake up, and the kind of food i like it eat and all that. and unstructured time---there is sometimes a bit to much structure here for my liking. after my next program (from june 12 to the 29) i will go home for a few days and then head out to see daniel in arizona and spend about a month out there. i am very excited for that... i really like arizona and can not wait to see my kittenmush!!! i have actually thought about last summer a lot since ive been here, and how different it was and how weird it is that it was already a year ago!! its crazy.. it would be fun to go to the canyon again, it would be strange though that not everyone from last summer would be there.
ah well, i need to go journal and work on my project and do productive things. i will try to update this again soon, with more specifics about what is goin on here in the tropics.
adieu!!!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
The Long-Awaited Return to Blogging!
Ah-hah, hello! look who it is, back to the blog after all these months! i can't say what exactly is prompting me to blog on this particular april evening, just that i randomly had the urge to come read my old blogs from last summer, and reading them made me want to write another one! i guess I am not technically "wandering far and wide" at the moment... but i am far from where i was in my last blog, so maybe it is legitimate. doesn't matter... in the scheme of my entire life, i bet this little bloggy from sweet sweet athens, ga will constitute a wandering, a place far and wide from where i end up (maybe).. but, enough of that! moving on!
letsee. next week is the last week of classes of my junior year of college- then the next week is finals week. and then i have a 2 day rest period... and then its off to costa rica! THAT is defintely a far and wide wandering... though I am not sure i'll be able to blog from there. but alas--- i will be journaling.
it is very strange to me whenever i go back and read journal and/or blog entries from the past. because i can see how distinct and real those things were to me at the time, and i feel how far they are from now, but part of me feels like they are so close and real again. time passing never ceases to amaze me, for some reason. its funny to me that all the things that have happened to me since i last wrote are things that i had no idea at all about. my life this past school year was a complete mystery to me in the past, but now it has been revealed so to speak. its like ive acquired things without losing anything-- ah, nevamind. it makes more sense in my head.
i wondered when i started where this blog post would go-- and it turns out its becoming a post about my life in athens this past school year. junior year. year # 1 in the house at 346 n. pope street. ive tried to examine the year as it passed, but its so much clearer (obviously) now that its over. i think overall it has been a fantastic, quite fantastic year. i havent been as psychologically tumultuous (for most of it) as i have been at certain periods in the past, and so in some ways i feel like i've "grown less" perhaps... but i am thinking maybe that is not a bad thing. this semester, especially the past couple months, have been really really awesome for me in a quite, simple way. i have felt more comfortable and at peace in athens these past couple months than ever before. little things have seemed immeasurably beautiful and wonderful to me. things like biking with andy and tj to the oconee river greenway, or sitting on the deck with my binoculars like a nerd and birdwatching, or pulling into the driveway and seeing the roomies sitting on the deck. or hanging out in the living room the morning after a particularly crazy friday night and discussing the events with the roomies/whoever may have slept over in the house. or going to my sisters and eating quesadillas on the front porch. or sitting in the sun in the warnell courtyard between classes. things like that. st. patricks day parties with green beer and walking to taqueria or getting margaritas at taco stand on a sunday night. playing power hour with beer. watching hawks games, studying on the porch, going to the basketball courts down the road.
i have one year left in athens. i am fairly certain i will be leaving the summer after i graduate. as much as i love it here and as attached as i am to so many different things here... i think i am going to leave. and i have always wanted to. but now that i am so close to doing it, i am terrified. i am sad. and i am.. not ready i guess. im not ready to not be near my parents and sister and friends i have had since high school or before. and to be in the intense summer heat and here the crickets and catydids all night. to be a college student who sleeps in and skips class and eats mac and cheese way too much, who finds themselves drinking with their friends the night before a big test. i guess i shouldnt worry too much yet, because i do have an entire year left. and-- i am in many ways ready to graduate (classes and labs have really started to wear on me). but. i feel i am nearing a crossroads type of thing. a transition. the same as leaving for college, but probably much much harder. and college was a difficult transition for me. i am curious to see where my life goes after this. i guess i want to see other places and experience life outside of north georgia. i dont really know anything else. last summer was a little taste of something completely different from what i am used to, but i dont know if even that qualifies. i dont know what exactly it is people are looking for when they leave and home and go out into the world and start new lives and all that. what drives them (me?) to do it? whats WRONG with staying where you are? whats wrong with having a simple life? i guess i do have a certain degree of restlessness--but whos to say that has anything to do with which city i live in? ahh who knows. too many questions. i always have too many questions!
all in all- i am satisfied with my life right now. i feel like i have matured a fair-ish amount this past year. in a calm way-- not in a grown up way, if that makes sense. i mean, i am 21. definitely not a kid anymore. not a youngster, if you will! which im fine with. its a good age. solid. all that kind of thing.
but yet- i think i am going to brush my teeth and get in bed before midnight for once. lab practical tomorrow. and another friday. terrapi beer tour/twilight/low country boil/jonnas 21st bday party this weekend. presentation monday, paper due wednesday, another paper due thursday AND a lab practical thursday. then--- finals week after that to round it all out. COOL!
what a cliche college life. and im ok with that!
letsee. next week is the last week of classes of my junior year of college- then the next week is finals week. and then i have a 2 day rest period... and then its off to costa rica! THAT is defintely a far and wide wandering... though I am not sure i'll be able to blog from there. but alas--- i will be journaling.
it is very strange to me whenever i go back and read journal and/or blog entries from the past. because i can see how distinct and real those things were to me at the time, and i feel how far they are from now, but part of me feels like they are so close and real again. time passing never ceases to amaze me, for some reason. its funny to me that all the things that have happened to me since i last wrote are things that i had no idea at all about. my life this past school year was a complete mystery to me in the past, but now it has been revealed so to speak. its like ive acquired things without losing anything-- ah, nevamind. it makes more sense in my head.
i wondered when i started where this blog post would go-- and it turns out its becoming a post about my life in athens this past school year. junior year. year # 1 in the house at 346 n. pope street. ive tried to examine the year as it passed, but its so much clearer (obviously) now that its over. i think overall it has been a fantastic, quite fantastic year. i havent been as psychologically tumultuous (for most of it) as i have been at certain periods in the past, and so in some ways i feel like i've "grown less" perhaps... but i am thinking maybe that is not a bad thing. this semester, especially the past couple months, have been really really awesome for me in a quite, simple way. i have felt more comfortable and at peace in athens these past couple months than ever before. little things have seemed immeasurably beautiful and wonderful to me. things like biking with andy and tj to the oconee river greenway, or sitting on the deck with my binoculars like a nerd and birdwatching, or pulling into the driveway and seeing the roomies sitting on the deck. or hanging out in the living room the morning after a particularly crazy friday night and discussing the events with the roomies/whoever may have slept over in the house. or going to my sisters and eating quesadillas on the front porch. or sitting in the sun in the warnell courtyard between classes. things like that. st. patricks day parties with green beer and walking to taqueria or getting margaritas at taco stand on a sunday night. playing power hour with beer. watching hawks games, studying on the porch, going to the basketball courts down the road.
i have one year left in athens. i am fairly certain i will be leaving the summer after i graduate. as much as i love it here and as attached as i am to so many different things here... i think i am going to leave. and i have always wanted to. but now that i am so close to doing it, i am terrified. i am sad. and i am.. not ready i guess. im not ready to not be near my parents and sister and friends i have had since high school or before. and to be in the intense summer heat and here the crickets and catydids all night. to be a college student who sleeps in and skips class and eats mac and cheese way too much, who finds themselves drinking with their friends the night before a big test. i guess i shouldnt worry too much yet, because i do have an entire year left. and-- i am in many ways ready to graduate (classes and labs have really started to wear on me). but. i feel i am nearing a crossroads type of thing. a transition. the same as leaving for college, but probably much much harder. and college was a difficult transition for me. i am curious to see where my life goes after this. i guess i want to see other places and experience life outside of north georgia. i dont really know anything else. last summer was a little taste of something completely different from what i am used to, but i dont know if even that qualifies. i dont know what exactly it is people are looking for when they leave and home and go out into the world and start new lives and all that. what drives them (me?) to do it? whats WRONG with staying where you are? whats wrong with having a simple life? i guess i do have a certain degree of restlessness--but whos to say that has anything to do with which city i live in? ahh who knows. too many questions. i always have too many questions!
all in all- i am satisfied with my life right now. i feel like i have matured a fair-ish amount this past year. in a calm way-- not in a grown up way, if that makes sense. i mean, i am 21. definitely not a kid anymore. not a youngster, if you will! which im fine with. its a good age. solid. all that kind of thing.
but yet- i think i am going to brush my teeth and get in bed before midnight for once. lab practical tomorrow. and another friday. terrapi beer tour/twilight/low country boil/jonnas 21st bday party this weekend. presentation monday, paper due wednesday, another paper due thursday AND a lab practical thursday. then--- finals week after that to round it all out. COOL!
what a cliche college life. and im ok with that!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
I wish I could open my eyes-to see in all directions at the same time
AHHHH!! why don't i write more?? oh thats right, because i literally work my life away, ahaa. 50 hours weeks are KILLER when youre not used to working, i tell you what.
but. lets be honest. i LOVE everything about this summer. well. not everything. the job can actually kinda suck at times. and sometimes i wanna go out, or am in the mood to go downtown or something, or wanna see my jokish friends from home, or my pesty pets, that kind of thing.
BUT! now that i'm inside three weeks of coming home-- im terrified! to leave! all the awesome people i have met here. why do i have to keep switching lives?!?! im so used to it here. and i like it. and now i have to leave... blast! curse it all!
well... the past few days i have actually been down in the canyon. it was- AMAZING! lauren and i hiked down the south kaibab trail on saturday. we got a late start because SOMEONE slept it (yes, that someone was me, and lauren had to knock on the door and wake me up, i was so disorientated and she was not at ALL suprised. oh, heavens. not my fault- i was up til 5 30 the night before and we had to leave by 9!) so yea. hiking down was awesome, you get amazing views of the canyon. my personal favorite was muffin man point (we named it ourselves...). we sat there for a while and admired. it was really incredible. the bottom was also incredible-- but SO HOT, wow. and-- lauren and i are GENIUSES, and did not bring flashlights into a pitch black canyon... cool. luckily we bought some at the phantom ranch shop thing. thank GOD. our campsite was right on bright angel creek- it was amazing. i was seriously amazed. in love. everything. one of the happiest ive ever been. beautiful, and so secluded and peaceful. and lauren and i sitting on the picnic table being ridiculous (sleeping bag in the dirt- sleeping in our unmentionables, picturing lauren hiking out in just her undies if her shorts blew away... HAa!). i slept in my trusty hammock... after the ordeal of trying to drag the 745 pound table across the campsite. disasters. love it.
next day- again got a late start. and hit the HEAT OF THE DAY- good. were making a book of how NOT to hike to the bottom of the grand canyon. it should be pretty good, and will probably save a lot of people. anyway-- HOT down there, made pretty slow progress along the river. which was fun, because i was just taking in the sites, and it was breathtaking. the river is amazing, and the north rim looks so close, and it is just wonderful. WONDERFUL. i couldnt look around enough (thus the title of this blog- from a death cab classic.) in LOVE! stopped at pine creek beach for a couple hours, laid in the water, on the rocks, cooled off and waited for clouds to come in before attempting devils corkscrew up to indian gardens. met some cool people down there, and dad and daughter from england and these three random young guys taking a road trip. one of them was telling us about his shrooming experience the night before and how he discovered his spirit animal ( a wolf). interesting.
finally left... hiked up to indian garden. HOT, and a little rough... but still fun. GORGEOUS. was getting back around to being able to see the south rim, in particular our area of the rim.. as far away as it was, it was comforting to be in sight of "home." i could actually distinguish which part of the rim was ours... it was cool! rested in this amazing creek, then hit indian gardens. SO BEAUTIFUL. big, gorgeous green trees and a lovely breeze, and the canyon looming up behind it, and the creek running through the middle. stopped and had a snack by this amazing old tree. i did a lot of sitting and looking on the hike. it was phenomenal.
met anthony at IG. messed with the squirrels (they are at their peak ridiculousness down there... yes, we threw rocks at some. they thought it was food. even after it hit them in the face. dumb.) then found our campsite and hung out. a lovely evening. the guys from the beack stopped by on their way up and chatted. shoulder pads and communism?? there was some conversation about that, i believe.....
then played a little cards and relaxed. mused over the mysterious wet spot in the dirt that wasn't drying up, even after several hours. (it was still there in the morning... huh.) then hit the sack! (the hammock). so incredible sleeping in that thing, under the trees and being able to see the stars and everything, down in the grand canyon. ahh. love.
hiked out the next day. not so bad, made pretty good time. except for the hail storm that started when lauren was still hiking out.... good. then milkshakes, relaxing, and wonderfulness!!
-an update-- i started this post a week ago. so i've had a whole week of events since the big hike. mainly work... and hanging out. went to williams on the train with meredith and lauren- so fun! ate at poncho "villas" (magillicuddies).. CHEESE FEST 09, good lord we ate so much cheese. then got huge pieces of pie.... then walked down the sketchiest street in all america to get to a gas station to buy beer. then back to the hotel room.. cards! and 90s music on youtube. a good night. rode home today on the train- luxury class! fo free! got to stand on the back and watch the scenery.. so gorgeous. then played some spades w/ "paco"... huh. pretty fun. tried to ride the plane in tusayan, DISASTER, ugh.... hung around at the pool. hung out at maswik (our last time :( can't believe it.. no more maswik sandwiches and pie.) rough day.
so yea- life here is good. cant believe im going back to my real life so soon. i will actually miss the bright angel restaurant---- trejo making me kiss him on the cheek, telling me he loves me (mi amor, i love you! thank you, mi amor!), john d being ridiculous in the kitchen, hearing him yell from across the restaurant. daniel sneaking chocolate milk and twix bars, maya and her ridiculous macedonian accent (In my country!!!!), ridiculously tall brad, klein and his obnoxious comments, calling me "kath," all that type of stuff. i've grown really attached i supposed. hanging out at daniels after work, having porch time w/ dawn and lauren, dawn being ridiculous ("son of a bitch!", and her sex therapy sessions). soo many things, i cant even begin to write about them all. im really worried about what home is gonna be like. what am i gonna feel like?? i am gonna miss people here so so so so much. my second life is ending! and i will never have it again!!
well i am currently on the porch (oh! the porch night where we were talking too loud and the guy in the lodge across the street yells "shut the hell up!!!!", then fire and security comes. good.). so i am pretty distracted. but i will write more soon. i just dont know where to start. what an ammmmaazzzzziiiiiiinnnngggg summer! oh, man.
but. lets be honest. i LOVE everything about this summer. well. not everything. the job can actually kinda suck at times. and sometimes i wanna go out, or am in the mood to go downtown or something, or wanna see my jokish friends from home, or my pesty pets, that kind of thing.
BUT! now that i'm inside three weeks of coming home-- im terrified! to leave! all the awesome people i have met here. why do i have to keep switching lives?!?! im so used to it here. and i like it. and now i have to leave... blast! curse it all!
well... the past few days i have actually been down in the canyon. it was- AMAZING! lauren and i hiked down the south kaibab trail on saturday. we got a late start because SOMEONE slept it (yes, that someone was me, and lauren had to knock on the door and wake me up, i was so disorientated and she was not at ALL suprised. oh, heavens. not my fault- i was up til 5 30 the night before and we had to leave by 9!) so yea. hiking down was awesome, you get amazing views of the canyon. my personal favorite was muffin man point (we named it ourselves...). we sat there for a while and admired. it was really incredible. the bottom was also incredible-- but SO HOT, wow. and-- lauren and i are GENIUSES, and did not bring flashlights into a pitch black canyon... cool. luckily we bought some at the phantom ranch shop thing. thank GOD. our campsite was right on bright angel creek- it was amazing. i was seriously amazed. in love. everything. one of the happiest ive ever been. beautiful, and so secluded and peaceful. and lauren and i sitting on the picnic table being ridiculous (sleeping bag in the dirt- sleeping in our unmentionables, picturing lauren hiking out in just her undies if her shorts blew away... HAa!). i slept in my trusty hammock... after the ordeal of trying to drag the 745 pound table across the campsite. disasters. love it.
next day- again got a late start. and hit the HEAT OF THE DAY- good. were making a book of how NOT to hike to the bottom of the grand canyon. it should be pretty good, and will probably save a lot of people. anyway-- HOT down there, made pretty slow progress along the river. which was fun, because i was just taking in the sites, and it was breathtaking. the river is amazing, and the north rim looks so close, and it is just wonderful. WONDERFUL. i couldnt look around enough (thus the title of this blog- from a death cab classic.) in LOVE! stopped at pine creek beach for a couple hours, laid in the water, on the rocks, cooled off and waited for clouds to come in before attempting devils corkscrew up to indian gardens. met some cool people down there, and dad and daughter from england and these three random young guys taking a road trip. one of them was telling us about his shrooming experience the night before and how he discovered his spirit animal ( a wolf). interesting.
finally left... hiked up to indian garden. HOT, and a little rough... but still fun. GORGEOUS. was getting back around to being able to see the south rim, in particular our area of the rim.. as far away as it was, it was comforting to be in sight of "home." i could actually distinguish which part of the rim was ours... it was cool! rested in this amazing creek, then hit indian gardens. SO BEAUTIFUL. big, gorgeous green trees and a lovely breeze, and the canyon looming up behind it, and the creek running through the middle. stopped and had a snack by this amazing old tree. i did a lot of sitting and looking on the hike. it was phenomenal.
met anthony at IG. messed with the squirrels (they are at their peak ridiculousness down there... yes, we threw rocks at some. they thought it was food. even after it hit them in the face. dumb.) then found our campsite and hung out. a lovely evening. the guys from the beack stopped by on their way up and chatted. shoulder pads and communism?? there was some conversation about that, i believe.....
then played a little cards and relaxed. mused over the mysterious wet spot in the dirt that wasn't drying up, even after several hours. (it was still there in the morning... huh.) then hit the sack! (the hammock). so incredible sleeping in that thing, under the trees and being able to see the stars and everything, down in the grand canyon. ahh. love.
hiked out the next day. not so bad, made pretty good time. except for the hail storm that started when lauren was still hiking out.... good. then milkshakes, relaxing, and wonderfulness!!
-an update-- i started this post a week ago. so i've had a whole week of events since the big hike. mainly work... and hanging out. went to williams on the train with meredith and lauren- so fun! ate at poncho "villas" (magillicuddies).. CHEESE FEST 09, good lord we ate so much cheese. then got huge pieces of pie.... then walked down the sketchiest street in all america to get to a gas station to buy beer. then back to the hotel room.. cards! and 90s music on youtube. a good night. rode home today on the train- luxury class! fo free! got to stand on the back and watch the scenery.. so gorgeous. then played some spades w/ "paco"... huh. pretty fun. tried to ride the plane in tusayan, DISASTER, ugh.... hung around at the pool. hung out at maswik (our last time :( can't believe it.. no more maswik sandwiches and pie.) rough day.
so yea- life here is good. cant believe im going back to my real life so soon. i will actually miss the bright angel restaurant---- trejo making me kiss him on the cheek, telling me he loves me (mi amor, i love you! thank you, mi amor!), john d being ridiculous in the kitchen, hearing him yell from across the restaurant. daniel sneaking chocolate milk and twix bars, maya and her ridiculous macedonian accent (In my country!!!!), ridiculously tall brad, klein and his obnoxious comments, calling me "kath," all that type of stuff. i've grown really attached i supposed. hanging out at daniels after work, having porch time w/ dawn and lauren, dawn being ridiculous ("son of a bitch!", and her sex therapy sessions). soo many things, i cant even begin to write about them all. im really worried about what home is gonna be like. what am i gonna feel like?? i am gonna miss people here so so so so much. my second life is ending! and i will never have it again!!
well i am currently on the porch (oh! the porch night where we were talking too loud and the guy in the lodge across the street yells "shut the hell up!!!!", then fire and security comes. good.). so i am pretty distracted. but i will write more soon. i just dont know where to start. what an ammmmaazzzzziiiiiiinnnngggg summer! oh, man.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Root Beer, Chocolate Milk, Very Little Sleep--- Living the DREAM!
oh, blog thing. i wish i updated more often. but when you work 30 hours a day, its pretty hard to find time! my life is seriously work, sleep, work, with a few extra things thrown in there when i find the time. and yet--- i am having an awesome summer and am so happy out here. i always get really attached to little things about certain places. such as here--- i LOVE sitting on the front porch of colter talking to people, usually dawn and lauren. any time of day or night, its always awesome. i love meeting dawn and lauren in kachina late after work and catching up on everyones days. i love goin down the hall and visiting the gift shop while im supposed to be working. i love maswik sandwiches, and drinking chocolate milk and root beer, root beer, and a lot more root beer and work. and hot chocolate, rolls, soup, crackers, whatever else i can sneak. and i love seeing people in the ecaf on my break, whoever is in there, i even sometimes love the chaos of the bright angel. and i like walking along the rim to work, or laying out on the balcony of colter before work and watching people walk by, seeing people i know heading to or from work and saying hello. i even like hauling ass to the uniform center to switch out my uniform before work starts and the fact that i am always, ALWAYS late for work. no matter what. i NEVER clock in on time. why not?!?!?! don't know.
dawn had a ridiculous situation involving an older (CREEPY) man, and it was fun discussing that with that ladies, and of course spiraling off into random tangents, and somehow the conversation ended in phone sex and different ways of absolutely ruining the phone sex experience. then was a glorious farting conversation, and lauren having the BEST fart ever... you have to know her. it was so unexpected, and she was looking off into the distance like she was gonna say something. hilarious... then i thought this gigantic rock on the porch was one of her shoes. gosh, the stuff that happens to us... getting yelled at by the bitchy lady on the bus on the way to rafting. THAT was one of the funniest days of the summer, if not of my life. corn husk dolls, brick the driver ("it's because you're a woman!" -- really?!!?), moley on the river, more hypotheticals than i can remember. rafting was awesome, and sedone with q and lauren was awesome, SO FUN! went to grasshopper pt. and found our own little spot on the stream, swam and layed out. then walked around downtown sedona, ate at this delicious mexican place looking out over the gorgeous scenery, BEST chips and salsa, BEST rainbow, best day!!
been working all week.... bleehh. night hike last night with daniel, lauren, and lily! looked really cool out, but the BA is def. not the best trail to moon hike on. oh well, it was fun. once again-- endless what ifs! (i blame rebecca jane holton COMPLETELY for this). i had a lot of fun, though i was stupid enough to wear my chacos down there. then sat on the porch with daniel til like 4 or so in the morning :) ! hit the pool in tusayan again, LOVEEEE IT! going tomorrow because i dont have to work til six. so wonderful. then going alllllll day saturday. oh god, cant wait. just laying out with some beer, then ice cream in tusayan, then NOT WORKING! what is better than that?? nothing.
so yea. a whole lotta regular stuff. but for some reason--- its just amazing. i really really love it here. three day camping trip to the river comin up with lil, lauren, eli, and anthony.. 4 of my favorite people here! i am SO EXCITED, finally gettin to the bottom of the canyon! YAY!! and gonna use my hammock. HELL YES. thanks to quetzal and terry (our bosses) OBSESSION with him that i got the third day off. i asked-- straight no. he asked (and she thinks were dating) and i get the day off. corrupt, but whatever. she's getting had. and im going to the bottom. eat it, terry! and then later in the month (a few days before we leave :( so weird) goin on the train to williams with the girls, just gonna get drunk and be ridiculous and be together! ahhhhh, i love my friends here so much. ive just met so many people, and people from ALL over the place literally, and i like the people i work with a lot. dude---- this summer has been so kick ass. im just so so happy, despite working so much and crappy living conditions and missing athens and my friends a lot... just happy here! and glad that ive seen that i am able to go out on my own and adapt and love it. i honestly see myself in the future (maybe even the near future-- scary!) going out on my own, AWAY from georgia. i feel it coming, i just know it is... ahhhahahHA! people do it all the time.. its fine!
but for now-- im here. talked to my sis on the phone today and she reminded me of that. i said something about being glad to come home but knowing i would miss it so much here, and how fast the summer is going by and how long its been since i was in athens and all that- and she was just like "yea itll be fun to come back. but for now-- just be there!" EXACTLY! just need to be where i am. and appreciate it. 20 has the been the best best age. i feel so full (so WHOLE :) !), and expectant.. but satisfyingly so. i feel like ive grown a lot emotionally, and relationally with people, and spiritually- just trusting in an eternal power and a God that IS findable and relatable, one that CAN make sense and that doesn't cause frustration, but only wonder and joy. and this God becomes more and more real all the time, and the voice that isnt my own becomes louder all the time, and it is so amazing.
alright, enough ridiculousness.i gotta go because i think daniel is gonna bring me some grapes-- talk about the nicest guy ever!
night!
dawn had a ridiculous situation involving an older (CREEPY) man, and it was fun discussing that with that ladies, and of course spiraling off into random tangents, and somehow the conversation ended in phone sex and different ways of absolutely ruining the phone sex experience. then was a glorious farting conversation, and lauren having the BEST fart ever... you have to know her. it was so unexpected, and she was looking off into the distance like she was gonna say something. hilarious... then i thought this gigantic rock on the porch was one of her shoes. gosh, the stuff that happens to us... getting yelled at by the bitchy lady on the bus on the way to rafting. THAT was one of the funniest days of the summer, if not of my life. corn husk dolls, brick the driver ("it's because you're a woman!" -- really?!!?), moley on the river, more hypotheticals than i can remember. rafting was awesome, and sedone with q and lauren was awesome, SO FUN! went to grasshopper pt. and found our own little spot on the stream, swam and layed out. then walked around downtown sedona, ate at this delicious mexican place looking out over the gorgeous scenery, BEST chips and salsa, BEST rainbow, best day!!
been working all week.... bleehh. night hike last night with daniel, lauren, and lily! looked really cool out, but the BA is def. not the best trail to moon hike on. oh well, it was fun. once again-- endless what ifs! (i blame rebecca jane holton COMPLETELY for this). i had a lot of fun, though i was stupid enough to wear my chacos down there. then sat on the porch with daniel til like 4 or so in the morning :) ! hit the pool in tusayan again, LOVEEEE IT! going tomorrow because i dont have to work til six. so wonderful. then going alllllll day saturday. oh god, cant wait. just laying out with some beer, then ice cream in tusayan, then NOT WORKING! what is better than that?? nothing.
so yea. a whole lotta regular stuff. but for some reason--- its just amazing. i really really love it here. three day camping trip to the river comin up with lil, lauren, eli, and anthony.. 4 of my favorite people here! i am SO EXCITED, finally gettin to the bottom of the canyon! YAY!! and gonna use my hammock. HELL YES. thanks to quetzal and terry (our bosses) OBSESSION with him that i got the third day off. i asked-- straight no. he asked (and she thinks were dating) and i get the day off. corrupt, but whatever. she's getting had. and im going to the bottom. eat it, terry! and then later in the month (a few days before we leave :( so weird) goin on the train to williams with the girls, just gonna get drunk and be ridiculous and be together! ahhhhh, i love my friends here so much. ive just met so many people, and people from ALL over the place literally, and i like the people i work with a lot. dude---- this summer has been so kick ass. im just so so happy, despite working so much and crappy living conditions and missing athens and my friends a lot... just happy here! and glad that ive seen that i am able to go out on my own and adapt and love it. i honestly see myself in the future (maybe even the near future-- scary!) going out on my own, AWAY from georgia. i feel it coming, i just know it is... ahhhahahHA! people do it all the time.. its fine!
but for now-- im here. talked to my sis on the phone today and she reminded me of that. i said something about being glad to come home but knowing i would miss it so much here, and how fast the summer is going by and how long its been since i was in athens and all that- and she was just like "yea itll be fun to come back. but for now-- just be there!" EXACTLY! just need to be where i am. and appreciate it. 20 has the been the best best age. i feel so full (so WHOLE :) !), and expectant.. but satisfyingly so. i feel like ive grown a lot emotionally, and relationally with people, and spiritually- just trusting in an eternal power and a God that IS findable and relatable, one that CAN make sense and that doesn't cause frustration, but only wonder and joy. and this God becomes more and more real all the time, and the voice that isnt my own becomes louder all the time, and it is so amazing.
alright, enough ridiculousness.i gotta go because i think daniel is gonna bring me some grapes-- talk about the nicest guy ever!
night!
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