Day 11

A picture of something you hate



Don't roll your eyes just yet: although it's frustrating to rake out endless social trails, it's not people stepping in crypto that I hate. ;)

I really don't hate a lot of things- hate is such a strong word. But I do strongly dislike people disregarding beauty or innocence or natural things. I also don't like when people do damaging things out of ignorance. I can't get mad at the people at those times, though. Even those with good intentions and good hearts can hurt things just because they don't know how fragile it all really is and what is really going on in the background.

In this day and age I feel like we are distanced from so many things, sheltered from reality by quick trips to a well-stocked market and a fix-it pill. We just don't see the consequences of a lot of our choices and actions. It's hard to know what is truth and what is advertising. This leads us to support practices that might actually cause harm in the long run, harm to our personal health and the health of our societies, our global community and our environments. No, we don't mean to. But this ignorance isn't bliss, it's just blindness. I guess you could say that I hate the quick-fix mindset, the short-sightedness that comes along when you add greed, money, waste and power to narrow minds.
And I hate the helplessness of those who are on the other end of the deal, who know exactly what is going on but feel nearly powerless to fight it. Getting stuck in a rut is worse than stepping in crypto any day :P

Day 5

A picture of your favorite memory.

Wowzers, this one is nearly impossible: how am I supposed to narrow it down to just one memory? I decided to just find two pictures that give a general feeling of my favorite times, way back in the day and more recently.

Basically, most of my favorite memories involve being outside and having adventures with friends and family who mean a lot to me. I remember car camping in the LaSals way back when there were just three of us Hazletts and exploring arroyos before curling up on Grandma's lap to look at the stars. Then the Era of the Pop-up Camper, then the motorhome and cross-country travel. Girls' camp, snipe hunting, discovering hidden and unnamed canyons around Moab. Climbing mountains, each one "the hardest thing I've ever done!" (at least it felt so at the time ;). Lots of hikes and trips to the swimming hole, camping beside the river. Exploring new places like the Nauvoo groves, catching fireflies in Eastern woods at night. Even in New York, standing on a rooftop watching the snow fall in an orange glow. Sledding and climbing and escaping the summer heat in the LaSal Mountains. Lots of river trips with friends, inside jokes and grit and wind and riding the waves. Long days and tired legs and spectacular sunsets. INHUT - the spring term I spent backpacking & driving & canoeing all over Utah getting to know the people, places and history of this vast state. School trips to National Parks, and now living in one of the most remote and beautiful places in the world.



One of these pictures is my little cousin snuggled up in her sleeping bag at Hittle Bottom. The other is Sheena, Chris, Cody & me about to begin an overnight ducky adventure from the Portal to Gold Bar.

I think there's a special closeness you develop with people and with God when you're outside. Conversations are more open and relaxed, stress and distractions are lower, and you feel really alive. You get back down to the simple things and realize that relationships and wholesome dose of fresh air really are the stuff of life :D

30 Day Photo Challenge

Alrighty, it has recently been suggested that I put up another post. I agree, I am a slacker sometimes. :P

And in order to help me get used to posting more, I'm giving in to the fad & doing the whole "30 Day Photo Challenge" thing. It may take a bit more than 30 days... but I'll get to the end eventually. Here goes!


Day 01 - A picture of yourself with fifteen facts
Day 02 - A picture of you and a friend you have been closest to the longest
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show
Day 04 - A picture of your night
Day 05 - A picture of a favorite memory
Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day
Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most adventurous things with
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate
Day 12 - A picture of something you love
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you
Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity
Day 19 - A picture of something you never leave home without
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change
Day 25 - A picture of your day
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss

1. First, the basics: I'm the oldest of seven children and I have an awesome family and the best hometown ever, Moab. I’m studying Conservation Biology and Spanish at BYU, where I try to fit in as many fitness, music, and English classes as I can. No, I don’t know what to do with the rest of my life. I’m currently doing an internship with the National Park Service to check out that option, but there are just so many choices…

2. I once broke my arm falling off of a ball I was trying to stand on. Later, I broke my arm falling off of a trampoline. Apparently gymnastics is not my thing. ;)

3. The first song I sang in public (not church) was “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” when I was seven. I think the first solo song I sang in front of a crowd in Church was “The Nativity Song” when I was four… or maybe it was “I Am a Child of God.”

4. I shop for clothing almost exclusively at thrift stores, but when it comes to some things I like to have quality stuff that will last a while (so my new down sleeping bag probably cost more than my entire wardrobe ;).

5. I have never pierced my ears or dyed my hair, but I have had braces.

6. People tailgating me in the car is one of my biggest pet peeves. (I don’t want them to run me over in my little car!) Now that I’ve said that, I know I’ve probably set myself up for some teasing, car-style… lol

7. I really love cold cereal. Not with milk- I don’t really like milk- but dry. However, I’ve been known to eat an entire box in one day, so maybe I shouldn’t buy cereal anymore…It’s just too good! It goes right along with cookie dough, chips & salsa, and a few other foods that I just can't walk away from...

8. Both my eardrums have ruptured at least once.

9. I would hesitate to call myself a full-blown writer, climber, vegetarian, photographer, reader, gardener, runner, musician, rafter or cook because I don’t define myself by one label or the other. Rather, they are things that I’ve tried on (or been born into) and liked how they fit. They’re pieces that add color and depth to my identity as a daughter of God- that’s who I really am. :D

10. I would love to be more of a morning person instead of a night owl because early morning is my favorite time of day, especially when I’m the only one awake and it’s all mine.

11. Even when I was a cheerleader, I didn’t have a lot of interest in watching sports. Or makeup. Or pink.

12. I cannot snap my fingers. Four-year-old children who can do it like to tease me. lol

13. I enjoy taking pictures and going through the 13,000+ photos on my computer that remind me of good times and good friends.

14. I keep lots of frozen vegetables (red bell peppers, green spinach/peas/broccoli, yellow corn, orange carrots) in my freezer so I can add color, texture and flavor to boring dishes. You’d be amazed how many things you can sneak spinach into and have it be delicious.

15. I love taking laundry out of the dryer because it’s warm, soft, clean and smells wonderful. I also like the smell of clothes saturated with day-old juniper smoke because it reminds me of camping and being outside.

Bucket List

So here it is, my first-ever Bucket List. It's pretty long, I know- I want to have a lot of adventures, what can I say?

At first I was just thinking of far-out things I want to do in the future, then I remembered all the cool things I'd wanted to do- and did- in the past. It's sure been a trip down memory lane! I chose not to include most of the "given" things, like "graduate from high school" or "get my drivers' license." I chose instead to list more unusual, out-of-my-way/comfort zone things.

The interesting thing about a bucket list is that it takes into account mainly one-time events. There are lots of small, everyday things I want to accomplish too, like writing in my journal consistently, eating healthfully, or making a difference in someone's life, but those things are hard to quantify. They are definitely part of these bigger goals, though. New Years' Resolution? No, this is my Bucket List!

Now, back to wondering. I won't be wandering far for a while. I'm home. :)

Why is the cold so intimidating?

It's no fun to be stuck inside all day, but it takes such effort to bundle up and brace against the frost.

However, yesterday I went running. It was exhilarating! I've realized that that's one of the times when I feel most alive: charging up a hill, watching my breath fall beside me, feeling the ground below and the muscles pushing me higher and farther. Heating up, breathing in, breathing out, going on.

In the cold, you have to keep running if you want to stay warm. You can't stop. You can't slip. You've just gotta go----->

I've decided that I like winter after all. The still, the stark, the frozen. The sharp contrasts of red rock, white snow, clear sky. The soft landing and biting cold. Icicles reaching down imperceptibly, stiff branches clawing the sky. The flush of red nose and cheeks nearly buried in insulating layers, laughter ringing through the clear, frozen air.

Once they've shed their lush, bright summer garments and all is quiet, bare landscapes reveal their true colors. Pastel rocks glowing in the weak winter sunlight. Colors intensified by a backdrop of white and grey. A single snowflake on an old leaf.

People, too, show their true colors when all is cold and quiet.

Winter beauty is subtle, but real.

Time Flies When All's Familiar

Why is it that time seems to move so slowly at the beginning of anything? This last week seemed like at least three because we started a new semester.
I heard once that life seems to go faster the older you get because when you experience something new, you engage all your senses, but the older you get, the fewer new things you come across. The first time you do/see/experience something, it is all fresh and exciting and deserves to be noticed, examined, explored. Once you've already seen it, you usually don't bother looking at it again, so your eyes can skim over it. I think of walking to class- the first time I crossed campus, it seemed to take forever. I paid attention to the landmarks, the foliage, the students I passed. Now, at the beginning of another busy semester, I often step out of the classroom and suddenly find myself at my apartment, and I usually don't remember much of the walk. Sad day- that whole walk, lost in blind familiarity.
I need to make it new again- keep my head up and eyes open. I usually do most of my thinking in between classes, but focusing some energy outward would be very rewarding. I'll see what I discover around campus tomorrow. Same old, same old- and new. This ought to slow time down- it's already going by way too fast as it.
(Another reason I'm taking a random ballet class- it's something new. It'll keep me young ;)