happy because it's a beautiful day

"A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to it's old dimensions" - Oliver Wendell Homles

mount baldy summit | July 2015

5 minutes into the hike - stopped to take in the view

The beginning of Devil's Back-Bone 

On Devil's Back-Bone

Mt. Baldy Summit - the last stretch (yes those tiny little things up there are people!). Pictures can be deceiving because this looked so much scarier in person. I remember after finishing Devil's Back-Bone, we thought we were done, but I looked up, then turned to my friend and said, "Vivian, please tell me those aren't people up there. Please tell me we don't have to climb that... Shit, we do."

about an hour later  ~~~ blood, sweat, and tears for this view

view of Devil's Back-Bone from the top

ended the hike with a ride on the ski lift! can't say this wasn't my favorite part of the day :)

In total, the journey to Mt. Baldy took us 8 hours, 12 miles, and 10064ft in the air. The trails were super narrow, slippery, and windy. If wasn't for my backpack I probably would have flown off the mountains. If you plan on doing this I'd recommend 2-3 liters of water, comfortable hiking shoes, walking poles, a light jacket (it can get chilly at the top), and an adventure pass (you can get a day pass for $5 at REI or Sports Chalet. If not, you can get one at the Visitors Center, but they don't open until 7am).

Oh, and when you plan on doing this, make sure you don't have any plans the next day because you're not going to want to move, ever again. 

go be temerarious

"I haven't been everywhere, but it's on my list." - Susan Sontag

A shot of myself on top of Mount San Antonio - better known as Mt. Baldy. Mentally, this was a challenging and tough hike. Still, the view, sense of accomplishment, wonder, and happiness I felt as I stood at the top of the summit was worth every minute of pain. I'm being dramatic, I'm sorry. The thinning of the air was brutal though.

A lot of hikers climb Mt. Baldy to train their bodies for Mt. Whitney and so... that's now on my list of places I need to conquer. One day. Someday. What day?

happy monday!

"If you're happy, if you're feeling good, then nothing else matters" - Robin Wright

On doing things alone

I love doing things by myself. I think it mostly had to do with my growing up in a big family. My parents had nine children and while we never all lived together under the same roof at once (when one moved away, out popped another ~~~ that's pretty much how it happened) our home was always full and chaotic. Trying to have alone time - peace and quiet even - was like trying to find a four leaf clover. You don't. Growing up surrounded by people as a child made me crave solidarity as an adult. Which is why it's so natural for me to always want to do things by myself. I'll go out to eat at a restaurant alone, watch a movie alone, hang out at the park alone, get drinks at a coffee shop alone. 

There's this stigma about being seen alone though. It's weird, I love being alone, but I'm surrounded by people who aren't into it. They worry that strangers will think they're either anti-social, weird or gasp, have no friends (I'm not generalizing, my friends have told me this). They feel self-conscious about being out alone. It's normal to feel that way, and that's okay. I always tell them, "Once you're comfortable to the point where you don't care about what others think, you'll finally see how liberating it feels to spend time with yourself." Alone. In public. Trust me. It's relaxing. It's fun. It's different.

No longer will you have wait on people or sacrifice what you want to do to make sure your friends are happy. It sounds selfish, maybe, but I don't mean it to be. What I'm saying is, every once in awhile it's nice to spend some time alone and not have to worry about anyone else but yourself. You'll learn to push yourself out of your comfort zone, observe your surroundings, and really take time to take things in. Plus, it's one of the best ways to meet and talk to strangers who you otherwise would not have met because you're too busy consumed in a conversation with your own friends. I don't know. I know I'm more willing to strike up a conversation with someone sitting by themself rather than with a group of friends. 

In the spirit of my speech about the importance of "me time" here's something I did alone recently:

Most mornings I'll wake up with an urge to do something and without thinking, I just get up and do it. At 6am today, before I could even open my eyes, I knew I wanted to go hiking. So I did what any normal person would do. I packed my bags and headed for the mountains. The drive alone was so calm and peaceful. Add in the rolled down windows, crisp air, fresh rain, the scent of dewy grass, and empty roads - it was very nice. 

I'm rambling on too much. Long story short, I had a great time. I met and talked to so many older folks, hiked part ways with a group of kids, and met a few sweet pups along the way. 

I also got to sit at the top of a hill to enjoy this view of the valley with no one else but my thoughts. 

Yosemite | Spring 2015

I miss this place like hell.

Yosemite Valley

Top of Nevada Falls

Mirror Lake

Yosemite Valley / Mystical Forest

Vernal Falls