vasquez rocks | summer 2015

This weekend my friends and I hiked Vasquez Rocks in the Santa Pelona Mountains. It's a pretty cool place. It's like a mini Joshua Tree. Very very similar, but very very small. We made plans to get to the park by 5:30am to watch the sunrise, but that didn't happen lol. Either way, we still had loads of fun. We climbed a few rocks and spent most of the day hanging out under the shade. There wasn't much to hike, but it's relaxing recreation area if you want a mini escape from the city.

Apparently, Vasquez Rocks is the famous rock summit in a lot of movies and TV Shows. I just found out (through my old friend Wikipedia) that an episode of F.R.I.E.N.D.S was filmed there (The One with Joey's Big Break). As a humungous F.R.I.E.N.D.S fan, I thought that was cool!! More pictures below!

complexities of the human mind

It's 12:39am on a Sunday. It's late. Time to talk about my feelings.

Have you ever wanted to call someone, pick them up, and go for a long drive just to talk about yourself? Not the "Okay, well since you asked, let me tell you about what happened to me today." More so like, "Alright, here's how I'm feeling. Here's what I'm thinking. Here are the nitty-gritty parts of my mind." I don't know if other people feel the same way, but for me, I've always felt like people don't care about what I have to say. People love to talk about themselves - it's natural. They love to talk about what's going on in their lives, who they're dating, their struggles, their victories, their passions, or if their dog learned a new command that day. I love it when someone is comfortable enough to share those things with me. I'm glad to be that person for them.

But, either I'm the worst storyteller in the world or my life just isn't interesting enough for them to stop and ask, "So, Jennifer. How are you? Like really, How are you?" I love listening, I do. I've always been the listener. And because I know people enjoying sharing their lives with other people, I'm never the type to interrupt or chime in and say, "Oh hey, I feel the same way. Here's my story..." because I don't want to interrupt the speaker or make them feel as though I want to turn the story around and make it about myself. So I just listen, nod, and ask questions.

But because I don't give myself the chance to share, I feel like no one ever understands me- my thought process, my feelings, my life. Why I do the things I do. Why I dislike certain things, why I love other things. That's so vague... haha. Do other people feel this way too? I dislike (with an intense passion) when people say, "Oh, this seems like something you would do," and they'll explain a situation and I'm just thinking, "No... no, that's not me at all." Do you even know me? I've always wondered how I come off to people.

But anyway (I say but a lot. I'm always contradicting myself), there are times that I do have a chance to express my thoughts & my feelings. I'm truly thankful for the people in my life who I can show a little bit of my life to. Thanks for still being my friend even after finding out how ridiculous I am. It's too late for my family though. They're stuck with me whether they are okay with that or not.

happy friday #tgif

“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes

DIXIE NATIONAL FOREST | SUMMER 2015

Red Canyon, Dixie National Park - Utah

BRYCE CANYON | SUMMER 2015

Hoodoos + Navajo loop trail

currently...

My good friend Tania is currently studying for her Masters in Amsterdam and she let me borrow her Crosley record player plus a few of her favorite vinyl for the year. I've been listening to these records every day after work and it's a really nice change from what I currently have in my iTunes, Spotify, or CD collection (yes I still buy CDs and no, CDs will never ever die). Sometimes it nice to let music play in the background - music that you don't know the words to so you can let your mind wander.

Anyway, listening to songs on vinyl is a different experience on its own. The music sounds so much more real. I don't know how to describe it, but it's pretty cool.

when flying was easy by the cookie duster

remembrance days by the dream academy

russian composers masterpieces

currently...

Currently obsess with Artifact Uprising and making prints like these from my favorites places. My bank account is crying, but I'm too ecstatic to care (haha. oh help me lord)

I have about 151 of these and I want to share them with the world. Truthfully, I don't know if there are actual people out there who read my blog, but if you are a real person and you'd like a printed card, shoot me an email at jenniferpham33@gmail.com with your name and address. I'm always looking to bring a little laughter into my life so all I ask from you is to tell me a joke (or two!) and to include a story about your favorite travel memory. I would really love to read them