Dynamite Dinosaurs

Did you know that Thanksgiving Point is home to the Largest Dinosaur Museum in the World? At least, that’s what the billboard says. So, in an effort to break up the monotony of daily life, Easton and I decided to jump in the car on Saturday and make some new prehistoric friends.

I was pretty pumped to see all of the huge dinosaur bones, but Easton was so fascinated by the posters about dirt and tectonic plates and the separation of Pangaea that I could hardly drag him away. I had to impatiently tap my foot for at least thirty minutes before he was finally willing to move on.

The museum was huge! And I was totally fascinated by all of the exhibits. Sometimes I find it hard to believe that creatures as huge as dinosaurs actually lived on the very same planet that we live on today.

Do you see a resemblance here?

Dancing with Dino.

Watching the 3D “Dinosaur Giants of Patagonia” movie.

Megalodon. I was beyond terrified by the description of this shark.

Yes, Easton and I are technically adults. But that didn’t stop us from running around taking pictures of ourselves pretending to be eaten by dinosaurs and climbing into exhibits that were supposedly off-limits, all while simultaneously eating blow pops that had previously doubled as walrus tusks.

Other people at the museum may have scoffed at us…but we thought we were absolutely hilarious.

What Happens in Vegas…

…stays in Vegas. But I must admit, my recent trip to Las Vegas didn’t include a single scandalous or sordid event that would need to be locked away in a secret vault in Vegas. In fact…I think the population of Las Vegas was probably bored to tears by our mellow group.

I have been SO stressed out lately and I was in desperate need of a relaxing getaway. My friend Tom offered up the perfect excuse to escape town for a few days by suggesting we all meet in Vegas, and I was pretty quick to jump on the bandwagon.

Our weekend consisted of a few distinct elements:

We hung out by the pool…

...tackled some roller coasters…

...ate A LOT of food…

...and were driven around all weekend by our chauffeur, Justin, who is from New York and is therefore accustomed to crazy driving conditions.

Overall, our quick Vegas jaunt was incredibly low-key and restful, which was just what the doctor ordered. When the weekend came to an end and we began our drive back to Utah, I started to feel a little blue about the fact that I was heading straight back to all the stress and anxiety of daily life. We drove into a patch of gloomy rain, which added to my melancholy mood even more…until we emerged from the rainstorm into the bright sunshine and saw the most beautiful rainbow.

This definitely made me smile…

I’d like to think that the rainbow was a little sign that life will work itself out and everything will be just fine. Or maybe it was just a kick in the butt to remind me that I am so unbelievably blessed and shouldn’t be complaining about the challenges that tend to stress me out. Or maybe it was none of those things at all, and I was just searching for some special meaning in a simple rainbow.

Either way, I hope I never stop being grateful for my amazing life. The world is wide open to me right now! How lucky am I?

Spoonman

I have a few sincere words of wisdom I would like to share with all of you:

Chris Cornell is a Rock GOD.

That’s right, I said it. He rocks my world. And that’s exactly what he did at his mind-blowing concert a couple weeks ago!

Here we are waiting for the doors to open…

This picture was taken right after Chris Cornell stepped onstage!
That huge smile didn’t leave my face ALL night.

We started the concert in the second row, but those of you who know me will understand that second row would never be adequate when Chris Cornell is involved. Once the music got going and everyone started pushing and shoving, I just kept my little hand in a deathgrip on the front rail and managed to squish all the way forward.

Let me paint you a picture. Chris Cornell was no more than a few measly feet in front of me, and I was in a position to see every miniscule detail. I was close enough to see that Chris had Calvin Klein underwear peeking out of his Chip and Pepper jeans. The jeans I speak of were being held up by a shoelace instead of a belt, and were tucked nonchalantly into Fluevog boots. He was wearing a simple bracelet made of little wooden beads, and among his multitude of necklaces was a thin leather cord bearing a tiny turquoise charm. That’s right folks, I could see all of this in perfect clarity.

Now for the best part of the whole evening…Chris grabbed my hand TWICE during the concert. I almost fainted! And you can make fun of me all you want and say that I’m pathetic and fanatical, but I don’t care because I got to hold Chris Cornell’s hand and you didn’t.

Here are a few highlights from the show:

About halfway through the concert, Chris Cornell threw a guitar pick into the crowd and Easton caught it in midair! He clearly has some very impressive hand-eye coordination.

I would like to take a second to point out that Easton is the BEST person to go to concerts with. Without him around to be my bodyguard, there is no way I would be able to withstand the front row of a rock concert without getting totally trampled. But when I have Easton placed strategically behind me, I just get to jump around and enjoy the concert while he acts as a very effective barrier from all the wild people around us. I suppose there are some very distinct advantages to dating such a big guy!

We ended up running into our friends Justin and Christine in the swarm of crazy fans, which meant that we were able to expand our team for even more efficient crowd control.

By the end of the concert, I was running on pure adrenaline and continuing to scream myself hoarse. When Chris Cornell finally said good night and walked offstage, I felt a surge of disappointment…until the guitarist handed me the guitar pick he had been using and the drummer gave me one of his drumsticks! Oh what a night.

Here I am with my loot from the concert. Lucky lucky me.

Life can be so fun sometimes! Music has always had an amazing power to make me happy. I’ll never forget such an incredible concert…or the feeling of Chris Cornell’s beautiful hand in mine.

And Chris…if you happen to stumble upon my blog and are reading these words, I’d like you to know that I LOVE YOU!

Happy Mother’s Day!

I have the best mom in the world.

No, seriously. I know you’re sitting there thinking, “Come on now, don’t exaggerate.” But really…my mom is absolutely, positively, unquestionably, indubitably, assuredly, unconditionally the GREATEST mom in existence.

One time I picked up my mom’s scriptures and a small scrap of paper fell to the floor. I hastily scooped the paper into my hand, intending to return it to the front pocket of the scripture case, and I glanced with mild interest at the words written on the little note. The paper had clearly been given to Mum at church, and one side was stamped with instructions for each person to write down their hopes and dreams.

I turned the paper over and discovered my mom’s answer to the question, written in her familiar handwriting: “I wish for the happiness and success of my children.”

I have no doubt that Mum is overflowing with hopes and dreams of her own…but I am certain that she would willingly sacrifice everything in this world to ensure the happiness of her children. My sisters and I are so, SO lucky to have a mother who loves us so much.

One day I hope to repay my mom for her selflessness and generosity by purchasing her a luxury condo on the beach where she can eventually enjoy retirement. Sounds pretty plush, eh? Although I have no doubt that she would appreciate the gesture, even extravagant real estate seems to pale in comparison to everything my mom has done for me over the past 28 years of my life.

I love you, Mum! You are my best friend and I don’t know what I would do without you. I love the way we can sit and talk for hours and hours, and I am constantly amazed that we somehow never manage to run out of things to say. No one else is capable of making me laugh until my cheeks hurt the way you do! You guide me through every twist and turn that life throws in my direction, and you offer infallible support whenever I struggle. I am so grateful for you, and I hope that I can always take care of you and enrich your life the same way you have always done for me. Happy Mother’s Day!

The Verdict Is In

After a lot of flip-flopping between the pros and cons of Pepperdine and the University of San Diego, I have finally decided that I’m going to start grad school at USD in the fall. A couple weeks ago I took a trip down to So. Cal to visit Pepperdine in the hopes that I would get a feel for which program is right for me, and although Pepperdine was extremely tempting (translation: I had a difficult time passing up a school that is right on the beach in Malibu), USD’s benefits ultimately surpassed Pepperdine’s. Although both schools undoubtedly offer amazing programs, USD is nationally accredited, allows flexibility with class choices and schedules, and offers study abroad opportunities. I just couldn’t deny such substantial benefits, and USD consequently seems to be a better fit for me personally…but I’m still lamenting the loss of Pepperdine’s incredible campus.

Although my trip to San Diego was brief, I was grateful for the chance to spend a little time with the fam. The weather was absolutely gorgeous (big shocker) and we made sure to take advantage of the sunshine.

Courtney and I hit up a sunset at Ponto one evening, and I was vividly reminded of how lucky I am to have spent my whole life right next to the beach. The sand, the waves, the sunshine, and the salty air always manage to lull me into some kind of euphoria.

We also spent a sunny Saturday in Encinitas doing a few things that were reminiscent of good old high school days. Talk about a blast from the past! We started our day with breakfast at the Potato Shack (oh American fries, why do you have to be so delicious and fattening?)

After breakfast, we walked around our favorite stores and surf shops until our food had digested enough to make room for slurpees and Funyuns from the 7-11 on D Street. It has been way too long since I have indulged in this little pleasure.

We also made it to the Seaside Bazaar, which is always a fun place to find unique and homemade little treasures. The economy has clearly taken a toll on everyone, because one sales guy actually chased me around the bazaar with a messenger bag I had momentarily considered buying. He kept offering to give me a special deal on the bag, and for a moment I couldn’t actually figure out whether I was in Encinitas or Tijuana.

Courtney bought me this darling hat from a little stand at the bazaar, along with an adorable purple one for herself: Cute, eh?

I guess it won’t be too long before I’ll be back down in the San Diego sunshine for good! I can’t believe how many changes are taking place in my life right now. I won’t deny that I’m a little apprehensive…I’ve always been the type of person who likes security and consistency. I am NOT looking forward to racking up a load of debt from grad school, and I’m kinda nervous about packing up my whole life and starting a brand new chapter. But I guess the flip-side of fear is excitement, and I am thrilled to make a fresh start towards improving my life and making a better future for myself. And while we’re on the topic of personal enrichment…being back in beach country won’t be the worst thing in the world either.

Festival of Colors

The local Hare Krishna temple hosted its annual Holi Festival of Colors yesterday and thousands of people flocked from all over Utah to attend. I have been looking forward to this festival all month and there was NO way I was going to miss it. The Holi Festival celebrates the arrival of spring and the passing of winter, and tradition dictates that all grudges and negative feelings must be abandoned for a day of merriment. According to the Hare Krishna website, people are supposed to “bury their hatchets with a warm embrace and throw their worries to the wind”…and those worries are apparently represented by enough colorful powder to bury us all.

The festival began with singing and dancing, followed by a bonfire and ceremony in which an effigy of the evil demoness Holika was burned…and then we all counted down to the moment when we could throw around our multi-colored powder with reckless abandon. You would not believe the wonderful chaos that ensued! The air was so thick with powder that I couldn’t breathe…I had colors caked in my eyes, nose, and mouth…and the massive crowd trampled me like a herd of wild buffalo. It was fantastic!

We may have been gagging on powder and unable to open our eyes for a while, but we had so much fun...and we definitely looked festive!

We spent the next couple of hours dancing and singing along with the music (which wasn’t difficult to do, because apparently the Hare Krishnas just repeat the same words over and over to different tunes).

Not so sure about this weird food on my plate…

The Holi Festival of Colors was an unforgettable experience and I loved every minute of it! I was genuinely disappointed when the sun started to go down and the freezing temperatures forced us to leave…

…but I received quite a shock when I got home and saw this in the mirror:

Yikes! I hadn’t realized how truly colorful I was! My hair is still kinda pink (even after four shampoos), my eyes are still burning, and my fingernails appear to be stained purple…but it was SO worth it.