Day 21 - Photo Challenge

Post a picture of something you wish you could forget



Something I wish I could forget is that this ridiculous band, 3oh!3, is from Boulder. Not only that, but they're using our area code as their band name. Sigh. How embarrassing. Now everytime I'm out of town and I hear someone say "Yay! 303!" They're not talking about how cool my area code is, they're referencing a bad electronica band and hoping I'll get excited with them for being associated with the band because I'm from Boulder. Sadly I'm not able to easily forget that this band is so bad and that they have ties to Boulder because they seem to be somewhat popular. I'm not against electronic music...only the kind with stupid lyrics and who use the Boulder area code as their name. Why can't we go back to the days of being as cool as the 505 in Albuquerque? Now that's an area code that stands on its own for being awesome. It doesn't have a band trying to steal its thunder. Oh well.

Day 20 - Photo Challenge

Post a picture of somewhere you would like to travel



If you know me at all, you know that I want to go EVERYWHERE! There are so many places I want to go because I don't want to miss out on anything amazing. But for the sake of picking just one on this blog, I chose Ireland because it's first on my list of places to go right now. I'm currently saving up money to go to Europe with this fall and Ireland is the first place I want to go when I get there. It's one of the places I've always wanted to go because it looks so unbelievably gorgeous. Maybe it's how green it all looks in the pictures that makes me dream of being there. Coming from Colorado I don't get much green grass throughout the year, nor do I get much rain so maybe that's part of it. I also love Irish people's silly names and awesome accents. I also like thinking about how there are amazing things to see and do and people to meet there that I can't even imagine from my home in Colorado so I can't wait to get there and discover it all!

Day 19 - Photo Challenge

Post a picture and a letter



This was a confusing one today. Post a picture and a letter? There are many interpretations for what that means. Maybe write a letter to someone? A letter someone has written to me? I decided to post a picture of a letter...the letter I chose is 'S'. Why not?! Ok, so let me tell you about this S. A couple years ago I started taking pictures of things that looked like letters, and putting them together to create framed photos that spelled out names and words. I am not the first one to start doing this, but I like to make mine personalized for the people I make them for. So, this is one of my S's. I found it in a gate entrance to the cemetery off of Baseline near Chautauqua. I find letters all over the place, and once you start looking you'll never be able to stop looking at objects as potential letters. Here's an example of one of my finished products:

Day 18 - Photo Challenge

Post a picture of your biggest insecurity



The fact that I had a hard time deciding what to use for this day's subject led me to inevitably fall on my "indecisiveness" as my biggest insecurity. It's something I've been working on for a long time. I think the problem is having so many options that I'm afraid of making the wrong choice. From what to have for breakfast to what career I want someday. But then again, it's great to have so many choices in my life because it means I'm lucky enough to have options. I've been trying to consciously make decisions, even little ones to improve my decision-making skills and go with my gut and "following my dreams", while also being practical.

Day 17 - Photo Challenge

Post a picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently



It's been a year and a half since I graduated from college with my bachelor's degree. Since then all kinds of things have come up as potential plans for my life. It changes constantly and perhaps the thought of so many possibilities is a little daunting. Graduating from college marked a great accomplishment for me but also a scary threshold to cross. no longer being in school has been strange for me and has certainly impacted my life recently. In fact, I've started to miss college lately and crave that sense of constant learning. I don't miss the homework and tests, but I miss being in class and making intellectual discoveries and finding subjects I am passionate about. My hope is that I can take those moments where I find something I am passionate about and use that to figure out a career, or at least a path, for myself. I know I'll find something great, and in the meantime life isn't so bad either!

Day 16 - Photo Challenge

Post a picture of someone who inspires you



This is me and Jess in NYC last summer. She and I go on some great adventures together. She inspires me to live my life, enjoy it all, be practical but not let go of my dreams, and she always stands behind me (all the way from Maine, where she lives!) in my crazy schemes. She and her husband gave up their garage for a summer so that I could live in it and spend a few months working and playing at the beach. Her generosity and friendship alone inspire me. But more than that, Jess is beautiful, adventurous, responsible, athletic, fun, smart, hilarious, caring, and a million other things. I've known Jess since I was a baby of only a few days old. She has always known what she wants and gone for it. That inspires me.

Thanks for being you, Jess! (LoL!)
<3

Day 15 - Photo Challenge

Post a picture of something you want to do before you die



This is the annual Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling event near Glouchester, England. It's been a tradition for something like 200 years. It is my dream to someday attend, and possibly participate in, this ridiculous event. It's exactly how it looks and sounds...they roll a wheel of cheese down a hill and people chase after it. Whoever catches the cheese, keeps it. How could anything possibly be more awesome than this?! Seriously, guys. In fact, apparently cheese rolling is considered a sport....and a pretty brutal one too! But with the right padding and equipment, costume, and insanity, I think it could be one of the funnest things to do! So, if anyone would like to travel to England with me to do a little bit of cheese-rolling, let me know!

Day 14 - Photo Challenge

Post a picture of someone you cannot live without



This is Mary and Winston. If I had a second set of parents I would choose them, and I'm completely positive that my life is far better because of them. In fact, I think there are hundreds of people who would agree with me. It would be tough to find a more caring, adventurous, loving, fun couple of people anywhere. They created from their own imaginations Sonlight Camp in 1979 and since then there have been hundreds (thousands??) of children and families touched by the incredible love that surrounds their camp. I started out as a camper at Sonlight when I was nine years old, and have returned every year since then. Every time I walk onto the property I am greeted by hugs and "welcome home" from Mary and Winston. This means the world to me. I feel lucky to have their love and support!

Day 13 - Photo Challenge

Post a picture of your favorite band or artist



This mountain man with a beard of epic proportions is Sam Beam, creator and primary musician in Iron & Wine. Besides the awesome beard, I also love his music. If you aren't familiar, I guess it could be described as "folk" or sometimes "folk rock". His music is pretty chill and relaxing, so if you're looking to dance the night away (which I also love to do) maybe don't grab an Iron & Wine album. BUT if you're looking for amazing guitar, vocals, piano and a smattering of other awesome instruments, this is your band! He also has some pretty awesome/confusing/fascinating lyrics. It was tough to decide who was my very favorite band or artist because it changes all the time, but I decided on Iron & Wine because no matter how many times I change what type of music I'm listening to, I'm always in the mood for a little I&W. It never gets old for me, no matter how many times I listen to it.

In case you aren't familiar with Iron & Wine yet (and you should be) here's a link to listen to one of my favorite songs he does, maybe because it has a girl named Jennie in the song :-) it's called Kingdom of the Animals: Iron & Wine - Kingdom of the Animals

Day 12 - Photo Challenge

Post a picture of something you hate



This guy loves money. He even has money glasses. He probably bought them, spent money on something as silly as money glasses! This guy is ridiculous. Something I really hate is money. Not just because I don't have any (although I don't) but because of the way our culture has shaped itself around it and become reliant on it for status, survival, respect, and success. When I was growing up my mom used to say to me "Live simply, so that others may simply live" and as I have gotten older I have come to rely on this saying to remind myself that there are some things I just plain don't need. Look at all the stuff we have in the world. It's insane! So much junk that's completely useless. Why does a family of five need five cars? And why do some people have to take the bus or the subway for hours every day to get to their crappy jobs while some of us have personal drivers to get to our office a few blocks away? If I may, I'll throw out a sociological term conflict theory. Karl Marx decided that it is inevitable that societies have conflict. It's part of what makes it a society. So is it inevitable that some people have way too much and some people don't have enough? Probably. But I still hate it. Sometimes disliking something doesn't need to be based on an ability to change it, but we can at least do our parts to try to be aware of the exponentially growing gap between the rich and poor. Maybe we can go through our closets and garages and basements and storage units full of junk and get rid of a little bit. If this junk is going to exist, why not at least put it to use by someone who would otherwise not have a computer or a coat or pair of shoes??

Day 11 - Photo Challenge

Post a picture of something you love



If you didn't know this already, I love travel and adventures. This picture is from Semester at Sea - which seems to be popping up a lot in this photo challenge - it's a picture of a really great day I spent with friends exploring the sand dunes and beach of Namibia. Travel has become increasingly something I love to do and am quite passionate about. The thrill of setting out somewhere new and exploring is exciting to me, and it makes me feel much more connected with the rest of the world when I can see how other people live and open my mind up to things completely different from what I know.

I have three favorite travel-related quotes that I think everyone should consider:

"For the duration of my travels, I am becoming more of who I am"
-Mary Mann

“Adventure is a path. Real adventure - self-determined, self-motivated, often risky - forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind - and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.” -Mark Jenkins

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -Mark Twain

Day 10 - Photo Challenge

Post a picture of the person you do the most crazy things with

I know, this isn't one person....this is five. But I couldn't pick just one of these guys, we all collectively did some truly amazing and crazy things while we traveled around the world on Semester at Sea. This is Estes, me, Kristene, Bethany, Krista, and Roy on an evening out in Cape Town, South Africa in 2008. If it weren't for these five people Semester at Sea would not have been as amazing an experience as it was. Sure, traveling around the world is awesome, but it's even better when you're doing it with people as cool as these ones pictures above! The craziness was nonstop and always fun. From playing spoons in the hallway of the ship (with spoons we stole from the dining room, of course) to all cramming into a Namibian taxi cab and our driver getting pulled over by the police...we went through it all. We climbed mountains, braved Chinese and Japanese subways, played in the sand dunes of Namibia, danced in a Malaysian club, got stuck in a Vietnamese monsoon, shaved our heads, spent Thanksgiving day on a Hawaiian beach, and so many millions of other things. And we try our best to stay in touch even though we tend to rarely be in the same town, state, or country at the same time. Thank goodness for technology so I can keep these guys in my life! I love each and every one of you guys and thank you for every single adventure!!!

Day 9 - Photo Challenge

Post a picture of the person who has gotten you through the most

Who else could I choose for this one besides my mom? No one else has gotten me through more in my life. Good and bad. She's given me life, neverending support and love, raised me, been a role model and a teacher to me, a friend, financial advisor, counselor, and everything else I need along the way in my life. It hasn't gone unnoticed that I have had support from my mom in everything I do even sometimes when it's scary to her. Because of my mom I've become an independent, compassionate, caring, person and I try my best to follow my dreams and be as good of a person as she is! <3

Day 8 - Photo Challenge

Post a picture of something that makes you laugh

Okay Tanya...today is your day! What always makes me laugh? Your face.

What's there to say about Tanya? She's a crazy girl. I've known her for five-ish years. And of course the best of times spent with her were in the CU Parking garage where we both worked during college. Fun times in the parking garage!! How else can you possibly survive a job that requires a tolerance for boredom? By working with cool people who can make you laugh. Now post-parking garage we're still great buddies, we take photos together with our awesome cameras, and we love Dexter and Six Feet Under and singing 90s sitcom theme songs (you know which one I'm singing in my head right now Tanya) so pretty much....the "thing" that makes me laugh is Tanya. Lufff youuuuu!!!!!

Day 7 - Photo Challenge

Post a picture of your most treasured item

This is my mid-1950s German Rolleicord. It might be worth some money, but obviously that would be a silly reason for it to be my most treasured item. It means a lot to me because it belonged to my Grandpa. He bought it in the '50s and I inherited it several years ago, after his death. I'm still figuring out how to use it and all its little tricks, but it's really fun to play with and it does still work perfectly! It's in great condition. My Grandpa took good care of everything he owned. I can still find the large format film for this camera in a couple places and I love going out to take pictures with it, not only because it makes me feel like a super-cool photographer but I also like using something that my Grandpa used years ago to take really cool pictures and I can only hope to reach his level someday and if nothing else, maybe remember him again every time I take this out and use it.

Day 6 - Photo Challenge

Post A picture of somebody you'd like to trade places with for a day

Zooey Deschanel. Look at those gorgeous blue eyes! I'd love to trade places with her for a day, just to see what it's like. I love her big blue eyes, I love her style, her hair, and her singing! She's got a great voice. If I could sing, I would want to sound like Zooey. I also really like her movie choices.

Day 5 - Photo Challenge

Day 5: Post a picture of your favorite memory





Once again, it's difficult to choose just one memory of all my memories. I have been fortunate enough to have many amazing things and people in my life to create great memories...but where would I be without having had the opportunity to sail around the world for 4 months, visiting eleven countries and sixteen cities? It's the kind of thing that changes your life whether you plan on that or not, and not necessarily in the ways you think it will. It was almost three years ago that I turned around and smiled at my mom as I rode down the escalator in the Denver airport while she tearily took my picture. The memories within the trip make up some of the best in my life, but today for time saving purposes I will lump them all together and say that my trip around the world on the MV Explorer in the fall of 2008 is definitely one of my favorite memories.

Day 4 - Photo Challenge

Day 4: Post a picture of your favorite night

Well this was a tough one. I don't think I could possibly pick a favorite night of all the nights I've had so far in my life. But here's a picture of a particularly fun night spent learning to dance (in full costume of course) with my friend Zach (also known as BPZ by some) we were taught professional Czech ballroom dancing by our friends Zbynek and Dagmar - two real Czechs visiting for the summer. This night sums up what working at camp was like for me. I worked at Sonlight camp for 4 summers and spending our nights dressing up and dancing all over the place, creating lasting friendships with my coworkers was indescribable amounts of fun! Working at camp means hanging out with kids and having the opportunity to act like a kid - even when the kids go home at the end of the week. This photo was taken on our night off, in the summer of 2007, and I hope never to forget it or my friends from that summer. We had great times!

Day 3 - Photo Challenge

Day 3: A picture of the cast of your favorite television show

Okay okay I'm a cheater. I picked two shows. As I posted on day 1, I have a hard time making up my mind...and when I think of my favorite TV show I couldn't help but accept that both M*A*S*H and Friends popped into my mind simultaneously. But really, maybe that makes sense. Strangely, they have a lot in common and they both say something about who I am. Both have the ability to make me laugh and laugh and continue to laugh even after it's over. I cry every time I watch the series finale of either show and I'm not afraid to admit it! These two shows come from very different eras and have different value to me. M*A*S*H has a deeply rooted importance to me for its sense of humor and the significance of its bringing war into sitcom television and taking a critical but lighthearted look at how it affects those in the midst of the fighting and the absurdity of it all. Alan Alda....what can I possibly say about Alan Alda that could sum up how amazing I think he is?! And then there's Friends...which I had to beg my mom to let me watch when I was 12 years old and she thought maybe the show was a little too mature for me. This show never fails to make me laugh, and it's true that there is a Friends episode to reflect every life situation.

I have been watching both of these shows for many years and their abilities to make me laugh, cry, and think are their greatest appeals for me.

But since I wouldn't feel right not giving an honorable mention to a few other TV shows, here are my other top choices:

Boy Meets World

Six Feet Under

Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman

Freaks and Geeks

LOST

Dexter

Day 2 - Photo Challenge

Day 2: Post a picture of you and the person you have been closest to the longest

This is me and Kira circa 2006. Aside from always looking good, we've put our friendship through everything and we've come out still great friends! We met in 6th grade and immediately realized we had tons of fun together. Our birthdays are one day apart so we have celebrated 12 birthdays together! That's half our lives! A couple weekends ago we celebrated turning 24 together surrounded by our ever-changing but always mutual circle of friends. I chose Kira for today's photo, although I have several friends whom I have known equally as long and some longer, because Kira and my friendship has been the most consistent over the 12 years we have known each other. Some friends come and go, some you lose touch with and then reconnect with but Kira and I have always been buddies since the day we met! Not always getting along, but always eventually remembering why we were friends to begin with and sticking together through it all. Our mutual interests have gone from Nsync and liking the same boys in middle school to photography and, I must admit, an occasional nostalgic Nsync song-fest and other good music. Love you Kira!!!

A New Challenge

Sometimes I feel that my day has been unworthy of a blog post. An average, ordinary day might not be interesting to you out there, or sometimes I just get lazy and don't feel like putting my thoughts and experiences into something worth reading. But I came across this '30 day photo challenge' on a friend's blog and thought it might be a good challenge. I want to stick to it and follow through so here I am publishing my intentions on the internet so I might be held accountable! The goal is to post a new picture every day that says something about who I am. Each day is a different photo subject. Here are the 30 subjects:

Day 1: Post a picture of yourself with 10 facts

Day 2: A picture of you and the person you have been closest to the longest

Day 3: A picture of the cast of your favorite television show

Day 4: A picture of your favorite night

Day 5: A picture of your favorite memory

Day 6: A picture of somebody you'd like to trade places with for a day

Day 7: A picture of your most treasured item

Day 8: A picture of something that makes you laugh

Day 9: A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most

Day 10: A picture of the person you do the most crazy things with

Day 11: A picture of something you love

Day 12: A picture of something you hate

Day 13: A picture of your favorite band or artist

Day 14: A picture of someone you cannot live 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 and a letter

Day 20: A picture of somewhere you would like 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

Well...here we go! Let's call this day 1

Day 1: Post a picture of yourself and 10 facts

1. I love the ocean, but I love mountains more

2. I want to play my violin and take photos more so I can get better at both. They're two things I love doing and think I could be really good at if I practiced and stuck with them.

3. Leo DiCaprio has been my favorite actor since I saw him in Titanic in '98

4. The smell and taste of pretzels makes me nauseous

5. But the smell of rain is one of my favorites in the whole world

6. I want to visit as many places as I can in my lifetime. I wish someone would pay me to travel and take photos

7. I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up. But I like that the possibilities are endless!

8. I'm very bad at making up my mind

9. I've been out of college for almost a year and a half and I've started to miss it. I'm hoping to go to grad school in the next couple of years. But if it were possible, I might go to college for my whole life, collecting different degrees

10. I love to read, but I have a very hard time finding a book that holds my interest all the way through.