MT WHITNEY

It's been a week since we set out to climb the great Mt. Whitney and I can tell you, it was amazing. We left very excited to hike and camp and summit and camp and then hike down. But little did we know that the plan would change.

The hike up was so beautiful. Let me tell you, it was not easy. It started out ok and we were pushin along at a great pace. The woods were beautiful and the whether was hot.

It was interesting to see how the altitude effects a hiker. As we hiked higher and higher it began to get very hard to get a deep breath. It was amazing how short of breath you could get. Once we got above the tree line it was amazing. It went from trees to no trees. And seemed to get very steep all at once. It definitely slowed us down a little bit but we continued to press on and eventually made it to camp.

I cannot believe how beautiful it was, I mean every time we stopped the view was amazing.

And I found it funny because I knew the hike up got hard and steep but this really hit me. I could not believe the crazy steps down and realize how steep the hike up was. I definitely got a lot more proud of us!

So, I've made it through all the soreness afterward and have somewhat recovered. But I know if I ever had the chance to do this again I would!

SLEEP IS A LOVELY THING

I just cannot fall asleep tonight. I have so much on my mind. This weekend was amazing, I had the opportunity to climb Mt. Whitney and it was a blast... From the beautiful scenery to super windy conditions, and then down to see it all again! But let me tell you the day after is a little painful. I did have the chance to talk to some friends back home today which was wonderful, I am beginning to miss them so much. I did end up getting this baby-sitting job, it's a week long gig. I think it will be fun. I will be meeting them tomorrow so I am getting a little anxious, and a little nervous. I know things will go well, but with new families I'm always thinking 'hi, you don't know me, but you trust me!?!' I know there is nothing to worry about, I've done this so many times, I am so excited for this! Anyway, there should be plenty more to come, but for now, I am hoping to sleep.

SO, BABYSITTING...

A job opportunity has come up for me to Babysit for a week... I don't know the family, they have been talking with one of my friends out here. She says it is sounding good and in my favor, I hope they call me.
And now I've got a whole day ahead of me.

Time here has begun to fly by

It feels like it's been a little while since I've last published anything. I'm not sure if it's because my sister hogs her own computer, which seems to be completely fair. It could also be because there hasn't been much going on in my life, which isn't much to complain about because I feel like the life I designed was so packed with things to do and commitments that I never had a chance to say I didn't have anything to update anyone on.
As for you who know Rhianon, and check out her blog, I'm sure already know that I had the chance to get my scissors into her hair this past week! I've never cut her hair and have definitely never cut off 13 inches of anyone's hair before. It was a nerve racking and very exciting experience. I don't think many hair stylist's would argue for someone to keep their hair longer than they want it. I was defiantly worried about weather she would like it or not, and what she would look like with short hair because I've never seen her with hair this short... (in my 19 years of knowing her).

I feel that this week I have been keeping more busy. It has been fun to hang out with her, we've never been closer in age or interest or whatever you would like to call it. I have more friends her age, and she is not taller than me anymore. So we have been experiencing life without the huge age barrier, without her being the baby-sitter, and without me being the interrogator... Well, I still do that at times! Anyway, we have had a great time together.
On thing I have done, I have quit procrastinating and begun to contact some people about my resume and references that I need for job applications. So if any of my previous bosses stumble across this feel free to be my reference. Just kidding, I haven't really worked in my lifetime, that's a joke too, I just don't think my bosses would get online much.
I have noticed that because I am going on 4 weeks of being uneducated and unemployed I am beginning to feel a lazy. However I have been thinking about how society tells us we need to be working toward success and can't waste any time. I have felt so much pressure to get a job and at least make money if I don't want to work, because ultimately I don't want to work. I feel the need to allow, or at some times force, myself to know what it feels like to slow down and get to know myself. I have had more time to get to know myself lately than I have in a 4 week period of my life
ever
before.

This has some of the most amazing and beautiful colors in it. There are some things that just amaze me and show me how beautiful the face of god is. It's a picture taken in Thailand and made it's way to my photo album.

Yuckie

I will be getting rid of this gaging photo as soon as i get a chance to... but for now i am off to bed.

Velvet Elvis

There was a moment yesterday when I stopped and asked myself a few questions and pondered on ones that had been popping into my head the past month or so. They didn't make me gag like this...But the answers should have.
Why do you need to get a job so soon?
Because "super Rachel" needs to
Why do you need to be sure he's Mr Perfect?
Because it's what "super Rachel" needs
Why do you do this or that or avoid this or that?
Because if I screw up "super Rachel" is no longer "super"
Why did you go to school?
Because it's expected by society and otherwise you I'm not "super Rachel"
The funny thing is that I felt all this pressure, but never realized where it came from. I am reading a great book called Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell, most of you have probably heard of it. And several I know have read it.
So I'm really slow with reading because it's simply not my favorite thing to do, but I was sitting by the pool yesterday thinking "I'm not being productive, again, today." So, I check out this chapter in my book and see if there is anything interesting and I came across the most amazing applicable chapters In an entire lifetime (well maybe not a lifetime but you get my point). And what I got out of it was the questions above. My answers to all of these were the same and I began to realize that I need to continue too do things because I love them. I need to draw, camp, play, enjoy my friends and be the real Rachel that is not weighed down by the supposedly meanigful things. I can't let go of the Rachel that likes to sing in church and play her drums, the one that is driven by what she likes to do, not what society places as important. Otherwise I'll en up unhappy or worse lost. So, I'll get a job when I want to, I'll not be afraid of what people see me as and be my normal broken self because I like me better that way.

It has been so great to relax and know that I don't have to get in the car for a 2 hour drive at 7am and another at 4:30 every day. I am enjoying that aspect of my life just as expected. On the other hand I keep pretty busy. Rhianon has had so much to do, to prepare for some big tests she will be taking this weekend and there are little things I can always get my hands on to help her out.
I didn't venture out into the wild (Oceanside) until around 3ish today. Rhianon and I are team teaching an elementary art class on Wednesdays and until I have other arrangements I will probably help her out with her other ones to keep myself sane.
And after we did that I checked out one of the Aveda salons in the area. It's so cute!! I have a few things to get squared away with my resume but I plan to get the horrible task of job hunting taken care of very son. If people would just come up to me and offer me a job, the world would be a much better place...trust me. I probubly don't hate anything more than approaching strangers with the whole you wanna hire me (?) eyes and the you need me attitude.
Well Rhianon is saying something to me but i can't hear her over this fan and it is making me very cold so I really need to take care of that.

It was so much fun to hang out with Rhianon and Heath before he left for Kuwait. Chase went back home this morning and now Rhianon and i are the only ones here. We all had a great time together, it was fun to try new types of sushi and hang out like the kids that we all are.

Heath is so good at surfing!! We went out to the beach a few different days and Heath taught me how to get up on a wave before he left. so now it's up to Rhianon and I whether we practice or not while he is gone. Oh, and this is heath riding a "small" wave!!

So, Rhianon and i are spending our first day together without the guys. She's got a lot of sudying to do and i need to get a job. So Things are starting to get into a routine. This picture is from last christmas, but i thought it fit well with what i wanted to say, and we both look the same now as we did then.
tada, i can do pictures now!

Maybee one day i'll figure out how to put pictures on this thing and make it look good...but right now i'm a little frustrated with how illiterate i feel. Well, today is my first day a off of vacation i guess you could say. I'm starting to track down my references so i ca finish my resume. This morning Rhianon, Chase and I got up at 4:30 and we went to the airport. And because i rode with them, on the way back home i got to experience a carpool lane for the first time. It's a pretty mind boggling thing for a first timer. For those of you who don't know, it's a lane only for people with 2 or more people in the car and it's pretty much a fast lane even when traffic is heavy.
And as most of you know Heath is off to Kuwait, but before he left we had time to hang out. Heath taught me to surf and we went out for sushi as our last meal! It was really good, but sometimes there are some that i just cannot handle. I also had a chance to get to know Rhianon and Heath's sweet friends! So we've kept very busy and that's a wrap.

My first Blog log

Well, i haven't ever had a blog before and have rarely read them. But In my time spent away from home and around all sorts of people in california who blog. I have begun to think that it was a god idea to blog. Or maybee just something fun to pass time. If nothing more, i know my mom would read it. So, hopefully this works, and with time it should evolve into something neat.