slowing down.

so as i mentioned in my last post, i went to yosemite with my parents last week. yes, i was just there in july with kara and detoy, but i just cannot get enough of this place. i cannot express the relief that i feel when i am out in nature. i feel like i can breath. i wish i felt like that more often.

this trip to yosemite was much different than my last few trips. first, i went with my parents. this was my first time camping with them in over ten years. crazy, i know. camping with my parents was just such a different pace than when i go camping with other youngsters. my parents take their time. there is never any rush. they enjoy the scenery, the sights and sounds, and make sure that they are simply relaxing. it was actually, quite relaxing. we didn't hike half dome, and it actually was nice to have a little break and enjoy some shorter hikes around the valley.

and also, it was just nice to spend some good quality time with my parents. i know that i am definitely very blessed to have parents that i am close to and that i am welcome to go camping with. spending the weekend with them was filled with a lot of reminiscing, laughing, and simply enjoying being with each other.

we did run into a little bit of rain on the saturday that we were there, but besides that, the weather was absolutely beautiful. yosemite in the fall is definitely going to need to become a tradition, because it was stunning. now i just need to experience yosemite in the winter, it looks and sounds incredible.

my mini vacation recharged me. it reminded me that i am blessed. it reminded me that God is watching over me and has a big plan for my life. it reminded that i have been given so many opportunities, and that i need to embrace all of them, even when they are challenging.

round two.

it has been a long week. but guess what, it's ok, because i'm outta here!
yosemite or bust! that's right, round two at yosemite baby! i randomly had five days off in a row, and my parents were planning a trip this weekend, and so i just went ahead and invited myself [can you blame me? yosemite= my favorite place in the world].

so i am so excited to get away for the weekend, and to spend some time with my parents, it has probably been a good ten years since i have been camping with them. so, peace out los angeles. i'll see ya sunday, i have a much overdue date with the great outdoors.


[source]

confession.

ok. here is a confession for you. one that i honestly never thought i would say. alright. brace yourself. you ready? alright, i have become a country music fanatic. there it is, i said it. it is out in the world.
it all began last summer, when i began working with detoy. he is a country music lover through and through, and so whenever it was his turn to pick the radio station, it was either gocountry105.1 or kfrog95.1, and that's it.
i can actually pinpoint the main song that got me hooked. it was the song of last summer. it was the song that detoy was obsessed with. water by brad paisley [fantastic summer song. this is me highly recommending it].



some of the reasons why i have fallen in love with country music.

1. the songs are about life. none of this "let's go to the club and get sexed up" stuff. no. the songs are about love, mistakes, heartaches, and happiness.

2. gocountry105.1 plays the national anthem every weekday morning at 6am. can you think of a better way to start your drive to work? yeah, neither can i.

3. the music videos bring me to tears. now for those who know me, i'm sure that doesn't come as a big surprise considering i cry during the opening ceremony of the olympics, but they do. and i love that.

4. you can actually sing along to the songs. now yes, i definitely do enjoy my occasional nicki minaj, but i am not ghetto fabulous enough to keep up with her incredibly fast rapping.

5. lady antebellum, brad paisley, taylor swift, miranda lambert, blake shelton...enough said.

and speaking of music videos bringing me to tears, watch this video just a kiss by lady antebellum. it is simply beautiful. this is the type of love that i want.



and on a side note, i have exciting news. I GOT A JOB! i am going to be an official emergency room nurse. but more on that tomorrow. happy weekend everyone! and for all of you here is los angeles with me, i don't think carmageddon is going to be as bad as we thought...

oh, and one more thing. my amazing roommate kara made this video from our recent trip to yosemite! she did such a good job, i just had to share it.

hump day.

the valley of shadows...granite...and bambis...
[a vacation recap]

so, i went on vacation last week to yosemite with kara and detoy, and it was amazing. first of all, yosemite is such a magnificent place, and it was just so fun and special to get to spend 4 days there with my 2 favorite people. the weather was perfect, and all of the waterfalls were just spectacular because they had a late snow melt, which made the views even more beautiful. here is a little recap of our weekend for you...
friday
we left los angeles mid friday morning, and began driving. the drive wasn't actually that bad, and we really didn't hit a lot of traffic. we got to our campsite a little after 7pm [we stayed at a yosemite lakes, which is about 30 miles outside the valley], set up camp, made a bomb dinner of steak and corn on the cob, and enjoyed a campfire before we went to bed.
saturday
we drove up to glacier point, the views are so spectacular from up there. being there are seeing the beauty definitely reminded me of what a great, creative, and awesome God we serve. after glacier point we went down to the valley and did a hike half way up to upper yosemite falls. again, it was pure beauty.
sunday
we woke up early. i mean really early. we woke up at 1245am, and started hiking half dome at about 220am. this was the third time i had hiked it, and it was definitely the best hike yet. the hike at night is just breathtaking. the views of the stars were just spectacular. and the weather at the top was simply perfect. it was such an amazing day, there are just no other words to describe it.
monday
we spent the day simply relaxing in the valley which included a trip to the nature center!, and then we had the long drive home.

overall, spectacular trip. i came feeling rested, refreshed, and reminded of how amazing the God of the universe is.






































happy wednesday everyone!

have i told you...

that i am going on VACATION! with detoy and kara. we are going to yosemite. i am ecstatic! i am at work right now, and i feel like a kid the night before they are going to disneyland, i just want it to be morning already. i can't wait to be amongst the great outdoors, amongst the trees, and fresh air, and waterfalls, and mountains.
and i am pretty pumped about the awesome playlist that i have been putting together this evening, here is a little preview...

Honey Bee
Blake Shelton
Don't You Wanna Stay (with Kelly Clarkson)
Jason Aldean
Mean
Taylor Swift
Just Say Yes
Snow Patrol
American Honey
Lady Antebellum
You Found Me
The Fray

and many more fantastic tracks...

we are going to enjoy nature, hike half dome, and simply relax. i have a feeling it is going to be just want the doctor ordered. and i will leave you with this picture, so you can get a glimpse of what i will be amongst the next 4 days.
have a good weekend everyone!