The Focus is YOU

My mother used to tell me over, and over again - "stop thinking about yourself Lauren - the world does NOT revolve around you." Although, my mother was in fact right about a lot of things growing up - turns out, this time, she was not!

Sorry Mom, but how can I expect to help others if I first don't help myself. Simple concept, right? I wrote this latest blog entry titled, "Focus on YOU" for GenJuice last week, and to read more - just click here :)

It really is all about empowering YOURSELF to be smarter, faster, more innovative, more creative and insert other powerful adjective here. You are the one that has to take charge. You are the decision maker. You have to help yourself, inspire yourself, and create a better version of yourself that can then go on to help others.

In a world where perfection is so often defined in the eyes of everyone else but you - don't be afraid to take back control, think about YOU, it's your life, after all. The time is now - don’t wait for 2011 to start your new years resolutions - whatever they may be. Be strong TODAY so we can hope for a better, brighter future tomorrow. And, I ask again - how can you change the world, if you can’t first change yourself?

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/starrhinight/2160466420/in/photostream/

Eyes on the Prize

It's days like today (and yesterday), that I am envious of the damn remote in the movie "Click" - or whatever the name of that flick with Adam Sandler in which he has the magic remote where he is able to fast-forward through time, pause other moments and rewind back to some. Wouldn't that be great if such a device actually existed? You could fast-forward through arguments, bad days at work - and pause moments to take a breath before you say something you regret in the heat of the moment.

But then I realized - that these bad moments, days, weeks, points in your life - they do serve some sort of purpose. Other than pissing you off, they build your character! They teach you how to get through the tough times so you can enjoy the good times. They push you to challenge yourself to do things that you never thought you could do before. Being able to overcome difficult situations is something that should be valued and experienced. Turning 'failures' into opportunities and turning bad days into learning experiences - it's all part of this thing we call life, right?

I try to heed my own advice, but some days, it's just really hard not to take things personally. So today, I am trying to look beyond the complete insanity that will be the next few weeks, the fights and the bad days of last week - and keep me eyes on the prize!! The prize being that in less than three weeks, I get to see some awesome family. And then take a trip-of-a-lifetime to India to see some of my very best friends from Thunderbird!!

In the meantime, my Dad used to tell me the same thing EVERY semester all the way from middle school through graduate school. I used to get annoyed, because over the years, it became more of a joke than anything - but this time it rings true! He used to say, "what do Moye-girls do when everyone else is slacking off and not studying for finals... BEAR-DOWN"!! Hahaha. So, these next few weeks, my nose will be to the grindstone, and working my ass off so that I can truly enjoy my "prize" in the news few weeks!! Can't wait!!!

Generation Whine? I believe you mean Generation SHINE!!

I wrote an article for GenJuice - a destination for emerging influencers, a few weeks ago. The post was in response to a very disturbing article in TechCrunch a few weeks ago, titled “Generation Whine – Why I’m relieved not to be a millennial.” The story (and I call it a story) because there were limited hard facts or statistics to support writer Paul Carr’s claims, portrayed all millennials to be wanton derelicts responsible for the decay of modern-day society. 

As a millennial, or Gen-Y'er myself, I was appalled by this article that wrongly categorized an entire generation of people into a bucket of assumptions - and ridiculous ones at that. Millennials are a generation of breaking down old ways, paving the way for new, better ones. We are a generation of getting things done. For having the drive, ambition and courage to push innovation and challenge the norm. And, our voices are valued, and heard. We are simply not just the loudest – but we have some great things to say – Mr. Carr and the like should listen once in a while instead of screaming over us.

My advice to Mr. Carr was simply this – why don’t you go ahead and move out-of-the-way, because we’ll run you right over!

For the full post, please head over to GenJuice

 
(Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinksherbet/3931842843//)

Northface Scarlet Letters in Portland: SD

I've written a wrap up report complete with photos and highlight for every city I have visited/lived in for the past 4 years, and I neglected to write one for Portland! It's not that I hated the city, it was just I was consumed with stuff like - moving, and starting a new job exactly 2 days after I quit my old one that kept me from writing my ode to Portland.

Oh Portland! I will definitely miss the city. I have yet to come across a city with so much to offer outdoor enthusiasts as Portland does. From caving to mountaineering, from surfing to snow boarding, from kayaking to snow shoeing, from hiking to climbing.. and just about every race you can think of! From naked bike rides to beer pub crawls 5Ks, to marathons to wilderness challenges. Anything you can dream up, I am pretty sure it exists in Portland! Also, one other thing I can say about the city - is people aren't afraid to be who they are, to not succumb to outside peer pressures and standards of what is socially acceptable. If they want to wear a pink, fleece bunny suit - so be it, for better or for worse. 

But, as much as I loved the outdoorsy activities that Portland offered, I just couldn't get passed the rain. I'm sorry - I know it's the modern-day equivalent of sporting a scarlet letter shamefully emblazoned on your Northface fleece - but I am from San Diego people! Enough said :) Hehe. No, really. Portland is a wonderful little city, full of charm and adventure - but it just wasn't for me. 

So, enough writing, here's a video I put together of my time in the great Northwest. Turn up the volume and enjoy! Until then, Peace out Portland. It's been real! (and in case the video doesn't work - click here to view on FB). 

A New Direction

During grad school at Thunderbird, friends and family would frequently ask what I wanted to do once I completed my degree. My standard response: I have NO idea, I'll go anywhere and do anything - just as long as it's not in Phoenix! I couldn't articulate the reasons why I hated Phoenix - I just did, and that was that. So when I was offered a marketing position with Xerox in Portland, OR - I jumped at the opportunity. Readers of my blog in the past years knew how much I loved the Oregon summers - I think I was mistaken for a city ambassador and could have been a regular contributor to a Portland hiking site with all the outdoorsy adventures I happily embarked on! But for some reason, moving there permanently was different. It was not what I expected. It was not what I wanted - the job, and the city. Don't get me wrong, Portland is one of the most naturally beautiful cities I have ever seen (in the summer when the sun is shining). The sweeping views of Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens towering over the city can make a nature-lover out of even the most skeptic concrete-jungle loving urbanites!

But something was missing... I was unsettled. Perhaps it was the inner Tbird spirit in me, longing to set sail on my next global adventure. Perhaps it was the 10 months of constant gray, gloom or "mist" that blanketed the city. Perhaps it was lack of structure and career development at my job. Perhaps it was a difficult breakup with the one guy I thought I was meant to be with. Or maybe a combination of all of the above? I don't know - but when the opportunity to come back to Phoenix to work for an exciting start-up in Scottsdale presented itself, I jumped on it! Not to mention to work again for one of the greatest people I have ever had the pleasure of working with!

How ironic is it - that the one place I didn't want to be - is the one place I wound up. It's not so bad after all. Some good friends are still here, the skies are CLEAR, and my job actually has a positive impact and works to change peoples' lives!! Can't ask for much more than that. I still am not sure what I want to do - but then again, do you ever really know?! Isn't there a famous quotes that says "often one meets his destiny on the path he takes to avoid it."

 Like I said, I'm pretty sure this is not my "destiny" - but I know this is a step in the right direction. It's a step forward to try something new, to break out of my comfort zone and try something different (job wise that is). The move back to Phoenix is familiar, but the circumstances and everything else surrounding my move is completely new. After all, you can never really discover your strengths or what you are capable of doing, if you don't have the balls to try something new. (i think i'll coin that one) !!

So, two months into my move - Cheers to Phoenix!

West Coast Moving and Storage SUCKS!

Ok, so let me say upfront that the following post is meant to serve as a "buyer beware" for any perspective client looking to move on the west coast and thinking about hiring West Coast Moving and Storage company.

Living in Portland, OR I needed to hire a moving company to move my one bedroom apartment from Oregon down to Phoenix, AZ. Well I researched a lot of companies and found the West Coast Moving and Storage came in right around the middle of estimates. Plus, they seemed very nice, and since they were a family-owned company, I thought perhaps their service would be better than a larger, corporate-crippled company. Boy, was I WRONG!!!

So first of all, the company quoted me about $1300 to move my stuff. Hah!!! Well, when the movers FINALLY showed up on my move-out date - first they were supposed to call me 24 hours in advance to confirm - they did not. Then when the finally called, they said they'd be there in about an hour. Well, 4 hours later, they finally showed up... AND, one of the movers spent about 15 minutes in my bathroom - god knows what he was doing. Well, I had everything all packed and organized neatly so it didn't take them very long to load my stuff. But, not before tacking on more than 300$ of extra fees! Let's see - first there was $150 for shrinkwrapping my couch and dresser, and a mattress cover for my bed, then there was another $75 for my flight of stairs (mind you, they advertise the first flight is free - HAH! (in the small print one flight is only 8 stairs)). And another $75 for having to allegedly carry my stuff more than 75 feet.

So then, the crooks, I mean West Coast Movers - said that my stuff could theoretically arrive in 2 days to Phoenix. Well... over THREE WEEKS LATER - my stuff finally did arrive. After being over their "10-business day" guarantee - they consented to giving me a 10% discount. Wow, how thoughtful of them! After sleeping on an air mattress and not having any of my stuff for three weeks, that was the least they could do!

So, all of this isn't even the worst part... read on prospective clients ...

Steve or Eric from West Coast said that the driver would call me 24 hours in advance to let me know an estimated drop-off time. Well, Friday morning the company calls me saying the driver is in Phoenix and will be there shortly. Yeah, nice - right. Well, I had to drop EVERYTHING i was doing at work, miss meetings, cancel others, run to the bank to pick up a cashiers check - because oh yeah, did I mention - they charge 4% on top of the final bill for using a credit or debit cards. So I get home to find the mover waiting for me. Only it's NOT West Coast Moving & Storage it is United Van Lines! The driver of United says he was contracted from West Coast as just a driver, and West Coast was supposed to send their own actual manual labor movers to actually unload and move my stuff. WELL, we waited, and they never showed, and finally called and said they are not coming because they don't want to go up the extra flight of stairs!!! But that I can pay extra to have United driver pay for hourly manual labor to help me move. Plus, that I should be charged an extra $650 to rent a shuttle to transfer my stuff from the larger freight truck into the smaller truck that can better navigate the streets of an apartment complex.

At this point, I am fuming. I told the driver I am absolutely NOT paying for manual labor, or the shuttle, and he is just going to have to figure out a way to get the truck into my apartment. I help him ease the truck in... and then I then wind up having to help the driver (who is not even a mover) move my OWN stuff (that I paid to have someone else move for me) into my apartment. The heavy stuff, like the couch, the dresser, and the bed, some random nice guy who happened to be touring the apartment complex as a prospective resident offered to help! Thank god, or else my couch and heavier furniture would probably still be outside somewhere! He was also threatening to charge me based on West Coast Moving instructions an extra $150 for long length carrying fees and an extra flight of stairs. To which I responded that I was paying NONE of the extra charges.

So, are you appalled yet? Well - it gets better. So after I spent a couple hours moving my own stuff that I paid for West Coast Movers to move for me, I was livid, and decided to call the company and let them know about what a horrible experience I had.

I called Eric or Steve - I always get them mixed up, and let him know exactly what had happened. His exact response was "it could have been worse." REALLY?!! Are you kidding me?! Is that they way they do business? Yes our moving company sucks, but you know what paying customer, it could have been worse. They should put that quote up on their website. Way to go guys - you really know how to market yourselves. Then he was like, "well, let me get this straight, because quite frankly, I don't understand why you are so upset - your stuff did arrive, and you are angry because you had to move some of your own boxes?" I was fuming, again - and was like no, that is not why I'm upset - I'm upset because I paid for someone else to do this for me, and that is NOT what I got. I had to move everything myself with the help of random good sumaritans who helped out!! He's like - it's your stuff, I'm not grasping the gravity to which you are upset! HAHAHA. These guys are great... aren't they?! Well, if I wanted to move my own stuff, I wouldn't have hired West Coast Moving & Storage to do it for me, now would I?!

So, thankfully, I wound up only having to pay around $1200 for the moving fiasco, as opposed to their original 1300 + + + which would have amounted to nearly three grand in hidden fees and extra charges they conveniently fail to mention in their initial estimate.

So, bottom line is this...beware of this company. It is poorly owned and managed, and customers will get crappy treatment, and will be lucky to get their stuff in a timly manner. Oh, and did I mention, most of my BRAND NEW BOXES look like they've been to hell in back. Oh, and be prepared to move your own stuff. Yeah, that was special.

DON'T EVER USE WEST COAST MOVING and STORAGE. Hope my terrible experience with them can serve as a warning to others.

Dear Portland: STOP RAINING: Thanks!

My dearest Portland,

One year ago today, a Southern California transplant living in Phoenix left her 360-days a year sunshine to come to one of the rainiest places in the U.S. That’s right, I left the balmy Southern California sunshine and the heat of the Phoenix desert for you, and your lush, green forests that are the stuff of fairytales. I left everything I knew behind, 1000 miles down south for something new and bold in the great northwest. I left my past, for my exciting new future with you.

Beginning my decent into PDX, I remember looking out the cabin windows, to one of the most beautiful sites I have ever seen. To the left triumphantly stood Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson, and a few other volcanoes jutting out of the green backdrop lined against the bluest of blue skies. And, determined not be outdone by the sites to the left; to the right stood Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier, majestically towering over the state of Washington. I couldn’t believe the beauty of the town I could now call home.

The next few days here, I toured your downtown, welcomed by fireworks kicking off the 2009 Rose Festival. You were so beautiful Portland. Eclectic tall buildings flanked by smaller, fun shops characterized the downtown with a certain fun, flare that most cities could only aspire to have. In between the buildings, live music could be heard emanating from every direction. Jazz, blues, alternative, country, trance, Bollywood… every type of music assaulted my ears as I walked your streets, and you know what – it rocked!

Oh man – and the people, oh the people in your city are great! So nice, so warm, so welcoming – and talk about flare! Wow! Mohawks, tattoos, costumes walk side-by-side with Chanel, Prada and chic professional people. A businessman waiting to catch the tram (the max), reading the latest issue of the Financial Times never even gave the heard of people dressed as sheep a second look as they too waited for the same tram, “bahhing” and possibly even grazing on some grass ;)

Oh Portland, and there is NEVER a shortage of things to do downtown. From just plain people watching, to the Rose garden, Japanese Garden, Chinese Garden, Waterfront Park, Forest Park and many, many cool, funky eateries, bars, clubs and shops to keep your often incredulous tourists and residents entertained for days! I mean seriously Portland, for a small city, you have a lot to do. I won’t get into the west or east side rivalry, as I know it’s a sore subject for you, but I will say that the east side with its funky yet charming places never fail to entertain me, while the west side is much more Portland-chic catering to the finer tastes of your fans.

Venturing away from your downtown heart, we drove just 45 minutes east and were greeted by the magnificent Columbia River Gorge! Sweeping views of this spectacular place can astound even the most skeptic tourists. Waterfalls line the roads every few minutes, and climbable peaks offer even the most avid hikers a challenge! My god I love that about you, Portland. You offer the adventurous spirits something to indulge their bold souls. There is no shortage of hikes in and around your city. Everything from coastal hikes with breathtaking views of the rugged Pacific coastline, to actual mountaineering, to less intense, but equally beautiful hikes along the Columbia River Gorge.

Your sunshine and beauty during the summer rivals even that of more-popular destination cities. But that’s OK… you are a well kept secret, shielded from the outside influence of other places in an effort to maintain your charm and funk that make you unique. Oh Portland, what you lack in size, you make up for in character! You are truly unique with some shades of weird thrown in to add some vibrancy!

However, my dearest Portland, don’t you think it’s time to trade in your gray, dreary, dull skies and constant drizzle for something a little more uplifting, blue and oh, I don’t know, bright?!! It’s time to let the sun shine down and illuminate the beauty of the city for all to see. I mean, it is almost June for god’s sake! Why are you clenching on to the bowels of winter weather for so long? Don’t you think we’ve had enough water for the year? Don’t you think it’s time to let your residents give their fleece jackets and raincoats a break? I know you don’t like your residents to carry an umbrella, a custom that I must admit, I don’t understand – but I know that my Northface jackets are ready for a break, what’s say? And, I know you don’t like to be a follower, but rather a trailblazer (no pun intended), but with the rest of the US approaching summer, don’t you think you should follow suit, just this once?

I’ve loved you from the moment I called this place home. You see, I am also an adventurous spirit, and your exciting outdoor life is of great interest to me. But this rain is dampening my spirit, it’s downright depressing. I must admit, during this impossibly long winter, I have caught back up on a lot of reading, movies and shopping, but enough is ENOUGH!! I am ready to be back outside amidst your incredible lands. In closing, my city, my Portland – please, for the love of god, STOP RAINING!!!!!!!! You are making even your most doting fans question their love for you. Seriously.

Yours (maybe),

Lauren

Dog Mountain: What'a B*tch

Dog Mountain - yep, she's a bitch! Well, not quite, but the first clue the trail is going to be a little tougher than your average hike is the trailer marker which offers hikers the choice of going left or right at the first fork labeling it "more difficult" or "less difficult" !! Haha. AWESOME. Bring it on!!!

Dog is on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge, and is definitely a leg and lung buster. The trail is about 7.2 miles round trip, and climbs to about 3,000 feet. The first half mile you gain over 700 feet in elevation, so the trail doesn't waste any time in getting hikers' heart rates also climbing ;)

The "harder" trail option takes hikers through the forest directly up the mountain - quite literally a straight shot. But, the "less" difficult trail option winds around the side with a few switch backs the offer hikers sweeping views of the Columbia River Gorge! Absolutely gorgeous. Although we hiked in the trail in July - in May, there are beautiful wildflowers in full bloom that line the sides of the trail, which is sight to behold, or so I'm told!

Anyway, the top of the trail you can see Mt. Defiance - which is the tallest peak in the gorge at 5,000 feet, and touted as Oregon's toughest hike - due to it's rocky and step terrain. Also, you can see the tip of Mt. Hood on a clear day :) Also, apparently you can see Mt. St. Helens from the summit, but due to the cloudy conditions we were unable to see her. Oh well, we saw St. Helens up close and personal just a few months after this hike :) The winds were so strong, and it looked like a storm was brewing, so we didn't spend much time at the top - just enough for a quick breather and photo opp!

All-in-all, Dog Mountain was a great conditioning hike, and offers trail goers some amazingly beautiful views of the gorge. Parking can be a bit tricky, so if you hike this trail during a popular time, be sure to arrive early. Also, there are warnings of poison oak and rattlesnakes along the trail! Yikes! Luckily we didn't come across either of them! Although we did see a wild turkey!!

Another absolutely gorgeous hike in the gorge!

26.2 Baby!!!

So, I am backtracking here, listing my adventures from last year - and next up, the Portland Marathon!

This was sort of a spur-of-the-moment decision to sign up, as I had not properly trained for the race nor did I have significant time to train from the moment I registered to the day of the race. But, with two months to go, I built up from running 3-4 miles, to running 16! Still a far cry from the 26.2 miles I had to run on race day, but good enough. I normally don't advise running a marathon without proper training beforehand, but this was my second full marathon, and after all the hikes, trail runs, and intense gym sessions, I figured I had the endurance and most importantly the heart to take me those extra 10.2 miles to the finish line :)

So, the saturday before raceday, I picked up my bib number and was pumped and ready to race!! Since I had not really trained, I thought my goal for this race should be just to finish!! My last marathon I posted a time of 4:35 minutes... knowing full well there was no way I could come close to that time this go'around, I just aimed to cross the finish line strong! Maybe my third marathon I'll shoot for a sub-four hour time, but that will take a hell of a lot more training!! But I know I can do that, my last half marathon times were well below the 2-hour marks, and if I've got one thing on my side, it's endurance! I've never been fast or a sprinter, but I've always been strong and consistent! Negative splits and finishing strong when everyone else is slowing has always been my specialty!

Anyway, back to race day! The Portland marathon is truly an amazing course! There were bands of all different types practically every 1/2mile, mile or so! From Korean drums, to reggae covers bands, to marching bands to cheerleaders and AWESOME support from spectators, there was no shortage of motivation to keep a smile on your face while running 26.2 miles. The course was fabulous too! Winding all over downtown, I think I've seen about enough! haha. J/k of course - but I would like to say what a fabulous job race organizers did for executing such a well-done logistical feet (no pun intended). The volunteers at the water stations, to the course itself was very well planned!! Nicely done!!!

Around mile 18... this happened!!! Yikes!!!! But, i figured, the longer I was out on the course, the longer it would hurt!! So, I carried on, pushing through the pain!!

And then... the finish line!!!!! It's an emotional moment completing such a grueling race. I know a lot of folks don't quite understand why you'd put yourself through such a thing, but seeing the finish line after running for 26 miles is one of the most amazing feelings EVER!!!!! I almost broke down! A few tears of happiness streamed down my face, and I held it together enough to sprint those last 0.2 miles to the end!!!!!! Finishing over 5hours, is not the best time... but not too shabby for not really training either :)

After crossing the finish line, I was awarded my finishers medal, Portland marathon jersey, and a rose!! I walked through "finishers row" where I was treated to massages and good food!!! Yum!!!!! And then, it was time to walk back to the car! Well, my car was just 5 blocks up from the finish line, but since race organizers had the streets blocked off, I couldn't cut through! The gate-guards wouldn't let me pass! Tired and sore, I asked one "rent-a-cop" if I could just cut through a gap in the fence since my car was just up the road. He rather curtly said NO! And said I had to walk down 8 more blocks... Well, 8 down, and 8 back is 16!!!!! Not so bad normally, but after just having run for over 5 hours, this did not sound appealing! So I pleaded with him to let me through, and he was like "well, you just ran a marathon, I would venture to guess you could walk an extra couple miles." THAT BASTARD! Tears streaming down my face, I walked down another block, and luckily, that cop let me cut through the gates!!! Bless him!!!! I limped back up to my car where the prospect of sitting down for my drive home sounded oh-so-pleasant!!!

That night, I nursed my blisters, stretched my legs, and got a workout plan for the next week from my step mom who is a physical therapist to speed up my recovery, since just 6 days later, I was to climb the 8,400 volcano - Mt. St. Helens!! Nothing like a one-two punch of a marathon and a mountain climb!!!!! Anyway, bottom line - Portland marathon was a great experience!!! The volunteers made the race!! I would absolutely run this race again, and would recommend this to any runner interested in a marathon! Just watch out for the nice "hill" leading up to the Broadway bridge around mile 16! Damn that burned! But felt oh-so-good ;)

The Volcano - Mt. St. Helens!!!

When I moved to Portland last summer, I was still riding high from my absolutely magnificent experience the summer previous. I mean honestly, reading through my previous blog entries, one would have thought I was secretly working for the Portland tourism board trying to get people come see this beautiful city of roses. My intent was to blog about the hiking adventures so everyone could see the beauty of this place! Every week took me somewhere new, seemingly even more beautiful than the next place. However, I just got so busy with life that I neglected my blog… and before I realized it, the sunny, blue-skies Portland that I knew and loved turned into a rainy, gloomy, gray mess! So now, in an effort to gear up for this summer’s hiking season, and get through these last few weeks of rain, I am going to update my blog with my hiking adventures from last year…

In October I was wrapping up my hiking season. What better way to end of the season with a real challenge... and that challenge was Mt. St. Helens! At just under 8,400 feet, Mt. St. Helens is an active volcano located in the state of Washington. So, having secured our climbing permit a month prior, my friends and I took a big gamble that the weather would be clear for us! So, at 4:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, my friends and I set off from Portland and drove to Cougar, Washington where we could see the volcano looming in the background! It was a blustery 30 degrees at the base of the mountain that morning, and we geared up, and set off!

The first part of the hike through the trees and forest was pretty easy. Not much of an elevation gain, but with sweet views of the sunrise over the Oregon and Washington valleys below.

And then, the fun part was over, and the climb began. Just above the timberline, lies a long, arduous and steep boulder field. The rocks are sharp and jagged, some small, some HUGE. If you don’t like to scramble, then this part of the hike is NOT fun. We were following the “monitor ridge” trail which is named for the GPS monitoring station halfway up through the boulders. Every step required concentration, as you didn’t want to lose your footing, twist your ankle, or cause a rockslide down the mountain! The wind was kicking up quit a bit during this portion of our hike, but we pressed on. There is no trail to follow… instead there are wooden markers just close enough where the next one is in your line-of-sight, in order to stay on track.

Finally, the end of the boulder field was near, and the last part of the climb remained!

This part, arguably the most difficult was the shortest in length, just a quick climb and you are at the summit! However, adding a an element of difficulty, we had just scrambled over seemingly endless boulder field, and now, what lay in front of us, was a steep climb up ash!!!!! It was like climbing a sand dune… take a step forward, slide back half a step. Here’s where your gators come in very handy! To keep all the crap out of your hiking boots, especially going back down! So, with legs and lungs burning, I pressed on. Every step hurt more than the previous. I was thinking of one thing, and one thing only… the summit.

And then, it was there. The summit. It was majestic. Mere words simply cannot describe the beauty of the mountain. It was so quiet on top as well. You could almost hear the mountain breathe. It was alive, and we were so lucky that she let us summit that day, because the views from the top were spectacular!!!!!!!!!! Panoramic views of Mt. Adams, Mt. Hood, Mt. Rainier and Spirit Lake! And, not to mention the crater itself! Looking down into an active volcano’s crater that was now visible due to the May 1980 eruption thirty years ago was totally surreal! Steam and smoke seeping through gaping cracks and holes, snow and ice mixed with the vibrant color reds and browns of the mountain itself. Simply breathtaking.

After a few pictures at the top, it was time to begin the difficult trek back down the mountain… which for me, is definitely the worst part! My friend Alex and I, in our haste to get back down, actually got off track at one point and had to climb across a rock field on the side of the mountain to get back on track. That was an interesting experience! Let’s just say I will NEVER do that again, even my adventurous spirit has its limits! After the long and difficult decent down the boulders, we finally hit timberline, where we had just a short 2 miles to hike back to the car through the forest. Now, having run the Portland marathon just 6 days prior, my legs were pretty much mush at this point!!!! Thank god for my trekking poles that carried me through those last couple miles! As I was able to take some pressure off my legs and use my arm strength to help out ;)

We finally reached my car, 9 hours later! What an intense experience! I glanced back over my shoulder, and could see the tip of what we had just climbed! We seemed so small and insignificant… and just as we got down, darkness begin to close in, winds begin to kick up again, and I realized that the mountain truly is in charge. She makes her own weather, and she decided who can climb, and who cannot. On the mountain, there is no room for arrogance, for nature will truly be the victor. I also realized it’s probably not the best idea to run 26.2 miles (Portland Marathon) 6 days before climbing an active volcano!! CRAZY! Yes, I know. Even though my legs were so sore, and I could barely walk for the next few days, I will never forget it - climbing Mt. St. Helens was a truly rewarding experience.

Change!

It's official, call the blogger protective services - I have neglected this blog! I originally started the blog as a way for my friends and family to keep track of me during the course of my studies at Thunderbird. But then it evolved into so much more... something more like an intimate rambling of my experiences both on- and off-campus. A detailed account of my comical, yet always amazing adventures around the world. But now, that chapter has come to a close, and a new one opened. One where I had to leave behind the often care-free student world to embrace one with financial and REAL responsibilities. I will never forget my time at Thunderbird, the memories will always be a part of who I am, and who I will be. The campus, the life, the people I met, the experiences I had - they shaped me. I think differently than most of my colleagues and non-Tbird friends. I guess the inner Thunderbird in me will never fade. It’s like a flame that still burns bright and lights new experiences in a way that most people don’t see. This flame also burns bright a desire to travel, learn and understand new cultures and places that other folks wouldn’t care to fathom. It's amazing to look back at my life three years ago when I sat in an empty apartment, having donated every single piece of furniture I owned, quit my job, and was so eager to embark upon this grad school adventure that so many alumni and professors told me would change my life. And you know what... it did.

Change is a funny thing. Now, three years later, I am "settled." Well, as much settled as a true Thunderbird spirit can be. I am definitely yearning for the next adventure, but I'm just not sure what that will be yet. I have a great job to which I am very grateful for, an apartment, and living in the beautiful northwest. Well, beautiful for three months out of the year that is. You see I come from a place where the sun shines 360 days out the year, I am a sun-worshipper. These 9-month winters of constant rain sure do wear on a southern California girl! But that’s a topic for a different entry! haha. So, back on track, so much has changed since I graduated. People have come and gone out of my life - but some friendships have, and always will withstand the test of time. Some, sadly, will not. Adventures around the globe have come to a screeching halt - in favor of business trips, limited vacation time and family visits. Instead of going to class and learning the latest theories, dissecting international case studies and engaging in spirited debates, I go to work, to the office - ready to make my mark in a large global corporation. Instead of planning the next study abroad, I am planning business trips back east. Instead of running the streets of Glendale for a stress-reliever, tanning-session, workout trifecta, I am planning the next mountain to climb in the great northwest ;)

And yet again, I digressed. Back to change. Sometimes it is welcomed, sometimes it is not. Sometimes it is understood, sometimes it is not. It is often feared by some, and embraced by others. But one thing is for certain... change is essential. Vital to the process of moving on and experiencing new things. You always learn something in the process, and armed with that knowledge and experience you forge ahead into the next adventure - whatever that may be. Where I am today is a result of decisions, small or large I made yesterday. And where I’ll be tomorrow will result in the change I espouse today. So, I'll end this, my first blog post in almost a year, with a fabulous quote. Im not even sure who said it, but here it is: "Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become."