new traditions

lately, i've felt a need to be outside. a need to see and experience beautiful, natural places. luckily, i have a little brother that feels the same way.

sunday morning, john and i woke early, dawned our camelpacks, and snuck out of our mom's house leaving four sleeping children in our wake. we headed south to the timpanogos caves. we stepped eagerly onto the steep 1-1/2 mile trail and made our slow way up the 1,160 foot elevation change to the mouth of the cave. the views from the trail were only trumped by the beauty of the cave's formations. they were spectacular enough to make me instantly forget the grueling trek up.

on the way down the mountainside, john and i decided that we had stumbled upon a new tradition- every time i come to town, we plan to spend time hiking utah together. despite my pleas, my older sister refused to take part in such a hot/dirty/sweaty tradition. luckily, she has no objections to delicious mexican food, which the three of us enjoyed together after the hike (we should make that a tradition too!).

talking to myself

teenage self with the girl that really was and is my friend

1. it's cool to be kind.
2. those girls you worry aren't really your friends, aren't.
3. appreciate your dad on his terms.
4. your not fat.
5. don't stop dancing.
6. that interest you have in writing, nourish it.
7. don't manipulate your mom. it's just not nice.
8. take care of your skin. pre-mature wrinkles really bite.
9. thank you for always being a good sister to katrice, you will always be proud of that.
10. tori amos and incense don't make you 'deep.'
11. channel all that energy into figuring out how to be you, not how to be them.
12. don't take yourself so seriously.
13. your parents are usually right.
14. everything is going to be okay. i promise.
15. your really not fat.

i subscribe to lots of great blogs. one of them regularly writes off list promps, her latest was 'things i'd like to tell my 17 year-old self.' her list has kept my mind churning about all the things i'd like to tell my younger self.

not my 17 year-old self, more like my pre-teen/early teen self. by 17 the continents of my life were already shifting, starting to take there permanent shape. this list was an interesting exercise. it made me sad for my teenage self, content with my current self, and curious what my future self will have to say.