The Adventures of Kinky Reggae: A Vagabond for Beauty

#thestruggleisreal I'm noticing a theme in my life lately- things have not been going according to plan. Perhaps this is God's way of telling me to calm the eff down. I just have this picture in my head of how I want things to be, and I don't handle disappointment well. For example, I should have been in the best mood last weekend because I got to spend it in Utah with one of my favorite people. Instead, I was cranky and disappointed after a day of fails. Egypt 1 didn't work out. Then we hiked to some pictographs and couldn't find them. Then it was too cold to camp. Then we couldn't find a hotel nearby. Then Egypt 3 didn't work out.  (On the rim of Egypt 1) But a bad day in Utah is a good day anywhere else. And I woke up at Bryce on Sunday morning! I need to work on feeling more gratitude.  After all those fails, we really needed a win, and Round Valley Draw provided that. This canyon has been on my list for quite a while now, and I'm so glad we got to d

This wasn't intended to be a "girls' weekend," but it was fantastically girly and I loved every Taylor Swift-singing "Frozen"-watching minute of it.  We spent our first day exploring the mud caves, which is when I realized I do not like caves. I had to peace out on the first one when we got to a crawling section, but I managed to power through the second one, mainly due to the novelty of Kristin's glow stick jewelry. #ravecave We also hiked in slot canyons and explored the badlands. The next day, we hiked to some pictographs and had way too much fun posing with these sculptures.  We camped at the 17 Palms Oasis and watched the sun rise over the desert the next morning.  After a visit to the "pumpkin patch" (a field of large concretions), we headed back to Phoenix.  Such a fun weekend! Anza Borrego is a really cool place to explore; lots of beautiful and interesting sites. I will definitely be back! *Most of these photos were taken by Hannah and

I've never considered myself much of a feminist. In fact, I've always found it slightly obnoxious when people rant about the patriarchy. But until recently, I didn't see how it affected me, personally.  I went on a terrible date a few weeks ago. I was really trying to be open-minded, but then this guy had the nerve to make fun of me for going camping and hiking alone. "Isn't that kind of stupid?" he asked.  I  was complaining about it to Kristin, and she pointed out that what I do is somewhat unconventional. I do get lots of comments about being a girl out there alone. I'm pretty sure guys don't get the same concerned looks and endless questions about whether or not they have a gun to protect themselves. When Kristin, Hannah, and I were camping at Anza Borrego last month, we met a guy who just couldn't get over his surprise that three girls were out camping in such a remote place without a man. So, in our own little way, I guess we're doing our

My weekend was sublime.  I moved to the other side of downtown due to feral cats invading my apartment. This means I live right by my favorite vegetarian restaurant, Green. Laura and I met for dinner there on Friday night. I went for a hike on Hieroglyphics Trail out in the Supes on Saturday morning. It was a little crowded, but exactly what I wanted. 3 miles, not too difficult, and scenic. The petroglyphs were really cool. I spent the rest of the day making chocolate chip cookies and getting acquainted with my new kitchen. I ate cookie dough for dinner and watched Sweet Home Alabama. (I still remember watching that movie in college with my ex... We weren't dating at the time, and that night he asked me why we weren't together, and I asked why he'd want to date me anyway, and he said, "So I can kiss you whenever I want," just like in the movie.) I got to sing with the worship band on Sunday morning, and we did a mashup of "Uptown Funk" and a traditional