#8 roughin' it

#8 was spent over a very memorable memorial weekend. i decided to rough it with the boys on an overnight canoe and camping trip along the colorado river. 

lately i have been hearing a lot about glamping trips. (glamping = glamorous camping) so naturally, i envisioned i was going on a glamping extravaganza fully equipped with  electricity, cell service and coffee. i was very wrong. 

about a week out from the trip, we all received a finalized e-mail with weekend details along with a suggested packing list. i skimmed the e-mail and even though the only thing i had on the packing list was a bathing suit and some double a batteries, i wasn't too concerned. i figured i had nothing to be worried about. 

it was the follow up e-mail that got me. the e-mail encouraging questions and trying to ease any nerves. it was sent to me and me alone. so of course, i went back over the packing list and re-read every detail then came to the nerve wrecking realization that i was going camping. there was no glamping involved. princess jasmine was out and pocahontas was in.

me and the boys

leaving my nerves behind me, i headed to austin for the trip. aside from the pouring rain, the morning started out smoothly. we met up and rented our canoes from cook's canoes and then were shuttled over from the end point to the starting point- no turning back from here. from there, we packed everything into the canoes and began paddling. good camping rule of thumb, less is more. and by more, i mean less... that you have to carry. you get it. 

my only paddling experience comes from my church camp days back in grade school. needless to say, i wasn't very good. nick, a nature enthusiast and my canoe buddy, kindly gave me "pointers" throughout. i'm pretty sure his "pointers" were his polite way of asking me to stop running into things. message received. with my new paddling tips, the day was rather easy. the rain never let up, but was a nice cool down from the texas sun.

camp

we were instructed to make camp on any island. so before night fell, we found the perfect little island, pitched our tents--- yes i actually helped pitch a tent--- made our beds and started a fire. by the way, the fire part is way easier than the movies make it look. 

i thought i was going to go into this way over prepared because of my nerves. so naturally, i brought all necessary essentials, sleeping bag, change of clothes, hand sanitizer,  protein bars, cereal (captain crunch if you were wondering), apples and went a little overboard on bug spray. bugs love me and with the rain i knew they would be out in full force. so i brought 3 different kinds of spray and a "bug off" bracelet that never left my wrist. i sprayed bug spray all over everything, myself and my belongings. i did not want any critter surprises. what did the boys pack? food. lots of it. i'm talking about fajitas, three different kinds of sausages, pre-made sandwiches, costco sized snacks, the works. one thing was for sure- no one was going hungry or getting bit by bugs.

as dinner rolled around we feasted on the boys smorgasbord, caught up on one-another's lives, laughed at old memories, listened to music and sang some kumbayah's. as it got pretty late(and dark) everyone started to head off to their tents to fall asleep. before zipping myself into my tent, i sprayed it with bug spray. i was serious about not getting bit. i had a long day the day before so i didn't have any troubles falling asleep. i did however wake up in a terrible dream. in that dream-- more like a nightmare, i was being swarmed by bugs. they were everywhere. i woke up in a panic and used my headlamp to assure myself that i was zipped away in a bug free zone. all was clear.

my canoe :)

we all got up bright and early (sleeping in isn't an option when the bright sun is shining right on you), cooked breakfast and packed up. during our paddling day 2 adventures, we hit a number of rapids. they were probably the most enjoyable part of the canoeing experience. they're fast and fun.

we also saw some beautiful wildlife. we passed a young deer grazing only a few feet away from us. the deer and the sometimes calm river made everything seem so peaceful. it was a lovely experience only to be ruined in a few short minutes by a water moccasin. i love animals, all animals. but snakes, i love just a little less. okay, a whole lot less. i nearly panicked as we passed the slithering creature (i'm quivering just thinking about the word slithering). i threw my paddle in the canoe to avoid disturbing the snake and found myself slowly trying to hide within the canoe. let's be real. there's nowhere to hide in a canoe. either way, the little monster didn't bite me. all was good.

we paddled on the river for about 3 hours each day. it wasn't anything strenuous, anyone could really do it. catching up with old friends was one of my favorite parts about the trip. it's an experience i am thankful for, but probably not one that i will be repeating frequently :)

once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit.

e. e. cummings

#7 feed the zebras

billy the billy goat #1

#7's adventure took place at fossil rim wildlife center. a close friend, kelsey, and i took a spontaneous day trip to glen rose, tx. i have always wanted to play with the long necked giraffes and meet the mascot of my favorite childhood gum, fruit stripe. (the sugar-filled, striped gum that came with a tattoo on every wrapper. what kid wouldn't love zebras after that?! good work fruit stripes!) before we left, i took a look outside and unfortunately it wasn't the nicest of days. dark clouds were rolling in and the humidity levels weren't playing around. being a fossil rim newbie, i called ahead to make sure the park would still be open. the woman who answered informed me that the park is open rain or shine, which was great news! i then asked if we would still be able to see all of the animals. she responded with "well of course you will still see and be able to feed them... they live there. where else would they go?" feeling like i asked the wrong question, i ended the conversation by thanking her for her time then packed up the car and headed to glen rose!

life-size!

once we got close, we saw a sign that read "dinosaur world next exit". without any hesitation, we took the next exit. being the only two unaccompanied by a parent didn't stop us. however, the time it would take to walk around the park did. so instead, we settled on exploring the gift shop and playing with the giraffes and t-rex they had out front. then, back into the car and onward to fossil rim!

the ostriches were the first animals we saw. they came right up to our car. i mean walked right up like they owned the place. it was  actually a little frightening. i turned around and had one staring right at me. he was only inches away from my face and clearly invading my personal space. these guys were fearless. hungry and fearless. they gobbled up every bite of food we fed them and just continually stuck their heads through the window demanding more. while the tiny ostrich heads bobbed around trying to find the bag of food hidden in my car, i did my best to conceal any and all fear of these jurassic-like birds. slowly more and more ostriches started coming to the window. afraid we were about to start an ostrich riot, kelsey and i threw a handful of food on the ground to distract them as we made our swift getaway.

next we passed a number of goats, fed them and kept going. as we drove a little further, we ran into (ran into figuratively not literally) some more goats. then as we turned another corner, even more goats! i was starting to think we were touring a goat farm. 

little foots cousin

billy the billy goat #100

wanting to stretch our legs and take a break from our goat sight-seeing tour, we made the stop at a petting zoo found along the trail. there we saw dinosaur tracks- looks like fossil rim had a little dinosaur world in it too. then, surprise surprise, we saw more goats! these goats were a little more fun than the others. kelsey and i instinctively reverted to our childhood petting zoo days and chased every animal until they gave up and allowed us to pet them. 

it's a rhino!

the animals that excited me most were towards the end of the trail. we saw the giraffes locked up in a pen (because of the weather-- my question wasn't so silly after all). So we could only drive by and admire them from a distance. that was a bummer but what can ya do. then finally, the zebras! these guys were awesome. probably where we spent the most time and one of the only times we encountered other cars on the trail. they were such beautiful animals and looked just like the fruit stripe guy! and to end our trip, a rhinoceros! you weren't allowed to pet or feed the rhinoceros. i imagine he wouldn't have been too friendly. being as close as we were was good enough for me. the tour was long, but well worth it. it takes about 2 hours to go through everything. i learned i can be quite the chicken. i may have screamed a time or two. some of the animals popped up out of nowhere!! the company you have can make or break a trip like this. lucky for me, i was in great company! being that close to so many different animals (and so many goats) was pretty awesome. i could only imagine how beautiful everything looks on a nice sunny day and how cool it would be to feed a giraffe! perhaps i'll plan ahead next time for my fossil rim round #2 adventure.  

my buddy

finally, z zebra

a little 90s flashback for ya ;)

to learn more about dinosaur world click here:
dinosaur world

to learn more about fossil rim click here:
fossil rim wildlife center

to learn more about fruit stripe gum click here:
fruit stripe gum

your head is a living forest full of songbirds.

e. e. cummings

#6 take the plunge

#6 has so far, been my favorite. we planned a trip to chicago to celebrate a birthday. one of my best friends and old college roommates lives in chicago. so we go there often and have done all of the touristy stuff many times. i was discussing our upcoming trip on the way to church with some friends when one of them suggested i jump into the frozen lake. i'm pretty sure it came out more as a joke than it did a serious suggestion. everything else named were things i have already done in chicago, so they would not count towards my 25 in 25. 

jumping into the lake stuck in my head. once i got home i googled it just out of curiosity. i wanted to see what people who have done it in the past had to say. one of the very first things to pull up during my google search was the 2014 chicago polar plunge. and guess what? it was happening in chicago the same weekend that i already had booked my flight for. it was simply meant to be. and it was an event benefitting the special olympics. can't say no to helping others!

i told all the girls going that i was planning on taking the plunge and extended an invite to join. some of the responses i got were "that sounds dangerous and like a terrible idea" and "well i'm not doing it but i'll cheer you on." i must admit, i questioned whether or not i would actually go through with it. i'm very much a warm weather kind of girl. i didn't make a final decision until i hopped on the plane that friday morning. i even paid for internet on the plane so i could sign up before talking myself out of it. i signed up as a team of one knowing my friends would support me but not join me. but, ah the power of persuasion goes a long way! once we got off the plane, one by one i convinced them all to sign up and take the plunge with me. i can't tell you how excited i was. doing it with my friends cheering me on would have been fun, but with them right beside me? such an awesome experience.

power up!

as my team of one grew to a team of five, we decided we needed a team theme. after an hour or two of scouring though target's vast selection, we decided team "freezin for a reason" was going in the lake as super heroes. we each were a different super hero. there was captain america, batman, wolverine, superman (me) and flash.

the celebratory weekend continued as planned with ice skating, visiting the bean, drinks at reunion, dinners and nights out, and a little shopping here and there. we let just about everyone we met know our plans of taking the plunge on that sunday morning. the responses we got were quite entertaining. people in chicago thought we were nuts. but most thought we were just kidding. 

we stayed out pretty late that saturday night but that did not stop us from an early sunday morning. everyone popped out of bed- i made sure of it- and suited up! we went on the balcony for a little morning dance party to get our bodies warmed up. chicago was freezing cold that weekend. barely hitting the teens. the water in lake michigan was actually still frozen solid. they had to have machinery come and break up a patch of the ice so the plungers could plunge on.

a little morning snow party

sunday morning was no different, it was bitter cold. we bundled up and packed warm, dry clothes to change into afterwards. jimmy fallon was taking the plunge that morning, too. he went a couple of waves before our time dressed in a full suit and was accompanied by men playing bag pipes. we signed up for the last wave at 11 am thinking the later the warmer. as we arrived to the plunge we saw all kinds of people and costumes. there were people in hooters uniforms, polar bears, bikini wearers, banana suits and so much more. some people really went all out with their costumes, kudos to them! there were people running out of the water with huge grins stretched across their faces and others that looked like they were just in pain. i even saw a girl turning shades of purple! we shook off the panic on other people's faces and focused on the overly excited ones. once it was our turn to line up, we all braved it together and hand in hand we all took the plunge.

we came, we plunged, we conquered

the water was cold. very cold. infact once i got out my legs had clouds of steam coming off of them followed by the feeling of pins and needles. there were separate men's and women's heated tents where you could go and change after the plunge. that's exactly where we headed. even though they were heated, it was still pretty stinking cold in those tents. it blocked off all the wind from the windy city, but the cold still crept right through. we changed quickly and immediately got some cocoa to warm up with. there was an indoor area with souvenirs, extra clothes and food for sale. i bought a second pair of socks because my poor little toes felt like they weren't going to hang on without them for much longer. and a button saying "i survived the plunge," just because.

pre and post plunge

collectively, we raised over two thousand dollars for the special olympics within two days time. thanks to all our friends and generous strangers who donated to such a great cause! the plunge was cold but an incredible experience. this was my first, but not my last time to plunge into a freezing lake. it's quite the rush. see you again soon, chicago!

i would rather learn from one bird how to sing than to teach 10,000 stars how not to dance.

e. e. cummings

#5 explore carlsbad caverns

before entering the cave     

#5 became another new mexico exploration. i went to el paso, tx to spend valentine's weekend with my best friend while my boyfriend is out of the country. the trick is to stay distracted, right?

we climbed the franklin mountains once more before i searched for fun adventures nearby. at the top of the list was carlsbad caverns. so my best friend, who will always be up for any adventure i throw her way- love you kimmy- and i took a little road trip to new mexico. once again, i lucked out. not only was it valentine's day weekend, but it was also president's day weekend. per usual, we were cutting it close with time. the caverns stop allowing guests to go down to the caverns on the natural trail at 2pm sharp. you can take the elevator down up until 3:30pm, but who wants to do that? with only 10 minutes to spare, we arrived around 1:50pm. making the cut-off was our first stroke of luck. we walked over to the ticket counter to purchase our tickets, and the smiling lady behind the glass informed us that there was no entry fee during president's day weekend. this was our second stroke of luck. with ten extra bucks in each of our pockets, we cheerily walked to the entrance of the cave.

<3

the whole time i couldn't help but think i was entering the cave of wonders. i kept hearing "touch nothing but the lamp." to my dismay i found no traces of a flying carpet or magical lamp and trust me, i looked. what i did find was one beautiful sight after another. once i got over the fact i was not in the movie aladdin, the more rocks and formations i saw, the more i just wanted to climb on top of everything. the inner kid in me was out in full force. of course, doing that would be "interfering with nature" and was prohibited. fighting the urge was a true challenge, but i did it. for the most part, i only climbed once. okay, twice.

such a cool place!

once inside, the caverns were extremely dark and humid. i would recommend bringing some water along with you. there's a lot of walking and once you're down there, you'll be down there for a while. the darkness made it difficult to take pictures, but we did our best. the pathway has very minimal lighting. normally, i'm a big ole chicken in dark places but with so many people around, i survived. i quickly learned you have to pay attention to your step because you can't see very far ahead of you and a set of stairs would make a surprise visit every now and then. the entire place echoed and again, my inner kid wanted to shout at the top of my lungs so i could test it out. but i didn't. loud voices weren't allowed.

i'm a little tea pot?

there are multiple routes you can take once in the caverns. each room is labeled and the path is lined with plaques that contain fun facts and history about the formations surrounding you. these really were pretty neat to read.

unfortunately we did not encounter any bats, which the cavern is well-known for. the bats were mid-migration. if this is something that would make or break your trip, plan accordingly. for us, we had a great time, bats or no bats. who would have thought walking around and looking at a bunch of old rocks would have made for such an incredible time? i can't wait to go back and when i do it will be on strings, spelunking through that place!

to learn more about the carlsbad caverns click here: http://www.nps.gov/cave/index.htm

o sweet spontaneous earth.

e. e. cummings

#4 enjoy the fort worth rodeo, yee-haw!

#4 took place right in my backyard. not literally, but figuratively. i spent 4 unforgettable years living in the charming city of fort worth, tx. they were my college years. i wouldn't trade those wonderful memories for anything. after all of my time spent in good ole funky town, not once did i make it to the fort worth rodeo. this year, i made it a point to go. i made the short trek from my new home of dallas, to fort worth with some of my closest friends.

aside from it being incredibly chilly, the night got off to a great start. while i was in line to purchase my ticket, a lovely couple politely asked if i wanted to take 2 of their tickets. they had another couple bail on them and ended up with 2 extras. i gladly accepted and handed the other extra ticket to one of the girls waiting in line with me. -- a big texas thank you to that couple!!

we wined and dined at the reata, rooted for cowboys not to fall off of wild bucking broncos, watched crazy men dressed up as clowns jumping around in front of those wild bucking broncos and a cute little show with cowboys and cowgirls roping lassos and showing off tricks on top of horses.

i wanted to gain the full rodeo experience so before the night was over, a friend and i wandered around. i munched on some rodeo cotton candy, played dress up with all the cowboy hats, light sticks and feathered boas. then i snuck off to the concert tent to catch a bit of the music going on outside provided by a local country band. my only previous experience with any form of a rodeo is the houston rodeo, which puts on quite the show. infact it is one huge extravaganza. i came to the fort worth rodeo knowing not to expect any beyonce performances-gotta love queen bey! so i didn't set my hopes too high. the houston rodeo is not one you can beat. however, i was pleasantly surprised. the fort worth rodeo was a simple, cowboy fun-filled event. i'm a little biased towards the houston rodeo if it ever came down to one or the other, but none-the-less a very enjoyable experience with some great company. just one more reason to love fort worth.

no whisper mars the utter silence of the untranslated stars.

e. e. cummings

#3 sled down the white sands of new mexico

playing around in the sand

#3 on the list is sledding down the white sands of new mexico. i had no idea that this beautiful national monument even existed. as soon i did hear about it, i had to experience it. so, i did what anyone would do. i rounded up my best friend, packed some snacks, prepared some travel tunes and headed to new mexico!

i did some white sands research and on the way, i made a very necessary sled purchase at a local sporting goods store. the scenery of the white sands is breathtaking all on its own, but you can't visit the white sands and not sled down! 

could not get enough of this view

don't be fooled. sledding down isn't as easy as it sounds. see the video below, the speed racer (please note my sarcasm) is me. with a great lack of grace, i steadily made my way down a sand hill then slowly toppled over at the bottom. i made this fall again, again and again. luckily, after a while and after my boots, pants and shirt were filled with sand,i got the hang of it. trick is to keep your feet far from touching the sand and put your weight towards the front of the sled. yes, it sounds like common sense. i guess you could say sledding down beautiful white sand doesn't come naturally for me- it did for everyone else. oh well. maybe i was too distracted with the beauty of the views surrounding me. yes, let's go with that.

taking a jumping picture has become a standard 

it was a quick little trip but wonderful in every way. we lucked out with an absolutely amazing day. the weather was perfect- don't forget your sunglasses, new mexico sun doesn't play around. the views will never be forgotten. the company i had was great and the experience will be enjoyed for a lifetime. it's been real, new mexico.

to learn more about the white sands click here: http://www.nps.gov/whsa/index.htm

the most wasted of all days is one without laughter.

e. e. cummings

#2 conquer the franklin mountains

the views were amazing

#2 on my list was an unexpected adventure, which is great because i love surprises. i went to el paso, tx for a weekend to visit one of my best friends. with little expectations, i searched for activities to do in the el paso area to fill up our weekend with. unfortunately my google search came up with very little. so with zero plans i packed a few essentials and hopped aboard a plane. once i got there, the views of the beautiful mountains sparked a fire in me. i've been hiking in los angeles and malibu before, but those are nothing in comparison.

first cave and first stop

the ron coleman trail at the Franklin State Mountains were amazing. when we arrived a small group of military guys started chatting with us. they asked how far we planned to hike and if we had ever been up the mountain before. neither of us had. they laughed, doubting we could make it, but told us that if we were ambitious enough we could get dropped off at one side of the mountain and climb over the whole thing. challenge accepted.

one of my favorite parts 

they gave us a ride to the other side. (looking back on it, getting in a car with strangers was not the smartest idea, but it happened) we made it to the first cave, then the second cave, climbed up a couple of chain-links attached to the mountain and stopped to admire a beautiful passage way over-looking the city of el paso.

the passageway 

the way up was peachy. we followed a set of faded, blue, spray painted dots letting us know we were staying on the trail. the way down was a different story. in true me fashion, we got lost. i don't know where and i don't know how, but i know we were climbing down an unmarked path. with silent fear in our hearts and rocks slipping beneath our feet, we kept smiles on our faces as we searched for the next symbol of hope, a blue spray painted dot. 

this is my best friend, kim

our happy dance immediately commenced once we saw the remnants of blue paint on a jagged rock. with adrenaline pumping i decided to run the rest of the way down. well, adrenaline or burning desire to walk on a flat surface again, call it what you will. i enjoy running, but running down the mountain was one of the most enjoyable runs i've ever experienced. the scenery was beautiful, the weather was perfect and i was loving every second.


4 hours later we had conquered the Franklin State Mountains. i definitely recommend this trail to any adventure seeking hikers. it gave me such a great feeling of joy and accomplishment.  i have a new found love for hiking. i'm eagerly looking forward to the next time the mountain and i meet. a big thank you to el paso for the wonderful and unexpected memories.

the world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful.

e. e. cummings