Moab!! (Part 2)

So the second day of our trip was probably my favorite.  Here's what went down:

We rode in a Hot Air Balloon!  So cool.

Then we hiked to Delicate Arch, arguably one of the most iconic sites in our beautiful state (it's on our license plates after all).

Here is yet another picture of Wade taking a nap...

It was so windy!  We had to hold on to each other to keep from blowing away!

Cory's hat DID blow a way...over the edge of a cliff.  He and Wade went on an adventure and rescued it.  He must really like that hat...

See, I really did study! 

And then I was rewarded for it with the most delicious dinner ever at the Moab Brewery, with the most amazing chocolate cake ever for dessert.

I was really struck this day with how beautiful Utah really is.  We have everything, from the mountains in Salt Lake, to the red rock deserts, to Lake Powell...I love it here!

Moab!!

I just have a few minutes before class, but I thought I would fill you all in on my FANTASTIC spring break last week!

Me and the fam went to Moab for 4 wonderful days of relaxation.  No school, no work, no piano students...bliss.  (Actually I did take some research work and some homework and some GRE study material.  I'm getting ready for grad school...don't judge me!)

We drove down on Wednesday morning. Actually, it isn't that bad of a drive. When we got there, we hiked up and around Dead Horse Point. And Wade decided to take a nap...He did that a lot actually!

He thinks he's so cool.  And let's be real...he is.

 Me and McKenzie.  Aww, cute!

Why yes, that is my dad leaning over a million foot high precipice...heart attack anyone?

 The beautiful river.  It was so cool to be able to look out across the desert and see nothing but red rock and brush except for this thin, windey green strip.

Enjoying the view.

Look bow buff my family is! (*couSHOWOFFSgh*)

So that was the first part of our vacation.  More to come soon!



The 5

Ok, things are going to get a little bit personal here...

I have to give a big shout out to McKenzie for inspiring this post.  Her family has this tradition...the tradition of The 5.  The 5 are five people that, should you have the opportunity to make out with them, you could totally do it and nothing you did would count.  They can be celebrities, random people you met on the street, fictional people...it doesn't matter.  They can be from any time too.  

I think this is a beautiful tradition.  The most wonderful part of it is...no one can judge your 5!

That being said, here are my 5.  Remember, this is a judge-free list...

Coming in at number 5: Seth Meyers.  He's smart, he's funny, he's cute.

Number 4: Mark Harmon.  Yes, I have a thing for grey hair.  Remember no one can judge me!

 

Number 3: Curtis Stone, aka the Take Home Chef.  Hot, and he can cook, AND he has an accent.

 Number 2: Agent Booth from Bones. (The character, not the actor.)  He is an all around good guy. Besides, come on, those arms...

Number 1: Dwayne "the rock" Johnson.  He has the most amazing arms ever.  And the most amazing tattoos on those arms. 

Alternates: Rob Brown, Antonio Bandaras, and George Clooney from his ER days.

Who are YOUR 5?

Cognitive Dissonance

...is a psychology term.  It is what happens in your mind when something happens that doesn't fit in with your schemas.  Schemas are the framework for how we view the world.  When we experience this contrast between our expectations and our reality, it causes internal conflict.  Your mind has to decide whether to assimilate (adjust your existing schema) or adapt (create a new schema altogether).  It can be pretty distressing and stressful.

I have been experiencing a lot of this lately.     

A lot of what I thought I knew about my self and my family has been called into question.  I won't go into details.  I am not someone who reacts well to change, period, but change like this is even harder for me.  It is intangible, there is nothing I can do about it, and it is extremely personal.  Parts of my identity are changing.  Not all of these changes are negative, but positive things can be stressful too. 

I've been thinking about it though.  Stress is not always negative.  It can be a great motivator, like when I procrastinate a project for school and end up focusing better because of the added pressure of a time limit.  It can be a catalyst for change; when I feel stressed out I change my attitude or my behavior to either cope more positively or change what I'm doing to reduce stress. 

I have decided, therefore, to change the way I look at stress.  Instead of letting it get me frazzled and crazy, I am going to try and see it as, "what is my mind trying to tell me to do?"  That way, I can fix whatever is wrong instead of stewing about it.  At the very least, changing my perception of stress will let me deal with it more effectively. 

It's finally official...

THEY ARE ENGAGED!!!!!

Cory's wonderful, brilliant, super fun girlfriend McKenzie is now his wonderful, brilliant, super fun FIANCE!  As far as I am concerned, I couldn't be happier.  They are so good together and will take good care of each other.  What an exciting weekend!  YAYAYAY!