Acts

Some musings…

I recently read through the book of Acts, and a couple things struck me a little more forcefully than they have in the past.  Put yourself in the shoes of the disciples, after the resurrection of Christ.  And what, go out and change the world?  Transform society into recognizing Jesus Christ as the Savior, the Messiah, the Son of God?  Think about it…  I think my life is stressful, I’m not walking around trying to convince the world that God was born in human flesh, lived and walked among us, was crucified, died, and buried, and rose from the dead and ascended into heaven to live eternally with God the father.  What would it have been like to be one of the first Christians?  Discovering the love of Jesus for the first time?  Spreading the word and essentially creating the religion we call Christianity? 

The first disciples spread out, proclaiming the Good News.  How radical is that?  I believe in a 2000-year-old religion, they created this religion.  The uproars created by Paul and the others would be so intense and met with such adversity if they were to happen now.  And yet, still countless take up the cross and follow Jesus.  Talk about faith.

Is it really that different though?  Was Paul’s mission that much different then the mission before us today?  Jesus’ commandment still stands.  “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.  And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).  What is our excuse?  The opposition is really not that much more intense now.  Paul’s death was ordered, yet he did nothing worth death or imprisonment.  And when charged, Paul replied “…But this I admit to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our ancestors, believing everything laid down according to the law or written in the prophets.  I have a hope in God – a hope that they themselves also accept – that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.  Therefore I do my best always to have a clear conscience toward God and all people…” (Acts 24: 14-16).  Our actions are all too often driven by fear.  We forget, that with God there, with love there, fear is absent.  “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear…” (1 John 4:18).

How did they do it?  How can I do it?  “While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word” (Acts 10:44).  God did it.  Paul didn’t preach on his own, God was with him, and God is with me.  We are required to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with the Lord.  God will take care of the rest. 

Another question I asked myself, how has Christianity changed since the time Paul and the first disciples walked the earth?  As society and individuals change, does the faith change with us?  The building blocks are the same.  But are the practices?  The relationship with God held in such high esteem in the Bible, “pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18) is still just as applicable today as it was then.  Why then do I let life get in the way and cloud my focus on God?

A final thought, in Acts 26:8, Paul asks, “Why is it thought incredible by any of you that god raises the dead?”  A remarkable question if you as me, of course it is incredible, it’s a miracle!  But Paul’s faith is that great, “To this day I have had help from God…” (Acts 26:22).  God is here, with me always.  With Him all things are possible.

What are we waiting for?

“Be strong in the Lord and the strength of his power.” (Ephesians 6:10)

New Plan

So as stated in my earlier post, I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up.  Things are changing, constantly.  Turns out (as of now) that I’ll actually be taking Geographic Information Services (for a minor or possible double major in Environmental Science), Health Policy in an Era of Reform (an honors seminar), and Physics 1 and Organic Chemistry 2 (couldn’t shake those two – unfortunately) next semester.

Also on the topic of new plans – I’m going to visit both my grandmas over Thanksgiving break!  And I am very excited for that, although I just booked a taxi ride at 4:45 tomorrow morning… Not looking forward to that one.  It should be a good break though.  I’m going to try as hard as possible to not do any school work, though if I actually want to accomplish that I should get off the computer now and go do my homework.  Such a dilemma…  Doing work now, or later.  This reminds me of our discussion today in my Environmental Ethics class.  Basically some people think that we should save the environment for future generations, others think that future generations don’t count that much for a number of reasons*, so basically we discount the value of the future individual back to the present time, and they aren’t worth as much.  Crazy idea right!?  Although we kind of have to in able to justify all the things we do now.  And that relates to my homework problem in that I can do it now or put it off for my future self to do, in the same way that we as a society hand off the growing environmental problems to the next generation over and over again.

Alrighty, there’s my post for the night.  Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say Rejoice.  Let your gentleness be known to everyone.  The Lord is near.  Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.”
          – PHILIPPIANS 4:4-9

* Reasons future individuals don’t count as much as those alive today

1) The Swamping Problem – There are SO MANY MORE future individuals than people alive now, that in order to help them we would essentially have to give up everything in live now.

2) The Uncertainty Problem – We don’t know what future generations will actually need, so why save stuff for the.

3) The “They will be Gods Problem” – People in the future will be better off than us, so they don’t need help from us.

4) The Nonidentity Problem – Those future people don’t actually exist.

Update!

I realize it’s been awhile since I’ve given an update on where I am… in school, in life, in general.  Things have been busy.  I had my last two midterms this week, and then spent the last couple days doing all those things I put off when studying for those midterms.  So here’s an update of cool things/important things that are relevant to my life now. 

1) Care packages

Sometimes I forget just how blessed I am.  Being in Boston so far from home is hard for me.  I miss my family, friends, mountains, snow, church, Birchwood… I could drag this list on forever.  But I’m ok, because I know that those back home truly care.  So thank you Grandma, Uncle Billy and Aunt Lisa, and Christ First United Methodist Church, for sharing your love with me this semester. 

2) YES

I’m volunteering with Youth Enrichment Services this year, which is an organization that takes inner city kids skiing and snowboarding in the winter, and does all sorts of fun things with them in the summer (hiking, camping, biking, rock climbing, kayaking, etc.).  I’m signed up to be a ski instructor!  I started last week working in the ski shop, and will do that until January when trips begin!

3) Life Plan

It’s that time of the year again, the time when I have to pick my schedule for next semester.  I don’t like this time; its too stressful, I make it too stressful.  There’s a lot of pressure associated with picking out the right classes.  Which classes are best going to prepare me for my career?  Wait, that means I need to know what career I want.  Crap.  Ok, I have no idea what I want to do when I grow up, but I think I’m taking Physics 1, Organic Chemistry 2, Environmental Pollution, and Organizational Behavior next semester.

4) Remember God (in response to above) and Everything Changes*

“Do not fret… 

Trust in the LORD, and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security. 

Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 

Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. 

He will make your vindication shine like the light, and the justice of your cause like the noonday. 

Be still in the LORD, and wait patiently for him.”

~PSALM 3:1-7

I get so caught up in all the decisions that need to be made, and am so worried about making the wrong one, that I forget God is here, leading me, directing me, exposing the path that He has already laid out for me.  All I need to do is follow.

“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” ~JEREMIAH 29:11

And there is no need to worry, because God has met and will meet all of my needs.  He will take care of me, because I am His child.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap no gather into barns, and yet you heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?  And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your life span?  And why do you worry about clothing?  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil or spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.  But if God so clothed the grasses of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you – you of little faith?  Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we wear?’  for it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own.  Today’s trouble is enough for today.” ~MATTHEW 6:25-34

And because of God, I have been given gifts to use on my journey; the drive to answer questions and help people, the desire to explore and discover new things, and the capacity to recognize that the complexity, wonderment, and awe of life is so much more than I will ever be able to understand.

“We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us.” ~ROMANS 12:6

And I am so thankful, that God is in my life.

5) My Prayer

Dear Lord,

Thank you for this day.  Thank you for filling my life with your light.  Thank you for clothing me, for providing for me, for loving me despite how many times I have turned my back on you.  I do not need to worry.  I do not need to fear.  I trust in God to lead my life, guide my choices, and carry me when I cannot walk.  I know you are always with me, embracing me with your love.  Thank you for this reassurance.  Nothing is more powerful or perfect than your love.  I pray today for all those who are suffering, who have lost loved ones, who are sick and hurting, may they find comfort in you.  Draw us in, the weak and the crippled, the sinners and the lost, myself and all those reading this; fill us with your love, your grace, and your peace.  Let your love wash over us, fill us with new spirit, make our hearts pure, cleanse our souls so that your light might shine through us so all around can see.

In Christ’s name I pray,

Amen

*From a previous post

The Key to Happiness

This is difficult to write in an optimistic-you-can-be-happy frame of mind as I sit stiff at my computer unable to move my neck more than about 30 degrees in any direction.  But I suppose it is one of those take your own advice moments.

I am the captain of my future.  I firmly believe that I have the ability to make myself happy.  Sure, situations are going to arise that suck, and I will find myself in periods of despair and sorrow, however my ultimate happiness is what I make of it.

If I don’t like where I’m at, change something.  It doesn’t have to solve everything, it may not solve anything, but it’s a step in the right direction, and eventually things will get better.

I don’t have the answers to all of your problems; you do.

“It is our choices that show who we truly are, far more than our abilities.” ~ Albus Dumbledore

Halloween

Happy Halloween everyone!

We made chocolate covered marshmallow spiders!

And carved pumpkins!

The end.

I love life.

Why am I a biology major?  Because I love life.  I love living, I love being alive, and I also love studying life.  It’s crazy all the things that living organisms can accomplish!  It’s so intricate, complex, and specific; it’s astounding!

I do not know what I want to do with my life, but I do know that I like biology.  I’ve always pictured myself working in the genetics or biotech field, and who knows that still may happen, but I like ecology too because you get, or try to get, more of the “big picture” as far as what is going on in the world and how everything is interconnected.  Next July I’ll be going on CO-OP** instead of taking classes, and I’d really like to come home for that.  I’ve spent the past couple days beginning the process of finding a job and I’m excited about all the possibilities.    

Today I went to Nahant to visit Northeastern’s Marine Science Center for my Ecology Lab.  It was like the 5^th grade Homer field trip all over again.  Except this time instead or running along the beach ecstatic after finding a sea squirt,* we were walking along the coast examining the various species of snails, barnacles, and crabs, by their Latin names of course (not sure I felt the same exuberance as before – but still it was pretty cool).  We got to see the experiments underway; cages tethered to rocks; heating bulbs over Tupperware full of crabs, snails, and barnacles; and various other contraptions enclosing the ideas and tests of faculty and students alike.  They even had a bunker containing an entire skeleton of a whale.  So, pretty cool day.

Also – this is my 100^th post!  I’m considering that an accomplishment…

*My group name was the “Squish Sea Squirts,” so naturally finding a real live sea squirt was just about the best possible thing on the planet.

**This is a program that is a central part of school’s structure and in my five years here I will spend three, six month periods on CO-OP working in a field relative to my major.

Cholesterol

I lot of people hate Organic Chemistry – and this may be grounds for defining me as a nerd – but I think it’s actually kind of cool.  Like in lab this week we took olive oil, which is an unsaturated fat, and mixed it with cyclohexene and palladium to turn it into a saturated fat!  That’s like the kind of thing that scientists do in real life, not sophomore biology students in a lab.  One week we built this crazy contraption of various glass tubes to distill a mixture of cyclohexane and toluene.  One week we separated the components of an Excedrin tablet; when we were done we had aspirin, acetaminophen, and caffeine in three separate test tubes!  Anyway, yesterday I had my second Orgo test and it wasn’t even that terrible, which is surprising considering I spent the night before constructing cholesterol from my molecular model kit instead of memorizing addition reactions of alkenes.

Cholesterol!

In other news, biology is awesome, which I will expound upon in a future post.

Fitchburg

My last two weekends here I have spent out of the jurisdiction of Boston and somewhere near or around the area of Fitchburg, MA.  I like this town for three reasons. 1) Heather lives there. 2) It’s not Boston. 3) Heather lives there.

Last weekend I went in for the Apple Harvest Ramble in Harvard, MA.  It’s kind of a long, convoluted story of why/how we went to this event, but basically consists of my suitemate signed us up for a race thinking it was Harvard-across-the-river-University, but it was actually Harvard-across-the-state-Town.  So not wanting to forfeit a good race and a free tee shirt, I came out and ran the 5-miler with Heather instead.  And I got second place in my age category! And Heather got first place in her age category!  And we both won an apple pie* and got a sweet synthetic long-sleeve tee shirt!  So yeah, basically this translates to a very good weekend.

Apple pie and awesome tee shirt!

This weekend I came out to Fitchburg again to go white water rafting in Deerfield, MA!  Despite being the 9^th of October it was a sunny day and a balmy 80 degrees.  The river twisted through hills blanketed in trees showing off the vibrant colors of fall.  The sun streamed through overhanging branches, dancing on the turbulent water, and graciously warming my skin.  The refreshing water doused me from head to toe as we maneuvered through rapids, splashed each other’s boats, and (intentionally – for the most part) jumped in.  So yeah, basically this translates to a VERY good weekend.

All ready to go in our wet suits!

*How come all races don’t give out apple pies?  Who needs a ribbon anyway!

Science is crazy

Here are a few neat articles:

Bullet Proof Skin

Here’s a radical idea.  Spider-silk infused goat milk combined with human skin can apparently stop a bullet.  There are a lot of ethical implications here as far as genetic engineering goes, and it’s not like we’ll be seeing bullet proof babies anytime soon, but still it’s on the path science and technology is taking us down.  Who knows where we’ll be 100 years from now! 

http://www.geek.com/articles/geek-cetera/spider-silk-and-goat-milk-can-make-human-skin-bulletproof-20110815/

Immortal Jellyfish

Here is a jellyfish that when experiencing extreme stress (starving or injured for example) can come to the surface of the ocean and convert into a blob.  The mass of cells then undergo trandifferentiation and essentially a new jellyfish is created.  How this works is unknown, however it could have huge effects if figured out in areas such as cancer research, degenerative diseases, and aging.

http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/stories/immortal-jellyfish-does-it-really-live-forever

BANANAS!!!

This article discusses the lack of genetic diversity in the bananas we eat and love.  Essentially, if a disease or fungus were to come around that these bananas were prone to we would experience a “banana apocalypse” and the world’s favorite fruit would exist no more.  This is actually occurring with much of our agricultural goods.  We want our corn to look and taste like other corn, and our potatoes to look and taste like other potatoes; one variety all the time.  I think we’re probably going to be ok no matter what happens to the banana industry, but it’s still something to think about! (Also, Chiquita has cool stickers)

http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2005-06/can-fruit-be-saved

Top 5 Awesome Things

So I realized that I haven’t actually made a post yet about life back in Boston.  Though I had a fantastic summer* and didn’t want to go back to school (or more accurately, back to Boston) I have been having a pretty good time now that I’m here.

This semester I’m taking Ecology, Organic Chemistry, Finance, and Environmental Ethics, and I’d talk more about all those but most people would find that very boring, also they’ll all probably end up in a post of some sort before the end of the year.  I however am really enjoying these classes.

Besides classes I’m volunteering again with Science Club for Girls and hopefully with Youth Enrichment Services**.  I’m also still playing (and loving) Ultimate.

So.  Basics out of the way.  Here are the Top 5 Awesome Things I’ve Done Since Returning to Boston!

1) Sailing – I went sailing in one of those little boats on the Charles!

2) The Beach – I went to Revere Beach with my roommates!

3) Frisbee Club Sectionals – I went to Rhode Island for a Frisbee tournament!

4) Arboretum – I went to the Arboretum and pretended like I wasn’t in the city!

5) Red Sox – I went to a Red Sox game and watched them hit an in-the-park home run and a grand slam, and beat the Orioles 18 to 9***!

[I forgot to take a picture of this one]

Yay! Life is good!

*The best on record I believe.

**More on this later if it happens!

***This was before they decided to suck and not make the play-offs. 

Truth? Or Consensus...

This semester I’m taking my first philosophy class; Environmental Ethics.  I’ve never taken a philosophy class before, and it’s becoming more and more evident that I have no idea what the subject is actually about.  Anyway, I really like it.  Other than the fact that nothing can be proven, so implications for environmental ethics will never be applied, so there’s really no point to all this arguing,* I enjoy the discussion.  We’ve been discussing value in nature, if it exists and what kind of value it is.  I thought this was a pretty straightforward question when it first came up, with a pretty straightforward answer.  I was wrong.  I’m not going to get into all that mumbo-jumbo here, I already had to write an essay on it, but if you’re interested check out the works of Paul Taylor, Peter Singer, William Baxter, and Immanuel Kant. 

So the point of this post: consensus has very little to do with the truth.  Think about that for a moment.  IT’S SO TRUE!!!  All too often we do things because others do them, say things because others say them, and believe things because others believe them.  However how often are these things actual truth?  It’s so easy to look back in history and see where we have been wrong; to see where we have believed one thing then later refuted it as false and taken on a new belief.  Scientific knowledge and evidence have led us to specific rational conclusions in one generation that are overturned in the next due to additional scientific discovery, new evidence, and deeper reflection.  Consensus is not an indicator of truth.  From the 1500’s geocentric belief of earth as the center of the universe prior to Galileo’s shattering discoveries of heliocentricism, to the incompatibility between the 2000’s creationist view of earth’s origins and evolutionary theory – consensus versus truth is hardly relevant at all. 

This is great!  It’s not great that people believe things that are false.  It’s great that we know and can think critically to develop our own views and beliefs.  It’s great because you don’t have to fit in with the crowd.  You can be right and the only one who knows it.  Now I’m not saying this is correct for everything.  There are definitely things that I am very wrong about, however there are things I may be right about too, even though the vast majority may disagree with me. 

Another valid point is that each and every person sees the world through his or her own lens.  Perspective differs for each individual and this experience/perspective is very real.  My perspective is not the same as yours, and truths are generally influenced by perspective.

C.S. Lewis sums up this idea in a line taken from the Chronicles of Narnia. 

“For what you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing: it also depends on what sort of person you are.” – C.S. Lewis

Lewis embodies perspective as a result of both situation and background.  My upbringing, culture, economic status, and religion affect my perspective just as much as my physical location. 

Disagreement, opposition, and varying views are critical elements for a successful society.  It challenges us and pushes us to find what is right.  It keeps us on our toes.

*I realize this may seem a little pessimistic, and it is.  I respect this subject because it makes people think, it gets the conversation going, so that change may someday ensue.  In degrees we may eventually make significant progress towards becoming a just society, but for the time being, chances are looking pretty slim to me. 

Organic Chemistry

So, most of the time I have something I should be doing, like now.  But I don’t really want to read 3 chapters of my finance textbook so I’m blogging instead.  I’m taking Organic Chemistry this year, which is fine.  It’s kind of hard (so I hear) but its implications are very far reaching.  For instance on my first day I learned that sucralose (the primary ingredient in Splenda) is simply chlorinated sucrose.  All they did was remove 3 O-H groups and plop on three chlorines and poof your body can’t do anything with it and it passes right through, therefore a zero calorie sweetener.  Pretty sweet right*!?  I also learned that chocolate is basically theobromine.  So theoretically they could do something similar to that as they did with sucrose and you’d have a zero calorie chocolate.  Today in lab we extracted caffeine from tea.  Ok, enough food examples.  Basically though organic chemistry is everywhere, it is the chemistry of life, and as a biologist I think that’s pretty cool.

I guess I should talk about the initial reason of this post.  I have tinker-toys! For nerds…  I have an organic chemistry model kit that basically allows me to build structures so I can see them in 3D and understand what’s drawn on the paper.  Yesterday I made benzene, cyclohexane, and butane, because I was confused as to what I was actually supposed to construct.

Here's what some structures look like

Here's what my face looks like when I'm thinking about it

And of course I have to wear my chemistry goggles when dealing with these highly dangerous compounds, I left out the lab coat as I figured my Science Club for Girls shirt confirmed with great authority just how much of a dork I am.

*I take full responsibility for that very stupid joke.

LET GOd Work

Religion is not something I pretend to understand in the least; it is not concrete, it is not straightforward; there are questions with no answers, there are claims with no proof.  In a post-modern world searching for evidence and hard facts, belief can be a very difficult notion to maintain.

As I progress, new ideas, thoughts, and beliefs are thrown at me.  As an immerging individual I must decipher not only what these mean definitively, but also what these mean for me.  This is not easy, for anyone.

So I’ll start with where I come from.

I grew up in the United Methodist Church, specifically Christ First United Methodist Church of Wasilla.  Throughout my time there I grew to trust God in everything I do and love others as Jesus loved us.  My mission is to live where the cross becomes a prism through which I see and interact with the world, the cross that Jesus was crucified on, the cross that Jesus tells us to “take up” and “follow me.”  I left and moved to Boston, with a firm foundation of faith, deeply rooted in my beliefs; questioning and searching still, reaching out and exploring new ideas and issues, but always with a solid rock to fall back on. 

The mission of the United Methodist Church (“to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world”) is derived from the Gospel of Matthew: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” – Matthew 29:19-20

I take that the ultimate purpose then of the United Methodist Church is the transformation of the world.  Transformation how?

Let Go.

God has a plan.

I cannot transform the world.  I cannot transform my friends.  I cannot transform myself.  God does that. 

I’d like to tag on the rest of Matthew 29:20 “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  Jesus is here, among us.  We can’t transform the world alone.  God, the creator, is working through us to make that transformation happen.

To some extent I find religious debates obscene.  That we should even try to determine the “true way” in a world of inextricable paths, and that we should try to force our self-appointed “true way” on others?  The idea is mindboggling.  But it is important to have the discussion.  Not for arguments sake, not even to find the answers, but because it challenges, revises, and affirms our own beliefs.  The search for Truth is paramount.  It is the search that defines religion; Christianity is not a destination.

I believe that religion is of the heart and each heart is different, each heart feels, understands, and loves in a different way. 

“There are different people who need different ways of approach to cultivate and promote these basic values of compassion, tolerance, and commitment.” – Dalai Lama

Pulling beliefs from multiple Christian and faith backgrounds forms the “religion” I feel acting on my life today.  I was raised in the United Methodist Church, I attended a Nondenominational Evangelical youth group, and I am now part of a Lutheran Episcopal student group.  I have best friends who are Mormon, Lutheran, Catholic, Jewish, and Baha’i who have all shaped how I view God, and my faith is richer because of this.  I do not have it all figured out.  As I grow and learn my faith will change and that’s ok.  The journey to God is dynamic.

“The faith that you have, have as your own conviction before God.” – Romans 14:22

Fruit of the Spirit

Sometimes (all the time) this is a good thing to remember.

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.  There is no law against such things.  And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another.”                        GALATIANS 5:22-23

Alaska Hat

My “Alaska Hat” I purchased in Nenana, in some tourist shop between Denali and Fairbanks when I was about 9 years old.  This hat as accompanied me to school, up many mountains, over hundreds of miles of skiing, sledding, and snow machining, and just through everyday life.  This is my favorite hat. 

It was last seen at the top of Matanuska Peak, in Palmer, Alaska.  I miss that hat dearly. 

Crow Pass Crossing

Last weekend I hiked Crow Pass, a 26-mile traverse from Girdwood to Eagle River!  Here are some pictures of my adventure.

We borrowed someone's car and couldn't get the trunk open
so had to revert to packing all the gear in with us...
it was quite a squeeze but we managed for the drive down to Girdwood.

Starting out!

Marie and I heading up towards Crow Pass

Random Waterfall (there were a lot of those)

Raven Glacier, from the top of Crow Pass

The morning of the second day we had to cross Eagle River.
Here is the ford site.

After the successful (and cold) river crossing

I'm pointing to Eagle Glacier, the water source for Eagle River.
Needless to say, the water was frigid. 

Campsite for the second night

Eagle River at Echo Bend, almost done!

The trail ended at the Eagle River Nature Center,
here's some history of the trail.

There were a lot of bears...
We actually only saw 4, and one with a cub!
(thankfully all a good distance away)

Crow Pass complete!

I made a quilt!!!

I have never been one to sew; I think I get that from my mom.  Whenever something needs sewn at my house my dad is always the one to do it.  That is why I am super proud of the fact that I made my very own quilt.  In some ways this was a harder feat than the marathon,* but it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while using old tee-shirts**.  I could not have done this without exponential help and patience from my grandma, who fixed the sewing machine after I messed it up about every five minutes.  Here it is!

*That’s a testament to how much I do not enjoy sewing.

**Which I know all you real quilters out there think is totally cheating, and I totally agree.

A box of screws

You never know what’s gonna happen.  Period.

Growing up in Alaska, where the weather can change without warning, where you can get hypothermia in the summer, where you can take a wrong turn in the woods and be lost for days, I have learned the importance of being prepared.  I’ve gone hiking a lot this summer, and each time I start out I debate which layers of clothing should accompany me and which I should leave in the car.  I usually end up bringing everything just in case.  Then I start up the mountain, am sweating in about 5 minutes and after a few hours of hiking still as warm as can be, wondering why on earth I decided to bring a long sleeve shirt, pull-over, fleece, rain jacket, hat, and gloves.  Then I get to the top, am surrounded by clouds, wet, at 5000-6000 feet elevation, and shivering wearing every article of clothing I have.  Every single time.  I am not prepared.  I am prepared for the expected, and if something were to happen that would necessitate spending the night out there… it would be a very long night indeed.

The bottom line is that you cannot be prepared for everything.  You can carry as much with you backpacking as you can so that if something were to happen you would be as comfortable as possible, you can save all your money instead of spend it so that if the economy collapses or some other unforeseen expense comes up you can handle it, you can wear your seat belt and drive the speed limit and still be in a car crash, you can have all your ducks in a row and still a tidal wave can come through and smash everything to pieces.  You never know what’s gonna happen.

Family Reunion

It seems like everyone always has stories from family reunions.  Until this last week, I had never been to one.  Turns out they’re pretty great.

My immediate and closely extended* family is small.  On my mom’s side I have two first cousins, two aunts, two uncles, and two grandparents, all of whom I love dearly.  For my mom however, she has quite a few aunts, uncles, and cousins, and the tree just keeps extending and branching the farther you go back.  So it was pretty cool to meet all those people whom I had only ever heard about in stories or whose existence I didn’t know about at all**.

I love Alaska; I love everything about it there.  Growing up in Alaska has been a wonderful experience, and although I do not have a plan for my life at present I wouldn’t be surprised to find myself back there 5 or 10 years from now.  I do not however, love being so far away from family.  I get to see my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins about every other year, which is fantastic considering the distance between us.  As for the rest of the family, my parents’ aunts and uncles, my second cousins, and everyone else who is in the family by some relation or another, most of them I’ve never met.  Of the 50 some people who showed up this weekend, I only knew 8 prior to the reunion.

My family tree***
(I'm somewhere over on the left)

*Oxymoron? (closely extended… as to mean my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and first cousins)

**I have a cousin named Emily who is only a couple years older than me!

***I also love how it keeps growing every year!

Oh, Hello Watermelon

So there’s this fruit called watermelon that they have in most areas of our country, and then there’s this stuff they call watermelon that they have in Alaska.  And let me tell you, as a self-appointed watermelon connoisseur, they are NOT the same thing.  So one of the many enjoyments of visiting the east coast, in addition to visiting family, hot weather (not sure if this counts as an “enjoyment” when it’s over 100 degrees…), sweet corn, and thunderstorms, is watermelon. 

I really like food.  And the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree for this one.  My mom loves food, and consequently, my granddad LOVES food.  This is all fantastic in my opinion.  Freshly caught Chesapeake Bay blue crab, homemade vanilla ice cream with fresh peach sauce, sweet corn only done right if butter is dripping from your elbows as my granddad says, and of course, watermelon.

Hike Alaska

This is my new favorite book…

Hiking Alaska

Summer (and heck also Winter) memories from my childhood revolve around being drug up mountains, across ravines, around lakes, and over rivers all throughout Alaska.  Every weekend despite my protests of how we always got lost (true, even today), how it was too cold (true, even today), and how I was tired (not so true today) my mom would make me go anyway.  Well, I guess something in that parenting method worked, because even though all my memories involve miserable Emily, today I am ready to go.  In the last couple weeks, I have hiked nine out of ten days. 

Friday: Bird Ridge

Saturday: Twin Peaks (sorta)

Monday: Hatcher’s Pass/Thunderbird Falls

Tuesday: The Butte

Wednesday: Lazy

Thursday: Red Shirt Lake in

Friday: Red Shirt Lake out

Saturday: Pioneer Peak

Sunday: Flattop

It was a GREAT nine days, and it is shaping up to be the BEST summer ever