moab {climbing in the sun}

saturday morning we drove another hour to the climbing mecca of the desert, indian creek.

we haven't been here for years. it was good to see the red rock cliffs again,

and to feel the sun while belaying and eating good licorice.

i haven't climbed in over six years for many reasons. so i thought i'd give it a go.

i'm back to the beginning again. my muscles aren't made for climbing anymore.

i'm still processing how i feel about reuniting with my harness, shoes, and tape.

the point is, i was happy to be outside in the desert. it truly gave me a gift.

i was so anxious about my paper, but i knew i had to just start writing.

the desert gave me that start. it quieted my mind and let my fingers type words.

i presented my paper in class on tuesday, and all was well.

thank you, desert.

our weekend in moab according to my lil' phone : a preview overload

it was good to see the red rock against blue skies, and to feel the sun through a mildly cool breeze.

there was a little climbing, a little hiking, and a lot of eating.

more photos to come after i present a paper to my class tomorrow afternoon. very. very. nervous.

i keep trying to think of the desert to calm my nerves.

my presentation will be over tomorrow, but the desert will always be waiting for me. thank goodness.

leaving this desk for the red rock desert

i've been at my desk all week working on a paper...which of course i have thrown in the trash

as i've realized i need to start from square one. oh the joys of literary criticism.

part of me wonders if i should even be going on a little road trip down south to the desert this weekend

since i've got a lot of writing to do, but that part of me, fortunately, is quite faint.

i think i'm too tired to worry about being responsible this weekend...

though i will be bringing my laptop, books, and notes with all intentions of waking before the rest of the crew

to think about essential movements of a culture, the macro and the micro, represented in a travel novel.

wish me luck.

can't wait for a little sunshine and vast, beautiful scenery to bathe in.

happy weekend!

the yurt {part two} : staying warm with a blanket of clouds, down puffy coats, breakfast burritos, and bearded men

turns out that time flies when you have your nose burried in 18th century british literature...

sorry for the delay in posting the second round of our yurt trip. so without further a do, here they are!

i can't believe it's been almost two weeks. what a delicious trip this was. i'm still dreaming about it.

on our ski in there was a wonderful snow storm that dropped those beautiful big flakes on us.

it was nice to have the faster group at the yurt waiting for us with a fire. so so cozy.

i enjoyed spending such a lovely trip with some of my favorite people. so good for my heart.

i love that all of us women have all fallen in love with bearded men. i guess we have a type.

here's to many more winters of fantastic yurt trips!