Spain Part II - Montserrat

On Day 2, James and I took a small detour from Barcelona. We went to Montserrat, a monestary that lies within the mountains of Catalonia. It is indescribable (and these pics don't do it justice). We took a train to the city that lies just outside of the mountains. Then we jumped on another train that slowing climbs the mountains. Once you get up there, there are a couple buildings - the actual monestary, a museum (which was being renovated), a few restaurants, a gift shop, etc. Surrounding this little group of buildings are amazingly tall rock mountain boulders on one side, and a view of Spain terrain that stretches forever on the other side. Here are a few pics...






James and I were racing to get up to Montserrat in time for the boys choir - which sing in the monastery at 1pm on Sundays. However, we missed it barely. But, we didn't miss the excellent festival that was going on. There was a live band and some sort of traditional dance performance. There were oldies, adults, youth, and little kiddies all dressed and performing to traditional Spanish music in traditional clothing. It was very cultural and very excellent.





In the monastery is the Black Madonna, which James and I waited like an hour to see in person. According to tradition, the Black Virgin of Montserrat was carved by St. Luke around 50 AD. It was then hidden in a cave until it was rediscovered in 880 AD. Legend has it that shepherds saw a bright light and heard heavenly music which led them to the statue. Pretty cool.





Here is the a shot of the rock formations from a different angle. They look like they are almost serrated. Legend has it that they were carved by angels with golden saws.



So, that is Montserrat. A Spain must-see. Gorgeous. It made me want to be a monk-ette.

Look forward to the next post - it will include Pamplona, San Sebastian, and Basque Country!!!!!!

Memorial Day

I will post more about my trip to Spain this week, but I wanted to do a Memorial Day post.

This year, Memorial Day has taken on a different meaning for me. In my nursing school clinicals this summer, I have been able to spend time at the VA. I have been able to learn more of what these veterans have really sacrificed. They have given far more than a couple years service fighting for our country. I have heard their tragic stories. I have seen the effects of war on their life. While many men have given their lives, many others are forced to live each day with haunting memories. I have been brought to tears many times this week as I sat and talked with these honorable men. I cannot express my gratitude for them.

This evening, my mom and I went to put flowers on my dads grave. We drove by the section of the cemetery with the white crosses for those that have served our country in the military. I was prouder than ever to see my dad's name among them.

So, this Memorial Day, I salute those that have served or are serving our country. I pray for you.

HIghlights of Espana - Part 1 (Barcelona)

Well, I am back from Spain. And so sad to be back. Let me first say that this trip was by far the amazing trip of my life. I love Spain so much and want to quit the USA and move there. James was the perfect little travel friend - and we had a great time. I am going to do a spotlight on the different places that we went.

If I wrote everything we did, this would be a trillion pages long. We were there for 2 days and had PACKED IN days. So, instead, I will share a couple highlights from Barcelona......

(Note: I dont have pics of the Barcelona vs. Villareal football game that we went to - but that was definitely one of the best highlights of Barcelona. James brought his camera though, but I haven't gotten his pics yet - when I do, I will post a pic or two.)



So, we flew into Barcelona - landing at like 8 am Barcelona time. We took a picture to capture our excitement of being in ESPANA!!!!




We stayed at a place called Hotel Ginebra. This is James in the little elevator - it was smashy. Our hotel was right in the square of Placa de Catalunya. It was the perfect location and our hotel room as tiny times 300. I could lay in my bed next to the wall and stick out and touch James' bed, which was against the opposite wall. We decided it was nice to have a teeny place, it made us want to be out and about more.




One of the first places we saw was Casa Batilo, a little apartment building designed by Gaudi built in the early 1900s. This is a pic of the outside. Gaudi was an amazing man. He was very forward thinking with his design. When he graduated from architecture school (or whatev is was called), his professors said he was either insane or a genius.




Here is a pic of Casa Mila - a different Gaudi building. We took a tour of this one. It was very nice and built especially with use of outdoor light as you can see here.




Here is another shot from inside. Since Gaudi wanted to use outside light, he had little courtyard/atriums in the building (I think there are 3 in this building). These courtyards allowed natural lighting to fill the apartments with light. Here is a shot looking up from one of them.




Here is a shot of some of the famous architecture on the roof of Casa Mila. As you can see from all of these pictures, Gaudi did not use a lot of sharp angles in his design. He actually used a look of curves and arches. I will not go into the process of how he did it, but it was an amazing process of how he figures the angles of his arches and curves.




Next we headed over to another Gaudi masterpiece - La Sagrada Familia. This might be one of my very favorite things about Spain. This building is indescribable. This was supposed to be Gaudi's lifetime masterpiece; however, he was not able to finish it before his accidental death. It is actually still being finished and will probably be another 10 years before it is complete. On top you can see the spires - there are twelve which represent the 12 apostles. There will be two more that will sit on top that will make the building twice as tall as it is now - one will represent the Virgin Mary and the even taller one will be in homage to Christ. Every single detail of this building - and there are millions - has religious symbolism. The inside is extraordinary. Gaudi used a lot of natural light and very tall arches. The arches are made to look like trees - as Gaudi found much inspiration from nature.




This is a view of one of the sides of the building - the Last Days and Crucifixion. This is a shot of the top of it - the crucifixion. However, the entire side of the building tells the story of the last days of Christ. Gaudi used very sharp edges and tight angles to illustrate the seriousness of the message.




This is one of the other sides of the building which represents the early years of Christ. As you can see, it is very ornate and flowing. This was done to show the happiness and hope of the youth of Christ.




Here is a mosaic of art on the ceiling of Park Guell. This was a little park that Gaudi designed - it was going to be a millionaires little gathering with many mansions built around it. However, the real estate was not sold, so it was never completely finished. The gardens around were gorgeous and the park had an amazing view of the city. Gaudi really was ahead of his time - if he had built this today it would be the richest and most successful living area in Barcelona.




Here is another view of Park Guell. James looks like funny.




We ate dinner at this little Tapas Bar that we stumbled across in Old Towne. It was excellent food. We had a lot of seafood and other Spainish-y foods. SO yummy. Oh, and I ate cheese.

I am Avoiding Studying for Finals.

So, rather than fill my head with important pediatric nursing info, I will write a couple thoughts. On Swine Flu. I know, I know. As if we have not heard enough about it already. But, let me just say...

Are you kidding me? It is a freaking flu! Come one guys! Yes, I understand that it is is spreading. Yes, I get that people have died. I even get that this flu is attacking the healthy middle-aged people (like myself) just like the influenza epidemic of 1918. I have taken Public Nursing, Epidemiology, and many other classes where we have studied the disease progression and implications of a pandemic like this. And I totally get that it can be serious.

But, it is a flu. Wash your hands, stay home of you are sick.

Do people really even understand that each year almost 65,000 people die in the US from the regular flu. So, now we have a new strain - the swine flu. Not that big of a deal. It is treatable with Tamaflu and the US has already distributed stockpiles of Tamaflu to the states in preparation.

So, it is not that I don't care or that I am going to go try to catch the swine flu. But I feel such frustration that America freaks out over this flu - which is even a weakened strain here in America - when we have such bigger health issues that no one cares about. Five of the top six leading causes for death in the US are - heart disease, cancer, stroke, lung disease, and diabetes (according to the CDC). Do you recognize that incidence of these diseases could be greatly, greatly lowered by living a healthy lifestyle? By eating right? Exercising? Not smoking? That is why I am so frustrated with the swine flu. Cause I will go to work as a nurse and watch hundreds of people come to the hospital and eventually die from preventable diseases - and America seems not to recognize this pandemic. However, a few people get the flu and the nation is glued to the TV about the swine flu pandemic.

Spring Break (about a month ago)

Decided it was time to fill in on spring break happenings..... I went skiing two days in a row and then went to Moab. It was excellent.


Amber riding the tunnel to Mineral Basin - We had an excellent skiing adventure day.



Amber and I at the top of Mineral Basin - Once again one of our skiing adventure days.




Moab at our Condo: Ron, Amber, Jon, Lara, and Allison - About 30 of us went down and got a couple condos for the weekend. It was amazingly nice weather and SO nice to get away from school and nursing school for a few days.



Sammy carb loading before the Moab half. (Yes, he ate it all. I told him he was being a champ Asian - just like the ones in the hot dog eating contests.)



Amber and I after the Moab Half. Let me honest, I hit a personal record this year in the half - my very worst time EVER!!!! (Like 2 hours and 12 min) OOPS - Sad, funny, and true. Actually I still had a great time. Amber caught up to me at mile 9ish as I was exhausted and was being a slow-y. I hit my breaking point at about mile 11 - I really felt fine quitting, but like the champ sister that she is, she made me keeping running (but I convinced her into a few sections of walking).



Amber, Stacey, Tommy, Allison, Sammy - A group of us went to Delicate Arch and this is a few of us. It had been a while since I had seen the license plate arch in real life - and it is still pretty (but still I would have rather done Cable Arch - shout out Jonny B).



Me, Jon, Kyley, Karl, and Natalie - A few more of the Delicate Arch group.



Thank you for Karl's Arm - If it wasn't totally creepy I would have taken a pic of more than just this arm - that dude has a muscle or two.



Steve and Kyley



One of the few pics I have of myself on the trip (the other two are posted above). Sad.



Tommy and the sheep

Capstone...

So, I know what I am doing for my capstone! It is official - the NICU. Holla back!

This I Believe

Okay. So, for some reason I have a major love for NPR (note the name of my blog). I listen to it most of the time in my car. Maybe I just like the sound of voices over commercials, Brittany Spears, and Akon. In any case, I started listening to NPR about 3 years ago and still have not quit the kick. One of my all time fav spots is "This I Believe" (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4538138).

So, anyways... About 2 1/2 years ago, I wrote my own "This I Believe" essay. It was just a bit after my dad died and I think I wrote about healing. In any case, it was probably over-emotional and filled with absurd amounts of passion - but let's be honest, would you expect anything different from me?

When I was not paying attention in class on Friday, my friend Steve and I were g-chatting. We got off on "This I Believe" somehow and I told him about the essay I had written years earlier. I then was trying to search my computer and email for the old essay I wrote - but to no avail. However, I did find a past "This I Believe" essay that had stirred strong emotions...

Exhibit: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10536016

Please read this article and feel free to comment or send me your thoughts.

Now, let me tell you my thoughts - I feel absolutely passionate against the principles contained in this article. I do not believe in settling - not in my marriage choice or in any other major part of life. I never will. This article absolutely depresses me. Sure, settling is easy and most definately comfortable - but why settle for a easy and comfortable life where they is so much to experience and live for?

Let me first say - I am not expecting a fairytale life filled with my very own steamy prince charming who worships the ground I walk on, perfect and beautiful and smart children, and noble and prestigious achievements. But if any of those cards are in my hand, I will gladly put them in my back pocket.

The authors states, "Settling, in my sense, is about acceptance." To that I argue that if this type of thinking was accepted by all, the world would never have had improvement. Was anything great ever accomplished merely because people were willing to accept their current circumstances? I argue no. I argue that any great accomplishment ever made was made by someone willing to not settle - it took someone willing to fight against settling, someone willing to find a better way. Greatness does not come from settling. And that is what I want - greatness.

So for now, I am not willing to settle. I hope I never change that drive. Sure I settle daily in the small things - I settle with decisions such as what I will wear or what I will eat for breakfast. But with the real substance of life - who I choose to be, what I choose to do with my life, what I focus my efforts and thoughts on, and who I chose to spend my time with - there will be no settling here.

Thank Goodness for Easter

A few favorites....

“And now, as pertaining to this perfect atonement, wrought by the shedding of the blood of God—I testify that it took place in Gethsemane and at Golgotha, and as pertaining to Jesus Christ, I testify that he is the Son of the Living God and was crucified for the sins of the world. He is our Lord, our God, and our King. This I know of myself independent of any other person. I am one of his witnesses, and in a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears. But I shall not know any better then than I know now that he is God’s Almighty Son, that he is our Savior and Redeemer, and that salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no other way. God grant that all of us may walk in the light as God our Father is in the light so that, according to the promises, the blood of Jesus Christ his Son will cleanse us from all sin.” - Bruce R. McConkie, “The Purifying Power of Gethsemane,” Ensign, May 1985, 9

“I cannot with composure tell you how I feel about the Atonement. It touches the deepest emotion of gratitude and obligation. My soul reaches after Him who wrought it, this Christ, our Savior of whom I am a witness. I testify of Him. He is our Lord, our Redeemer, our advocate with the Father. He ransomed us with His blood.
Humbly I lay claim upon the atonement of Christ. I find no shame in kneeling down in worship of our Father and His son. For agency is mine, and this I choose to do!” - Boyd K. Packer, “Atonement, Agency, Accountability,” Ensign, May 1988, 69

We long for the ultimate blessing of the Atonement—to become one with Him, to be in His divine presence, to be called individually by name as He warmly welcomes us home with a radiant smile, beckoning us with open arms to be enfolded in His boundless love. How gloriously sublime this experience will be if we can feel worthy enough to be in His presence! The free gift of His great atoning sacrifice for each of us is the only way we can be exalted enough to stand before Him and see Him face-to-face. The overwhelming message of the Atonement is the perfect love the Savior has for each and all of us. It is a love which is full of mercy, patience, grace, equity, long-suffering, and, above all, forgiving. James E. Faust, “The Atonement: Our Greatest Hope,” Ensign, Nov 2001, 18

Isaiah 49:14-16
But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.
Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.
Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

My 25

Everyone has been doing the 25 things on Facebook. Well, I guess that was like 6 weeks ago. But, I wanna do it. So here are mine....

1 - I could live off fresh fruit, seafood, bread, and dark chocolate for the rest of my life.

2 - I have a perfect driving record - never gotten a ticket, never gotten pulled over (except once when my registration wasn't shown as being current - but it was up-to-date and I showed her and she let me go).

3 - I love doing research and am loving a research project I am helping with at school. But this love is not just in school. Every once and a while I find a topic that I have to learn more about - and then I do. Recent examples - WWII, the FLDS/polygamy, cancer, the pathology of different disease, etc.

4 - I love/hate to read. If it is a book that I am interested in, I can't put it down. If it is a book that I am not absolutely intrigued with, I can't read it to save my life.

5 - I have only been out of the country once - to Canada, which doesn't even really count. However, I am going to Spain with James and Allison in a couple months. HOLLA!!!!

6 - I LOVE Harry Potter and LOTR. I think Twilight sucks.

7 - I love puppies. Every kind. I want a puppy really, really bad.

8 - I wrote in for Ron Paul in the last election - but am glad Obama won.

9 - I feel passionate about healthcare policy. Don't get me started or I won't stop.

10 - I love manilla colored foods the most. (Shout out to Shirk!)

11 - I love the movie You've Got Mail. I could watch it 100 times in a row and never get sick of it. It is the best night of my life when I can curl up on a rainy night and watch You've Got mail while eating popcorn.

12 - I love skiing. Love it, love it, and love it. This may not seem true since I only went 3 times this year, but I LOVE it.

13 - I can beat anyone in the world in Dr. Mario. Except Robyn Brooks or James King.

14 - If I could ride my bike everywhere I went, I would. It is currently out commission with a bent back tire.

15 - I cried when I crossed the finish line of my first triathlon. I didn't do amazing or anything - but I feel weirdly motivated by anything sporty. Also, I cried when I watched a man pull a disabled kid the entire LOTOJA course.

16 - I have the best friends of anyone in the entire world. Seriously.

17 - I want to learn to oil paint. I took a class in college and loved it.

18 - When I was little I wanted a dolphin. I drew up plans of how we could fit a tank in out backyard. I never thought anything was impossible.

19 - I hate being told no. I don't mean I hate when I don't get my way. I hate being told I can't do something.

20 - In the color code book, I am as blue as they get.

21- I most definitely sing my face off when driving alone in the car. As I approach a car on my side, I stop, but as soon as I am out of eye sight the boisterousness beings again.

22 - I am 25 years old and just finally feeling like I have my life figured out.

23 - I love NPR and talk stuff I hear on there daily.

24 - I love pearls. And white orchids. Someday when I get married, I will wear pearls and have a bouquet of white orchids.

25 - I love life. Like, I love it. I have my own tin cup, candy cane, a little cake, and a penny. (10 points for knowing what that means).

As of Late

Hey Hey! I have not written in a long time. And not much is new. I am still in school, still working a lot, etc. But I am feeling like it is time for a new post. So, here is a catch up of the highlights of my last 6 months or so.


Our fam went out to St. Louis for my cousins wedding. It was pretty posh. Here is me and Amber...




When we were there, Megan happened to be in town too! We were excited!!!!!




Amber and I went to NYC. She is the best sister ever and gave me a plane ticket for my birthday. We stayed with Meg and Mitz (thank you bffs) and did many excellent things - including winning front row tickets to Wicked. Here is us at the top of the Met.




Still in NYC, near the WTC.




One day, Amber, Tommy, Sammy, Kyley, and I ate a lot of fries. This may not seem like a big deal - but it is a huge change from the normal Bajios, Rio, or Maverick frozen yogurt.




Kate and Syn came to town!




A bunch of friends went up to Sun Valley. Some people went to Dollar Mountain, but this is the crew that hit up Sun Valley. Snow was fine, nothing excellent - BUT the terrain was awesome and the company even better. Thanks to Rob for letting us stay at his place. Thanks to Adam for the sweet hook-up on the day passes. It was a great trip!




Welp, that is me lately. You are probably wondering what is coming up? Let me tell you.... Moab Half marathon, Salt Lake marathon (my first full), St. George trip with ward, Spain with James (?), graduating from Nursing school, and hopefully getting a puppy when I finish school!!!

Also, I still dont know what field of nursing I want to go into - so if you have ideas, please tell me!