I've Moved!

(The blog, that is)

www.paigebolton.wordpress.com

See you there!

Yesterday

Yesterday, I took pictures.

Matt Romero at the Santa Fe Farmer's Market

Our friends JC and Rae

The press was out covering the March Against Monsanto

Santa Fe's March Against Monsanto

Congregating at the Roundhouse for
Santa Fe's March Against Monsanto

At home in the afternoon

Nick is always my photography subject

Sunset hike to Castle Rock, Santa Fe

Sunset over Santa Fe

Watching the sunset from Castle Rock

My favorite photo of the day: Clouds after sunset from Castle Rock

The Most Powerful Thing

In the past couple days, I have been pondering the concept of "power".  What is the most powerful thing?

Love.

Love is the most powerful thing.  In the world, the universe, the multiverses and whatever lies beyond. Love, without any other motivation.  Just pure, unconditional love (which is actually more rare than one would hope).

Why love?

Think about unconditional love. It is ceaseless, timeless, boundless. It is not logical.  Perhaps deeply biological, but not logical.

That love is so incredibly powerful.  By loving unconditionally, a person doesn't have any expectations or desires of the other person.

The traditional route to power - hatred and oppression - leads to rebellion.  But who would rebel against love?

Imagine if you truly loved every single human on this planet. Yes, there would be the handful of people who may want to take advantage of that love, but most people would eventually love you back.  And if (almost) every person on this planet loves you... what could be more powerful than that?  You would never be homeless or hungry.

You would never be in need of a single thing.

Imagine if every being on this planet loved one another. There would be no suffering at the hands of man.

And here's the twist...By loving, you have no desire for power.  That disregard for control - the lack of want or expectation - is the most powerful thing.

"I lift my eyes and all is born again."

e.e. cummings

i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday; this is the birth
day of life and love and wings: and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any--lifted from the no
of all nothing--human merely being
doubt unimaginably You?
(now the ears of my ears awake and now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

-e.e. cummings

you are here

"Driving Directions to Santa Fe"

That would be significantly out of the way.

This is actually the map of what my life - with Nick - is going to look like from July 9th until ??  And, just to add, this does not include July 1-9, which is driving from Santa Fe to Denver, flying to DC, taking a bus to NYC and flying back into Denver.

We just bought a car on Friday and I sold my car about an hour ago. I gave my notice at work on Thursday.   This past week has been exciting, crazy, maybe a little scary... and it's only the beginning of the adventure.

Yellowstone National Park, Glacier National Park, Banff National Park, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Denali National Park, Gates of the Arctic National Park, The ALCAN Highway, Vancouver, The Pacific Northwest, Mount Rushmore, Acadia National Park...etc.

So, it is likely that I will have a lot of blog updates pertaining to this trip.  Or, unlikely, depending on how much internet is available along the way!

2 countries
3 weddings
230 hours driving time
2,000 dollars in gas
13,000 miles across North America

Rumi

The Flaming Lips at SXSW

The Flaming Lips performing the entire album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots live. Yes!

Happy Earth Day 2013

Self is Only an Idea

Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, New Mexico

"Self is only an idea, a mortal idea. That which passes into everything is one thing. It's a dream already ended. There's nothing to be afraid of and nothing to be glad about. I know this from staring at mountains months on end. They never show any expression, they are like empty space. Do you think the emptiness of space will ever crumble away? Mountains will crumble, but the emptiness of space, which is the one universal essence of mind, the vast awakenerhood, empty and awake, will never crumble away because it was never born.”   - Jack Kerouac

Grand Canyon, April 2011

"The heaven and the earth and all in between, thinkest thou I made them in jest?" -The Quran

The Grand Canyon, April 2011

Her Morning Elegance

Her Morning Elegance /Oren Lavie from O L on Vimeo.

Around the House this Lazy Saturday Morning

Photos of things around the house this morning, as they were. 

Budding Tree

One of my Paintings

Old Window Frame

Red Chile Pods from Hatch, NM

Oliver's Face

Christmas Corks

Lightning Bark

Updated Book List

For those who care... ha!

1.  Wind, Sand & Stars, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
2. The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
3. The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway*
4. A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway*
5. The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien*
6. Under the Banner of Heaven, Jon Krakauer
7. The Nigger of the 'Narcissus': A Tale of the Sea, Joseph Conrad
8. Afterwards, You're a Genius, Chip Brown
9. Fire in the Mind: Science, Faith, and the Search for Order, George Johnson
10. The God Theory: Universes, Zero-Point Fields and What's Behind It All, Bernard Haisch
11. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, Barbara Kingsolver
12. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
13. One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez*
14. The Abolition of Man, C.S. Lewis
15. Tortilla Flat, John Steinbeck
16. The Elegant Universe, Brian Greene
17. Celebrity, Laphram's Quarterly Volume IV Number I
18. Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs, Chuck Klosterman

Almost halfway done.  It's painful to not be able to start new books right now.   However, Nick and I are reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy out loud together, so I have some variety.

Hard Heart

"A hard heart is no infallible protection against a soft head."

- C.S. Lewis

Vegan Feast (Gluten-Free, too!)

My sister came to visit this past week.  She and I spent a few hours cooking vegan treats and recipes we'd been wanting to try.  Here is our spread...

After waiting a couple hours to become hungry again (the best thing about making vegan cookies is the ability to eat the raw batter), we feasted with Nick.  During our post-meal lethargy, we reviewed all of the recipes and rated them.  Here is what we came up with...

In the sweets department:

1st Place:  Veganomicon's Orange Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies: Slightly crunchy outside, gooey inside.  The chocolate and orange flavors really complimented each other. 

2nd Place: Oh She Glow's Coconut Macaroon Thumbprints with Raspberry Chia Seed Jam:  Sweet, salty and crunchy.  Reminded me of Samoa Girl Scout cookies. 

3rd Place: Veganomicon's Jelly Doughnut Cupcake: Last only because something had to be last... Kira loved this but I was only so-so... I am not a cupcake person nor am I a huge jam person.

In the non-sweets department:

1st Place: Chef Chloe's Black Bean Sliders: This vegan "burger" turned Kira into a veggie burger person.  And that's a big deal!  It has all the flavor of traditional Mexican food but in a burger form.  

2nd Place: Roasted Chickpeas: I had heard of this as a healthy snack and decided to try it.  I think they needed to roast a bit longer and I will do that next time.  But they were a good snack while we made the rest of the food. 

3rd Place: Edible Perspective's Cauliflower Chickpea Puree: This spread was like a light hummus.  I thought it was a bit underseasoned... Next time I'll use less cauliflower. 

And here's the recipes!  We tweaked them a bit, so I will write in what we actually used.

Orange Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies 

2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour (We used Trader Joe's)

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup coconut oil
1 cups sugar
4 teaspoons ground flaxseeds
1/2 cup almond milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and coat two baking sheets with coconut oil.
2. Combine all dry ingredients into a large bowl, and mix with a fork to combine.
3. Add the sugar and coconut oil into another large bowl, and stir with a fork until combined. Add the almond milk, vanilla extract, flaxseed, and orange zest. Mix well with a fork.
4. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring with a fork to combine after each addition. If it gets too dry, use your hands. Once all the ingredients are combined, fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Use a tablespoon to drop it onto the baking sheets, leaving one inch between each cookie because they'll spread.
6. Bake for 10 minutes. 

Coconut Macaroon Thumbprints with Raspberry Chia Seed Jam

1.5 cups shredded coconut
1 cup almond meal/flour

1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt

1/4 cup agave

1/4 cup coconutoil, softened

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the chia seed jam (we cheated)

1/2 cup raspberry jam

1 tbsp chia seeds

Instructions:

1. For the chia seed jam: Combine raspberry jam and chia seeds and let sit for a few minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 275 and coat a baking sheet with coconut oil.
3. In a large bowl, combine the coconut, almond flour (or meal), and salt.
4. Melt the coconut oil over a very low heat.
5. Add agave, coconut oil, and vanilla into the dry mixture and stir very well until combined. The dough will be very wet and sticky, but this is normal.
6. Grab a couple tablespoons of dough at a time with your hands and drop it onto the baking sheet. With a wet finger, press a well into the middle and lightly shape the outsides if necessary. Repeat for the rest. Fill each well with jam. The macaroons don’t spread out so there’s no need to space them far apart.
7. Bake at 275 for 20 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake for another 10-20 minutes (We baked for 40 minutes total) until the bottoms are lightly golden and browned, but not burned. They burn easily, so keep them on the top rack and maybe even reduce the oven heat a bit.

Jelly Doughnut Cupcakes

1 cup almond milk 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons potato starch 1 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup coconut oil 2/3 cup granulated sugar 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract About 1/3 cup raspberry jam

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Pour the almond milk, vinegar and potato starch into a measuring cup and set aside.
3. If using a muffin pan, line it with paper liners (we used silicone cupcake molds)
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. Create a well in the center if the flour to pour your wet ingredients into.
5. Stir the almond milk mixture with a fork to dissolve the cornstarch, then pour into the flour mixture. Add the oil, sugar, and vanilla. Stir until well combined.
6. Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full with batter. Place a heaping teaspoonful of jam on the center of each cupcake. You don’t need to press down in the jam or do anything else; the baking will take care of all of that and it will sink in.
7. Bake for 21 to 23 minutes. The tops should be firm.
8. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on wire racks

Black Bean Burgers

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 onion, finely chopped 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained 1 small carrot, peeled and finely diced or shredded (about ½ cup) ½ cup frozen corn kernals ½ cup cornmeal ½ cup breadcrumbs 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon sea salt ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro ¼ cup water

Instructions:

1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add onions and let cook until tender and slightly caramelized, about 20 minutes. Transfer onions to a large bowl. Reserve skillet for later use.
2. Add beans, carrots, cornmeal, breadcrumbs, chili powder, salt, cilantro, and water to the bowl of onions. Use a large spoon or your hands to mash it all together. If the mixture is too dry to hold together, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
3. Using your hands, form the bean mixture into patties, to match the size of your slider buns. In the reserved nonstick skillet, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat, and pan-fry patties about 3 minutes on each side, until lightly browned and crisp. Add more oil to the skillet as needed. Drain patties on paper towels.
4. After this, I baked mine in the oven for 10 minutes because I found the insides of the burgers to be a bit too moist

Roasted Chickpeas

1 (15 ounce) can of chickpeas

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon of salt

½ teaspoon of pepper

1 pinch of cayenne pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Drain and rinse chickpeas
3. In a bowl, combine chickpeas with all other ingredients
4. Spread out on pan and bake for 15-20 minutes

Cauliflower Chickpea Puree

1 head cauliflower, core removed + chopped 1 can cooked chickpeas 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk 1 tablespoon Earth Balance buttery spread 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon dried basil 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 3 cloves garlic, pressed

1 pinch of cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions:

1. Steam the cauliflower until very tender (15 minutes or so).
2. Place in a blender or food processor with all other ingredients, starting with 1/2 cup milk.
3. Blend or process until smooth.
4. Taste and add more salt/pepper/spices if desired and blend again

Enjoy!

Small Steps

“Little by little, one travels far.”

- J.R.R. Tolkien  

Cheese

I have been on and off vegan for the past two and a half years.  Most of 2011 I was "on" and a good portion of last year was "off".   I was doing it for health reasons.  Honestly, I never thought about animal cruelty until 5 years ago.  Having been raised vegetarian, I turned a blind eye to PETA and other animal rights organizations because I thought I was already doing the right thing.  

Until I read this article, I was only vegan due to my natural aversion to milk and eggs, as well as my hereditary high cholesterol   After reading this article, I decided to research the dairy, wool, down, silk and leather industries.  What I have discovered is shocking and horrifying.

I don't want to tell anybody what to do.  Instead, I am just going to spread the information that has opened my eyes and changed my diet for good. 

--

I Couldn’t Give Up Cheese, So I Gave Up Animal Cruelty Instead

POSTED ON FEBRUARY 17, 2012 BY JO

I used to think I could never give up cheese. After all, it was my very favorite food. When my husband and I would eat out at fancy restaurants, I wouldn’t even look at the entrées or desserts; I’d just order the cheese plate. Brie, havarti, gouda, goat, stilton, gorgonzola, feta…I loved them all. I remember one time (before I knew the truth about animal agriculture) I went to a local bookstore and was flipping through a copy of Joel Fuhrman’s Eat To Live.  I was reading along, nodding in agreement as he described a diet which contained no meat, no fish, no eggs, no oil…and then I saw it: no cheese. Huh? Say again? What kind of joyless doctrine of abstention is this?  Fuuuhggit about it.

I quickly slammed the book shut and returned it to the shelf.

But then, soon after, three things happened:

#1 I learned that the dairy industry drives the veal industry. Just like humans, female cows need to give birth in order to produce milk. So the dairy industry is, by necessity, a baby-making industry. But only female calves are useful to dairy farmers. The males are considered unwanted byproducts, and are typically killed on site or sold at auction to veal producers. The mothers mourn and bellow for their stolen babies. I’ve seen footage of terrified, days-old calves with wobbly knees and their umbilical cords still attached being dragged by their ears onto the auction floor and it’s something I’ll never forget.

Once sold, they are confined to tiny crates designed to restrict their movement and fed an intentionally iron deficient diet of artificial milk supplements so their muscles won’t develop and their flesh will retain the pale, soft quality preferred by “gourmands.”  For a basic (non-graphic) overview of veal farming, click here.

At first, I believed this must only happen on large factory farms. My initial thought was that I might be able to avoid these cruel practices by buying “local” or “organic.” I did lots of research and even spoke in person with a couple dairy farmers in my community (hoping for reassurance). One told me that yes, they sold the calves for veal and acknowledged that it “upsets a lot of people.” Another told me she couldn’t bear to do it, so she bought an extra lot to allow the calves to just live there. I asked her how long she thought she’d be able to financially support those calves, since they consume a lot of resources and she would keep adding new calves every year.  And since cows can live for 20 years or more, I wondered how many “extra lots” was she prepared to buy in order to provide space for them all? She had no answers, and it was clear that her “solution” to this problem was unviable and unrealistic.

A friend in a more rural part of the country even told me about ads for “free calves” posted by local dairy farmers on craigslist. That’s what it’s come to. I’ve learned that there’s just no getting around it: when we’ve “got milk,” we’ve got dead baby cows. And dead mothers, too… eventually.

#2  I discovered that many cheeses are not even vegetarian since they contain rennet. Rennet is extracted from the stomach chambers of slaughtered young, unweaned calves. Ironically, the stomachs are a by-product of the veal industry.  (Although there are vegetarian forms of rennet, it is more commonly sourced from animals.)  So basically, cheese is made by mixing mothers’ milk with pieces of their dead babies’ stomachs.  If that’s not enough to turn someone off cheese, I don’t know what is.

#3 I learned how dairy cows are impregnated, and what happens to them once they’re “spent.” Their bodies are often so ravaged by the time they are slaughtered that their meat is only “good enough” for dog food, cheap tv dinners and stews. Many are lame with illness and disease, and have to be dragged or pushed to slaughter with forklifts. These animals are known as downers.

I recognize that cheese is addictive and for many people, giving it up can be difficult. If you find yourself craving animal cheese, remember that it’s just temporary and it will pass. In time, you’ll likely find that you don’t miss it in the least. For me, what ultimately helped was changing my way of thinking. I didn’t think of “giving up cheese,” rather, I thought of “giving up animal cruelty.” And that made all the difference.

If a former certifiable cheese-junkie like me can go vegan, there’s hope for you, too.

Source

Into the Wild

Anna Karenina

"The words the peasant had spoken produced in his soul the effect of an electric spark, suddenly transforming and welding into one a whole group of disjointed impotent separate ideas which had always interested him.  These ideas, though he had been unconscious of them, had been in his mind when he was talking about letting the land.
He felt something new in his soul and probed this something with pleasure, not yet knowing what it was."

- From Anna Karenina  

In the Woods

"In the woods, we return to reason and faith. There I feel that nothing can befall me in life, — no disgrace, no calamity, (leaving me my eyes,) which nature cannot repair. Standing on the bare ground, — my head bathed by the blithe air, and uplifted into infinite space, — all mean egotism vanishes. I become a transparent eye-ball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or particle of God."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson 

New Zealand Timelapse

This is visually stunning and one of the many reasons why I will eventually live in New Zealand.

Day/Night (New Zealand) from malcolm tan on Vimeo.

Photography You Should See: Part 2

Continued from Photography You Should See: Part 1

Nikkos Economopoulos - Greece  (1953) 
(Source)

Jacques-Henri Lartigue - Gerard Willemetz and Dani, Royan, 1926 (1926)
(Source)

-

For the following photos, all manipulation has been done in a darkroom.

-

Jerry Uelsmann - Untitled (2003)
(Source) 

Jerry Uelsmann - Untitled (1969)
(Source)

Salvador Dali - Atomicus (1948)
(Source)

Jerry Uelsmann - Untitled (1996)
(Source)

Jerry Uelsmann - Untitled (1966)
(Source)

like the ebb of a tide

like the ebb of a tide

people drift

in and out.

come swim with me

their eyes whisper.

come let's go

dive into this ocean

together.

Why I Love Apple Cider Vinegar

After the amazing Southern New Mexico adventure, I came home covered in hives.  I speculated it was due to the diet and accommodations from our trip. However, after the hives went away I broke out in a rash that I am pretty sure was eczema, something I used to get quite a bit when I was younger.

Because of this, I began taking about an ounce of organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar.  I was only thinking about clearing up my rash (which went away pretty quickly) but I have noticed a bunch of amazing benefits, such as clear skin, strong nails and slightly longer eyelashes. 

Here's an extensive list of the benefits of ingesting unfiltered apple cider vinegar: 

• Clears up your skin - acne, rashes, hives, etc.
• Balances your body's PH, which helps with digestion and heartburn
• Acts as an appetite suppressant
• Improves the condition of hair and nails
• Wards of colds, stuffy noses and sore throats
• Helps reduce LDL (bad cholesterol)
• Prevents muscle fatigue after exercise & increases stamina
• Breaks down fats
• Lowers glucose levels
• Fights off allergies
• Increases energy
• Whitens teeth
• Reduces bloating and cramps
• Reduces joint stiffness and pain
• Anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal
• Removes toxins from the body
• It could lower blood pressure and the risk of heart disease, and potentially kill cancer cells

I fill half a shot glass with vinegar, then add a splash of water.  I also take it with about 5 - 8 ounces of water.  It tastes really, really bad.  But it is so, so good for me that I actually have begun to look forward to my twice-daily dose.  I do it once in the morning and once in the evening, preferably before eating.  You can also mix in honey (try raw, unfiltered) but I cannot due to do my strict meal plan prescribed from a holistic doctor. (I might add that not eating peanut butter is pure torture.)

I suggest you try it for a week or two just to see if it does anything for you.  I think it might.

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” Hippocrates

Updated List of Books I'm Reading (with More Books!)

Last weekend, almost everybody that I hang out with was out of town.  At first, I was kind of bummed out about it but I took advantage of my free time.  I went through my apartment and donated about 1/3rd of the stuff I had.  

I also reorganized my bookshelf and found more books with bookmarks.  So, here's an update:

1.  Wind, Sand & Stars, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
2. The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
3. The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway*
4. A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway*
5. The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien*
6. Under the Banner of Heaven, Jon Krakauer
7. The Nigger of the 'Narcissus': A Tale of the Sea, Joseph Conrad
8. Afterwards, You're a Genius, Chip Brown
9. Fire in the Mind: Science, Faith, and the Search for Order, George Johnson
10. The God Theory: Universes, Zero-Point Fields and What's Behind It All, Bernard Haisch
11. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, Barbara Kingsolver
12. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
13. One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez*
14. The Abolition of Man, C.S. Lewis
15. Tortilla Flat, John Steinbeck
16. The Elegant Universe, Brian Greene
17. Celebrity, Laphram's Quarterly Volume IV Number I
18. Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs, Chuck Klosterman

I am actually pretty excited to finish all of these books.  I rearranged my bookshelves in such a way that my main shelf is color-coordinated (an idea I picked up from Kadin's sister) and the bookshelf next to my bed has a row of unfinished books, in the order I would like to read them.  

My "new" bookshelf! I am so proud of this.

One thing I am constantly working on in my life is making the effort to follow through.  This book project is kind of a huge deal for me... a big step toward being more focused.  So, I am going to try to not be discouraged that my list became 50% longer!

"It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through." - Zig Ziglar

Langston Hughes: Peace

Picture from my journal, April 2007

Marie Howe: Prayer

Prayer

Every day I want to speak with  you. And every day something more
calls for my attention - the drugstore, the beauty products, the luggage

I need to buy for the trip
Even now I can hardly sit here

Among the talling piles of paper and clothing, the garbage trucks outside
Already screeching and banging.

The mystics say you are as close as my own breath.
Why do I flee from you?

My days and nights pour through me like complaints
and become a story I forgot to tell.

Help me. Even as I write these words, I am planning
to rise from the chair as soon as I finish this sentence.

-Marie Howe

Feeling Stagnant and Book List Update

Yesterday I had the post-vacation blues. Nick and I did a very fun cross-state adventure over the holidays... it was something I had been looking forward to for a few weeks (really, I had wanted to do this trip for a couple of years).  It was so much fun!

Then, yesterday, I hadn't packed a lunch and therefore needed to buy something from a nearby restaurant. In that moment, I felt as if I had already tried everything I could eat with my "different" (not restrictive!) diet.

I expressed this to Nick via a text message.  A couple hours later, he showed up at work.  I still hadn't eaten lunch (because I couldn't pick anything I wanted to eat).  We took a walk, I ordered a vegan burger from The Shed, and we talked about how I was feeling.

During the walk, I remembered that Nick was playing an open mic at Second Street that evening.  I remembered that he is going to L.A. this weekend and I am going next week.  I remembered that there's actually a lot to look forward to in life.

White Sands National Monument, New Mexico

Such as:

- Next weekend is one of my best friend's birthdays and we'll be going to Ojo Caliente, Gabriel's, and snowshoeing to San Antonio Hot Springs 
- My parents are coming to visit next month and we will be skiing, hiking and visiting breweries
- My sister is coming to visit in March and we will be going to Ojo Caliente again
- My sister is getting married this year and I will be able to see my entire extended family on both sides
- Nick and I will be visiting my dear friend Ally later this year in Whidbey Island, Washington

And there's so much more.

"It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves - in finding themselves." -Andre Gide

Also, a book list update:

1.  Wind, Sand & Stars, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
2. The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
3. The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway*
4. A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway*
5. The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien*
6. Under the Banner of Heaven, Jon Krakauer
7. The Nigger of the 'Narcissus': A Tale of the Sea, Joseph Conrad
8. Afterwards, You're a Genius, Chip Brown
9. Fire in the Mind: Science, Faith, and the Search for Order, George Johnson
10. The God Theory: Universes, Zero-Point Fields and What's Behind It All, Bernard Haisch
11. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, Barbara Kingsolver
12. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
13. One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez*