"I like being near the top of a mountain. One can't get lost here."

Rock Canyon, or as my roommates and I like to call it, Pride Rock

Monday has always been my least favorite day of the week; however, this week was a rare exception. For some time now, Provo hasn’t been able to make up its mind about whether {pun!} it’s still winter or finally spring. Monday was a beautiful spring day at 60 degrees, all the students lounging on the dead brown grass wishing the sun would never go away. It was the perfect day for a bike ride. As soon as I got done with my classes, I decided I would go explore Provo, something I haven’t done since I first moved here. With my Trek as my trusty steed, I left the BYU campus {finally} and decided to go wherever the road took me. That day, it happened to be Rock Canyon. I have always wanted to go there, especially because it is only about 20 minutes from where I live. But let me tell you, that was no easy bike ride. Since almost the entire bike route was uphill, I ended up walking my bike half the way there {I know, I should be ashamed}. Once there, I locked up my bike to a bench and headed up the smooth, gravel trail right behind the families and couples. It was such a beautiful day! The farther I walked, the more I could see of the crowded valley sandwiched between Rock Canyon and Utah Lake. I decided I wanted to be able to see the whole valley, so I left the trail and headed up the rocky surface of my mountain.

Best. Decision. Ever.

I haven’t felt that free for a long time! With so much homework, this was the first time this semester that I’ve been able to do something just for me. Who cared that I had a paper due the next day or two tests the following week? It was so exhilarating, climbing higher and higher until finally I turned around. Below me, busy Provo and Orem; up there with me, a gentle quiet breeze. It was my chance to clear my mind, enjoy the here-and-now, and muster the motivation I needed to go home and do everything on my to-do list. I wish I could have stayed up there longer but it was started to get late, so I began my descendent. That only took forever. But it was fun, surfboarding down on the loose rocks and dead weeds. The best part was looking back up the mountain side from the gravel trail and finding the pile of rocks I had sat on, pretty darn close to the top. Now, I know you’re not supposed to hike alone, and I’ll never do it again, but I am so happy I did this past Monday. I have finally conquered my first mountain.

View of the valley and Utah Lake

And in other news, today I received my travel guide to the Yucatán! {When I excitedly showed my co-worker, she laughed at me.} Now I won't be behind on the readings for my culture survey this coming Friday. I still can’t believe this is happening! I don’t think I’ve mentioned this in my previous post, but there’s a specific reason I am spending almost five grand on this study abroad. I am Mexican American. A Mexican American that can’t speak Spanish. I’m somewhat close, but when it comes to having a full-on conversation, I really struggle. That is why I’m going to México. Maybe when I come back I’ll be able to speak to my Spanish-speaking grandparents without the help of Google Translate. J

Thanks for reading. I really do appreciate it. More to come this weekend because I’m going to go pet some wild black bear cubs! In the mountains! {cliff hanger…}