Writing Conference

You know those dreams/goals you have that are absolutely thrilling when you think of accomplishing them, but, when you get down to it, make you nervous and completely self-conscious because you sense you don't have one iota of the talent required to make it happen?  Well, I do.  For me, it's writing.

Both of my grandfathers and my mom are published authors, and for as long as I can remember I have romanticized the idea of writing something that others appreciated and valued worth publishing.  What a great legacy, I think, to leave something of yourself left behind in published print.  When I read a book written by a family member or a friend, I feel closer to them and better appreciate the way they saw the world.  Words can be so powerful.

My dream of writing is part of what made me decide to major in journalism.  I remember the first time I saw my byline and article in the Daily Universe.  As small and insignificant as that forum is, it was huge for me.  Then, as a graduate student in New York, my roommate, Tai, and I would have writing sessions every Friday.  She had a flexible work schedule on Fridays and I had no classes, so we would gather up our pens and notepads and trek over to Edgar's Cafe a few blocks from our apartment on the Upper West Side.  We ordered lunch and wrote.  Those are some of my favorite memories of NYC.  I started a little book at that time that I have been slowly working on ever since.  Darren has listened to the same passages multiple times as I change a few words here and there or add sentences and want his feedback.

Well, being the supportive and thoughtful husband that he is, Darren decided to surprise me with a wonderful gift this past Christmas.  We usually have a pretty good idea of what the other person is giving us for a gift, but this past Christmas I was totally clueless.  When I opened my gift, I found our iPad opened to the website for Continuing Studies at Stanford.  The page was open to a specific class for which he had registered me: "Your First Book:  From Inspiration to Publication."  I cried.  I was so excited.

I attended the Saturday course on March 16.  Darren was at a training for work, so I went solo, but it was a wonderful weekend.  As chance would have it, the class was taught by Lynn Stegner, the daughter-in-law of Wallace Stegner whose book The Angle of Repose I had just started reading that previous week (it is a fantastic book, by the way).  I was so inspired by her class that I left bound and determined to make my dream a reality one day.  Here are a few snapshots from the weekend:

^^ I arrived in Palo Alto on Friday night and spent the evening walking along University Ave.  University is a street with a lot of character, and it was great to just window shop and people watch.  I stopped for dinner at Plutos, recommended by my mom's college roommate, Zoe, who was kind enough to pick me up at the airport.

^^ There was some major pampering Saturday morning with room service breakfast. ^^

 The Stanford campus was just a short walk up Palm Dr. from my hotel, but it felt long.  I couldn't wait to get to the classroom, find my seat, and start the class.

I loved every second of the conference and took pages and pages of notes.  The format of the class was very informal, for which I was grateful.  Stegner walked us through each step in the writing and publication process.  She gave us several tips to try and important things to keep in mind for our own books.  I couldn't wait to get back to my computer and try some of her ideas on my own.

The next morning, I enjoyed breakfast at the hotel and some good reading before heading to the airport (with Angle of Repose). 

Thank you, Darren, for such a wonderful gift.  I promise to dedicate my first book to you. ;)

Roommate Reunion

 I just returned home from a wonderful weekend with three of my favorite people ...

Katie, Shelley, Me, and Briana

... make that FIVE of my favorite people!

Katie, Shelley, Briana and I met our freshman year at BYU in 2001.  Since that year, we have been roommates and close friends.  Since we are all turning 30 this summer, we decided it was high time we get together again.  I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to stay in touch with these amazing women.  We met up in New Canaan, CT and spent the weekend enjoying being under the same roof again since college.  We were joined by Shelley's son Stephen and Briana's daughter Emmaline.  Those kids could not be any cuter!

I would have been happy spending the whole weekend catching up at Shelley's home in CT, but we were able to escape to the city for a very fun girls' evening out.  It had been 4 years since I left NYU, and it was great to be back.

We met up with Rebecca from freshman year, as well, to have pizza at Nizza in the Theater District.

Crumbs cupcakes was a must on my list of dessert places to hit while in the city!

We ended our evening in the city by going to see Newsies on Broadway!  The singing and dancing were incredible.  I'm so impressed by the talents of others and grateful for the opportunities we have to see them shared.

March 10 was Katie's half-birthday and, though we did it a couple of days late, the rest of us wanted to celebrate Katie by making a little blanket and sharing just a few of the reasons we love her.

Before leaving for the airport on Tuesday, we stopped at Stew Leonard's, an amazing farm fresh food store complete with a mascot and animated characters.  It was a blast!

All in all, the weekend went by much too quickly.  I left CT anxious for our next reunion and thinking of all the other friends and family I am blessed to have in my life.  I am excited for the years ahead and the opportunity I'll have to follow the lives of these friends.  Thank you, Brie, Shelley, and Katie, for the perfect weekend.  Here's to many more!

Arizona Adventures

I took Friday, February 15, off work for a fun four-day Valentine's/Presidents Day weekend.  Darren and I are approaching our year anniversary as Arizona residents, and we wanted to see some more of the sites this great state has to offer.  Visiting the Grand Canyon was high on our list since neither of us had been there.  Darren did a little research and found an awesome Bed and Breakfast in Flagstaff (about 1 1/2 hours from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon) called the England House (does he know me or what?).  I also got a tip from some students and work colleagues to visit a drive-through wild animal park near Flagstaff called Bearizona.  We had such a fun time!  A special thanks to our parents who gave us some travel money at Christmas for just such a trip.

BEARIZONA: Our first stop on the way into Flagstaff was this amazing animal park

The tour started with some good-sized mountain goats.  It was so exciting to see these animals up close!

Coming to say hello

This little guy got so close to the car it was hard to get a picture.

American Burros

Bison

Darren got this awesome shot of one of the gray wolves:

Some of the White Bison got a little close for comfort:

This guy was right outside my passenger side window.  

The car in front of us was sure having a good time. :)

Big Horned Sheep:

Black Bear:  I definitely let out a few anxious squeals in this part of the park.  When we first entered the bear territory, we could only see the bears from a distance.  As you can tell from the pictures, though, we quickly got a closer view!

We ended our visit in the walk-about part of the park in which we were allowed out of the car to see a few more species of animals.

We then checked into the charming England House Bed and Breakfast.  The house was built by a British architect with the last name of England in the early 1900s.  The couple who owned the Bed and Breakfast were so sweet and served some amazing breakfasts.  They had also done an excellent job restoring the house while still keeping many of the original features (such as the pressed-tin ceilings).

ENGLAND HOUSE B&B

Our room

150 year old claw-foot bath tub ... um, yes!

Native American Ruins/Grand Canyon

Our B&B hosts suggested we hit some old Native American ruins on our way up to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.  They also told us about a "secret spot" we could hike to with amazing views of the Canyon.

Wukoki:  Hopi word for "Big House"--this was once home to two or three Indian families from 1120-1210.

Wukoki

This was a gathering place for those living in the area about 900 years ago.  The area included market-type structures and ball courts.

South Rim of Grand Canyon from "secret spot"

Lowell Observatory

On our last night in Flagstaff, we visited the Lowell Observatory near our B&B.  Lowell Observatory is where Pluto was discovered.  They offered a constellation course and had telescopes set up that allowed visitors to view Jupiter, the moon, and the Orion Nebula.  It brought back wonderful memories of the constellation cruises I took with my Dad during our summers at Stanford Sierra Camp on Fallen Leaf Lake.

Overall, it was an awesome weekend that allowed us both to appreciate so many of our Heavenly Father's creations.  What a beautiful world in which we live!