words

For that moment, we were in love.  

The stars, the only witness.

I was home when I heard the words you uttered 

and the stories you told.

I clung to your every movement,

and you grasped at the silence.

Soon, we divorced ourselves from the idea.

For I was I and You were You.

And for this reason,

We could not exist.

But, I still love you.

You are part of the story I now tell.

I was I, with you.

And I am I without you as well.

More Water

I adore the way the cotton-candy sky reflects on the surface as the inconsistent sets push me to and fro. 

The sun's last rays drip over the tops of the palm trees as the wind plasters my wet hair to my cheeks.

The grey clouds rolling in whisper promises of more moisture that will fall during the night.  

More moisture, more water.

More water.

welcome october

"October arrived, spreading a damp chill over the grounds and into the castle. Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was kept busy by a sudden spate of colds among the staff and students.  Raindrops the size of bullets thundered on the castle windows for days on end; the lake rose, the flower beds turned into muddy streams, and Hagrid's pumpkins swelled to the size of garden sheds."

J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets

yes, please.

Every so often, I find myself trapped in the mundane confines of a stereotypical life.  People like Josh and Jessa inspire me.  Why not buy an airstream and travel across the country?  Sounds dreamy to me.

"The hardest part of doing something interesting is just getting started. If we can convince ourselves that we can put our coats on and backpacks and get out the door, then great things happen.”

If you are like me and can't get enough of this cute family, check out their instagram.

Caux, Switzerland

I feel as if I am categorizing myself among the group of young girls who have decided to serve missions for my church--

"Hey, everyone.  Read my blog about my adventures in a foreign land!!".

I believe the whole idea to be very cliche (I mean, who hasn't spent at least some time abroad these days). I will be bold enough to admit that I am in no way original and I can hardly deem myself a well-informed, world traveler.  But, without any further disclaimer, I will write about my experiences here in Europe. And if you are here,  I assume you want to be reading my mundane thoughts so, be my guest and please, read on.

I arrived in Geneva Switzerland at around 7:30am yesterday morning.  The flight over here was long. When I boarded the plane, I passed all the first-class passengers and holy crap was I jealous.  Beds people, they had beds...AND televisions with 32" screens.  Ok, that is probably a slight exaggeration but, needless to say, they were a lot bigger than my Pocket GameBoy screen.  But, hey, I was treated to some overcooked pasta, a dry roll, a bag of pretzels and endless amounts of apple juice.  So, my life is good, really good.

I then proceeded to the train station where I bought my ticket to Caux.  I got on the train, met some friends, and made my way to my destination.  I was lucky enough to sit by a girl from Colorado and to be on the same train as a fellow intern.  I felt very blessed on my journey here.  I didn't get "taken", no one tried to rob me, I made all my connections.  I arrived tired but, in safety (knock on wood).  

I am in awe at the beauty that surrounds me.  The Caux conference center is literally a castle which overlooks Lake Geneva.  Towering mountains and green hills are on either side of me.  It is gorgeous.  Yesterday I ventured to Montreux with around ten of the interns that had already arrived. Montreux is a cute little town at the base of the mountain.  We walked by the lake and familiarized ourselves with our new stomping grounds.  Although I was very tired, disoriented and everything felt blurry, I still had a great time seeing the sights and getting to know the other interns.

I am working with people from America, Kenya, China, Korea, Lebanon, Egypt, Colombia, Ireland, Austria, Romania, Lithuania, Maldova, Ukraine, Tunisia, Australia, and France.  I feel so blessed to be having this opportunity.  We had a discussion earlier today and I was so inspired by these individuals. Everyone's story is unique and I am excited to be spending time with these people who all have dreams of changing the world and making a difference.  I am already wishing I had more time to spend with them.  Four weeks just doesn't seem like enough.  

I am excited for the adventures that lie ahead.  I know I will learn a lot over the course of this internship and that this will help me become the type of person I want to be.  This is exactly where I need to be right now and I know that the growth that will come from this month will be paramount to my future successes.  

Now, time to take a nap.  It's currently 1:17am in Hawaii, 4:17 am in California, 5:17am in Utah, and 1:17pm here in Switzerland.  My body is hating me for all the time zones I have been jumping through lately.  I doesn't know when to stay awake and when to close my eyes.  Last night, I was writing in my journal and I literally started writing nonsense which had to be scribbled out.   My nightly prayer turned into a dream and I woke up kneeling with drool falling out of my mouth.  Too much information?  I told you this was your choice to be reading...

So, before I start talking nonsense or spilling my inner thoughts on this public domain, au revoir.

music to my ears

i read a quote yesterday that said:
"music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life"

i thought that was really beautiful and i couldn't agree more.

my feelings exactly

i wanna go surfing.

you are the ocean

i just woke up from a very long nap, i dreamt i was back on my little island of oahu. everything was how i left it almost two months ago and i was happy, so very happy.

i was passing chun's reef while riding the bus and the waves were just my size.  the scene was picturesque.  but, for some reason i didn't have my board, i wasn't in my swimsuit and then it started to rain.

what was the perfect situation, became a missed opportunity.

feeling a bit defeated, i got back on the bus with the hope that there would be another day with even better waves than the ones i had just witnessed.

thinking i had missed the wave of a lifetime, i woke feeling a bit depressed. 

i think these types of experiences happen on a regular basis in life.  things seem to make sense, to be be beautiful, even flawless and then the rain comes, we forget our swimsuits or our board is nowhere in sight.

life and surfing have a lot in common.  there's plenty of waiting involved, some real nasty reef cuts that await you, rough conditions, crappy falls, and frustrating people to deal with but, nothing beats the feeling of a good ride.

that perfect wave makes it all worth it in the end.  

picture painted

as soon as i turn on any one of these songs, i either want to saddle up one of my mules and ride off into a sunset, camp in the dessert and stare at the stars or dance with my lover.
as my brother and i listened to the highwayman, he turned to me and said,
 "i love how it paints a picture".
i do too.
and i'm just a sucker for that deep and oh-so sexy voice of mr. cash's.

that's good sunday music, eh?

my faraway one

i found this picture on one of my favorite websites today.  

it's of georgia o'keeffe and her lover, alfred stieglitz.

for thirty years, they wrote almost 25,000 pages of letters to each other.

i swoon over this stuff. 

with statements like the ones below, how could i not?

"i'm getting to like you so tremendously that it sometimes scares me.  having told you so much of me--more than anyone else i know--could anything else follow but that i should want you?" (o'keeffe)

"all i want is to preserve that wonderful something which so purely exists between us." (steiglitz)

part of the universe

Astrophysicist Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson was asked by a reader of TIME magazine, "What is the most astounding fact you can share with us about the Universe?" This is his answer:

could you be loved

“This morning, with her, having coffee.”

Johnny Cash

when asked for his definition of paradise.

{via}

could this be anymore perfect? i think not.

happy lovers day to you all!

perfection

i never thought i'd see you again

good music and long-boarding through the streets of madrid--

the feeling behind this video is something else.

some people are just really, really cool and really, really talented.

the golden age

this may possibly be the most beautiful home i have ever seen.  

i would like to spend all my days in one just like it.

awesomeville.com

chandeliersurfshack.tumblr.com

ayasterisk.com