Mary Beth and I did our last dance improv project in Utah during our hike through Little Wildhorse Canyon near Goblin Valley National Park. Enjoy!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
The Journey Back Home
After exploring the canyons of Utah, we started the drive back to California. The trek took us to Grand Junction, CO to drop off one of our crew members at the airport and then to Salt Lake City. We decided to take a break from driving in Salt Lake, so we visited the Temple. We walked around the visitor's center for a bit and got to talk to a couple of girls that were on mission in Salt Lake City. It was really cool to listen to their story, learn a little about their faith and hear what they did on their mission.
We also made a pit stop at Decades on State Street. If you are ever in Salt Lake City, be sure you check it out. I picked up a sweet pair of cowgirl boots (red and black with stars and rainbow stitching!) and an awesome bag for less than $50. I could have easily spent hours in there looking at everything they had and I will definitely be going back if I am ever in Salt Lake again. Intrigued? Check out Gala Darling's article on Decades and other vintage stores in Salt Lake City.
From Salt Lake, we drove to Winnamucca, NV to stay the night. Where is that? It's some unimpressive town somewhere in the middle of Nevada. We ended up stopping at two motels that night because the person working at the first one was too drugged up to understand what we were saying. The next morning, we got the hell out of Winnamucca and drove all the way to Lake Tahoe. We spent the day in downtown Truckee going shopping and being happy to be back in California. We went wine tasting at Uncorked and enjoyed a lovely variety of wine. Later that night, we headed up to the Squaw Valley for trivia night at an Irish pub. We were tied for first after the first round, but then the questions got ridiculous and we lost to a bunch of stoner skiers.
The next day, I tried snow boarding for the first time. Since I live on the sunny Central Coast, snow is not something I ever get to see. I have seen snow falling from the sky about three times in my life, most of them being on my various trips to Utah and I've never gone skiing or snow boarding before. Let's just say that snow boarding has not become one of my favorite pastimes. I spent most of my day on my butt in the snow or with my face in the snow. I will not be strapping myself to a snow board again anytime soon.
After we brushed the last of the snow off, we got back into the government van and drove back home to the Bay Area. It felt really good to be back home after being away for so long, but it felt strange to be by myself for the first time in three weeks. While on the road, Mary Beth, Chris, Brad, Noah and I spent pretty much every waking moment together and it was strange to be alone again. Nevertheless, I had a marvelous time in Utah and I look forward to going back someday.
We also made a pit stop at Decades on State Street. If you are ever in Salt Lake City, be sure you check it out. I picked up a sweet pair of cowgirl boots (red and black with stars and rainbow stitching!) and an awesome bag for less than $50. I could have easily spent hours in there looking at everything they had and I will definitely be going back if I am ever in Salt Lake again. Intrigued? Check out Gala Darling's article on Decades and other vintage stores in Salt Lake City.
From Salt Lake, we drove to Winnamucca, NV to stay the night. Where is that? It's some unimpressive town somewhere in the middle of Nevada. We ended up stopping at two motels that night because the person working at the first one was too drugged up to understand what we were saying. The next morning, we got the hell out of Winnamucca and drove all the way to Lake Tahoe. We spent the day in downtown Truckee going shopping and being happy to be back in California. We went wine tasting at Uncorked and enjoyed a lovely variety of wine. Later that night, we headed up to the Squaw Valley for trivia night at an Irish pub. We were tied for first after the first round, but then the questions got ridiculous and we lost to a bunch of stoner skiers.
The next day, I tried snow boarding for the first time. Since I live on the sunny Central Coast, snow is not something I ever get to see. I have seen snow falling from the sky about three times in my life, most of them being on my various trips to Utah and I've never gone skiing or snow boarding before. Let's just say that snow boarding has not become one of my favorite pastimes. I spent most of my day on my butt in the snow or with my face in the snow. I will not be strapping myself to a snow board again anytime soon.
After we brushed the last of the snow off, we got back into the government van and drove back home to the Bay Area. It felt really good to be back home after being away for so long, but it felt strange to be by myself for the first time in three weeks. While on the road, Mary Beth, Chris, Brad, Noah and I spent pretty much every waking moment together and it was strange to be alone again. Nevertheless, I had a marvelous time in Utah and I look forward to going back someday.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
People in Spacesuits? We Must Be on Mars!
During the second week of our rotation at MDRS, a few people from the NDX Space Suit Project came to test out a prototype for a spacesuit they are developing for a future mission to the moon or Mars. I got to wear the suit for about 10 minutes and was able to complete three sets of observations before my heart rate went through the roof and they pulled me out before I died. Though the suit was way too big for me and probably weighed as much as I did, getting to be in it gave me a new appreciation for the difficulty of doing science in an environment outside of earth. Doing the simplest things, such as picking up a GPS unit or trying to use a soil chart, was five times more difficult in the suit. Simply walking in the suit took more effort and I had to really concentrate on keeping my balance and try not to topple over every time I took a step. Never the less, it was great to see my fellow crew members get a good fit in the suit and do some good science in it.
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| Mary Beth serving as Cap Com |
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| Brad getting suited up |
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| Brad working on a transect |
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| Mary Beth in the suit! |
Saturday, February 11, 2012
In the Sexual Canyonlands
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| Little Wild Horse Canyon |
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| Mary Beth and I in our matching t-shirts |
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| Walking through the canyon |
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| More walking through the canyon |
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| Unique weathering patterns on the canyon walls |
Where the Hell is Hanksville?
I am currently finishing up a two-week research trip in the San Rafael Swell in Utah. I'm here in Hanksville, UT with a crew of four other awesome people studying the endolithic microbial communities that live in the rocks out in the desert. We were staying at the Mars Society's Mars Desert Research Station for a while, but have since relocated to the lovely Whispering Sands Motel in Hanksville due to a carbon monoxide scare.
Since we've been here, we have seen some pretty amazing geology. We visited Goblin Valley last week and had an amazing time admiring the unique rock formations.
Due to differences in rock hardness the elements have eroded the sandstone into hoodoos that resemble goblins. The stunning thing is that there were so many of them. Once you hike down into the valley, they seem to go on forever.
While we were there, Mary Beth and I did some dance improvisation. In the spirit of trying new things, we decided to start a dance project and challenge ourselves to dance in places outside of an indoor studio. Check out our videos and be sure to subscribe to our channel!
Since we've been here, we have seen some pretty amazing geology. We visited Goblin Valley last week and had an amazing time admiring the unique rock formations.
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| A few of the "goblins" in Goblin Valley |
Due to differences in rock hardness the elements have eroded the sandstone into hoodoos that resemble goblins. The stunning thing is that there were so many of them. Once you hike down into the valley, they seem to go on forever.
While we were there, Mary Beth and I did some dance improvisation. In the spirit of trying new things, we decided to start a dance project and challenge ourselves to dance in places outside of an indoor studio. Check out our videos and be sure to subscribe to our channel!
Dance improvisation in the Valley of the Goblins
Friday, February 10, 2012
Here I am, the rabbit hearted girl
This is the introduction to my blog. I'm starting this blog to document the adventure that is my life as I transition from being an undergraduate to becoming whoever I will be after I walk across that stage in June. This blog will be about transition and change: trying new things, meeting new people and going new places.
The title comes from a song by Florence + the Machine called "Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up)." A few lines from the song have really stuck with me and kinda describe where I am in my life right now. At the beginning, there is a lyric that says:
here I am, a rabbit hearted girl
frozen in the headlights
Later in the song, there is a line that says:
I must become the lion hearted girl
ready for the fight
Whatever happens in the next few months will determine the course of my life for the next 5 to 6 years and I am absolutely terrified that the path has not been made clear to me yet. Through the experiences and people I hope to encounter over the next few months, I hope to become a lion hearted girl ready to take on whatever life throws at me.
The title comes from a song by Florence + the Machine called "Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up)." A few lines from the song have really stuck with me and kinda describe where I am in my life right now. At the beginning, there is a lyric that says:
here I am, a rabbit hearted girl
frozen in the headlights
Later in the song, there is a line that says:
I must become the lion hearted girl
ready for the fight
Whatever happens in the next few months will determine the course of my life for the next 5 to 6 years and I am absolutely terrified that the path has not been made clear to me yet. Through the experiences and people I hope to encounter over the next few months, I hope to become a lion hearted girl ready to take on whatever life throws at me.
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