is anyone out there?

For those that are... I know I haven't been a consistent blogger, but I'm going to try to change that. I recently received a great birthday gift from my brother and sister-in-law called the "flip".
I'll try to post as many videos as I can...
For starters, here is a sneak peek of what I've been doing a lot of lately:


I've been getting pow shots in the face here and there while breathing in the mountain air as often as possible. It's when I'm up there and riding where I feel those glorious moments where it's just so good to be alive. Ya heard? Well if you haven't, I highly suggest that you hop into your car right now and experience it with me. I would love to share these mountains with you. (along with a nice frosty beer of course)

As for a little update on mi vida... Currently I am juggling four jobs, yes four, and loving each one in a different way. I just recently landed my fourth job which I am pretty sure is one of the best jobs in the world. I basically get to hang out and be a "role model" for 15 high school boys over the weekend at a therapeutic boarding school. Many of these boys have struggled with drugs, alcohol, or other things so they are going through therapy while living at this school. Last week I went paintballing and raced fast go-carts. This weekend we'll snowboard. I think I've found a job where I'm excited to go to work and excited to be at work. There is no staring at the clock here. It's amazing!
On top of that I'm doing research at the University of Utah for the Department of Social Work/Criminal Justice, waitressing, and babysitting the best twin boys there is in Salt Lake City.
It may seem like a lot but trust me, I have selfishly arranged my schedule where I work little and play a lot. I'm still very poor but loving it (except for once a month when bills roll around).

I still constantly question why I'm in Salt Lake and why I'm not doing other things with my life... But I think I would question why I wasn't in Salt Lake if I were elsewhere.
I get to snowboard three times a week and I am surrounded by a supporting and loving community here so it is great. Don't get me wrong. I miss the California sunshine and I miss my family on a daily basis... But I can't have it all. There are good days, great days, bad days and sad days but all in all. I am breathing, alive, and well and I am so thankful for that.
I'm trying to learn balance. trying...
Until next time.



Here's to you Mint. I miss you so much! Hope Japan is treating you well...

Murder on the dance floor...

I just realized that I haven't been able to do a post on Alaska yet.
This is very, very important that I share a bit of this experience with you.
I am always shocked at how much of an impact a place could have on a person.
But this time, it wasn't just the place, but it was the people I was able to share it with.
I was really blessed to have an amazing group of kiddos who I love and miss all the time. A combination of these powerful mountains and these inspiring kids rocked my world. This trip that I led was the reason why I do what I do.
Pictures definitely don't do justice (they never do).
But man, I for sure know that I am one lucky girl to have been able to have this experience.
Anyone wanna go back to AK with me??

Alexa, Eric and I on our journey to the last frontier. gettin' CRUNK!

GREAT SUCCESSSSS WE MADE IT!!! (barely)

Here's my lovely, lovely crew.

Our first section backpacking in the Kesugi Ridge
in Denali State Park. This is where the glory began!

Sea Kayak expedition in the beautiful Prince William Sound

Here we're in Wrangell St. Elias. We backpacked into an island
in between two glaciers (the Root Glacier and Kennicott Glacier)
We set up camp there and ice climbed!

Our last section was a 10 day backpacking section
in the Talkeetnas... (which lead to the rafting)
Burly river crossings and epic views.
Boo-ya

After the 10 days of backpacking we met our raft guides
at a tiny runway at the headwaters of the Talkeetna River...(below)
They were flown in along with all the raft gear..

Big HEART Sun.
I miss you.

http://www.events.org/sponsorship.aspx?id=17651

anything will be appreciated and so so helpful.
thank you thank you thank you.

The Invitation

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.
It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shrivelled and closed from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it, or fade it, or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own; if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself. If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul. If you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty even when it is not pretty every day. And if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand at the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, 'Yes.'

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the centre of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

Into The Wild

So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun...you must lose your inclination for monotonous security and adopt a helter-skelter style of life that will at first appear to you to be crazy. But once you become accustomed to such a life you will see its full meaning and its incredible beauty. -Chris McCandless

Take time to realize

I'm on your side. 

kiss and ride

So I'm going to work a little backwards because... well because I uploaded the pictures incorrectly and I'm too tired to fix them.

I just got back from an epic time spent in Yosemite National Park with some fantastic people. Heidi, Andrew and I busted up Half-Dome. If you don't know about Half-Dome here are a few facts that I'll brag about.
Half Dome is a 16.4 Mile roundtrip hike. It sits at a nice 8,836 ft with a 4,800 ft. elevation gain... I ate a lot of string cheese! Pictures and a nice video will have to come in August when I get home..if I get home!

The day before I left for Yosemite I was in the East coast due to a beautiful graduation gift from my cousins/aunt. And the day before leaving for the East coast I moved out of Redlands and also graduated! It has been a series of crazy events and I still feel like I'm spinning so please excuse this terrible blog update. I just felt like I needed to post something before I left for Alaska.

The pictures below are not all the pictures I wanted to post but... sigh. excuse excuse blah blah blah..

Okay I'm going to shut it now... I'll be heading to AK in about 10 days but meanwhile I'll be in Northern Cali doing staff training..

Here's my one and only mail drop while in AK so if you so desire to send some love:

NOVA Riverrunners

P.O. Box 1129

Chickaloon, AK 99674

Attn: ARCC “Crystal Lim"

Must arrive by 7/17

prospect park

Welcome to Brookly and Alan!

Ah.. the pretty Brooklyn Bridge. The view was/is amazing. pretty pretty pretty!

Bibian and Me watching a Orioles game. Who woulda thunk I would be in any other stadium other than the Dodger Stadium?

Dunkin Donuts to the Dome!

Me and Mina. I seriously love these museums.

=] A simple sign that made me so happy. This is what they call
the drop off zone for the metro in DC.

We are grown ass peoples.

The love of my life. Mommaaaaaa

My boys. We done it!

Again, I'm so sorry for such a bad post. I'm so exhausted. See you guys in August after AK!! Until then...