pichas!

So far in AZ... and also a new blog...

Hello again to all! I've been horrible about keeping up this blog... I'm settling in here in Arizona and finally felling at home... I've had some wonderful experiences... the synopsis of the last few months... the trip down, hiking the grand canyon with Adam, watching my cousin Sean's paintball tournament in the valley (his team got second out of a bunch!), going north to Elko, Nevada for my cousin Sam's eagle scout ceremony (I'm so proud of him! ), volunteering with Prescott Creeks, going to church, doing class work online teaching myself to play guitar , camping out with Maggie and Diana, and today was my first day of an internship with U.S. Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick's district office (which is in Prescott!). I'm going to try my best to post photos of my adventures so far AND I'll be updating my blog regularly from now on

also I'm planning to start another, less personal journal blog, since I've been feeling pretty frustrated politically for various reasons and feel like I need an outlet from my views... I'll post the URL when it's up and running... Best Wishes!

The future IS now!

I'm having my first stress free lazy day in a long while, sitting around the house in my PJs, drinking tea and listening to records that I love...

I never remember how much I love Valdez until I'm back home. :)

I spent the weekend at in Girdwood. You probably are thinking, well you must have been relaxing if you were in a ski town.
My weekend was not relaxing and there was no skiing involved.

In fact it was exhausting, amazing, wonderful, non-stop, uplifting and unique experience. I had the honor of being one of the 55 delegates to the 2009 Conference of Young Alaskan. It was the most open, productive and honest politcal dialogue I have ever participated in. I was impressed by the respect we were all able to show each other regardless of our ideological differences. I have SO much more faith in the future of the state now.

COYA gave me a chance to meet the people I will be working with for the next 50 years! If you haven't heard about COYA and you are a proud young Alaskan with a vision for the future of our great state, you need to get yourself involved in the dialogue!

Check out the website http://www.youngalaskans.org. Our official report will be published on this site soon!

Taking a break after some pretty intense rock climbing...
Mom and I at the tippy top!
So you see some really steep rocks... of course you climb them :)
I'm on top of the world... literally!
Just a really cool tree and excellent picture!

Hoping for a better 2009!

Happy New Year! (Well Almost)... 

Best wishes to everyone I love for a happier and healthier 2009. 

I'm certainly ready to be done with 2008 at this point, what a crazy/ border-line awful year!

I'm on winter break right now and enjoying lots of free time and time with my family. We are celebrating the New Year in Prescott, AZ with my Grandma Dawn. 

A couple of more day until I fly back to Alaska...

Today Dad, Mom and I hiked/ climbed/ slid  up and down Thumb Butte! It was a spectacularly sunny and warm day. Dad got a lot of great shots, a few of which I'm including in this post. I was a bit nervous about the heights... And, no surprise, my parents are much better at climbing rocks than I am...