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[Currently drowning in pathophysiology and staring out the window thinking about the etiology of my current malaise...]

Please don't let this cheesy photo fool you- I was even more excited hiking through the Zion Narrows in Utah than my thumb and wide smile could express. During my last week of summer freedom a few friends and I squashed ourselves into a rental and drove to Utah. Between work, school and events we gave ourselves 4 days with a loose plan to see 3 of the National Parks and travel time worked in. It was an amazing whirlwind of hiking, hilarious camping, running from flash flooding, nautical twilight star gazing and the most awe inspiring views of God's creation cramped into a modest 3 days. 

a stormy welcome from Zion our first night

drenching hike to the Emerald Pools to kick off our time in Zion

unforeseen thunder + lightning + torrential downpour = night 1 dinner eaten in rental 

Day 2 hiking the Zion Narrows // running from flash flooding

river hiking can be tiring..

Day 2: First glance at Bryce Canyon at sunset

Day 3- Bryce Canyon : home of the hoodoos

Day 3- catching sunset at Cedar...followed by star gazing sprinkled with shooting stars

Day 4- One last look at Cedar before heading home

A magnificent break being fully immersed and still in nature (thank you canyons for making phone reception nil). Coming into another semester of nursing school with my head and heart in the right place- refocused and refreshed. 

Now back to thinking about electrolyte imbalances...

lots of love 

ain't no mountain high enough

Tell me you're not singing/humming/dancing to that song after reading the title of this post. Okay maybe just me. Marvin Gaye might have been talking about the obstacles of love but I'm talking about the physical obstacles that we faced hiking the Japanese Alps.

Due to rainy weather my sister and I along with a friend were limited to only hiking 2 of the 12 peaks in Toyama, but make no mistake that we were dying by the end. The endless elevation of stairs and steep hills was only abated by the breath taking natural scenes that we were allowed.

The top of the first peak, which featured a graffiti decorated rest area, rusty abandoned play area, fields of tall grass, and a gusty wind to cool us off.

The second peak was smaller but the greater elevation that we gained provided an amazing view of the entirety of Toyama prefecture as well as the outline of the next prefecture over.

On the return hike we were hit by unexpected downpour and took brief shelter until the rain let up. Definitely one of the most memorable events from this trip and after anticipating it for so long I can say I was not disappointed at all. This hike was the beginning of my sister's vacation time and the start of my second week there. What a way to begin vacation... sore and exhausted, but in full awe of God's creation!

Next up on the recap lineup: Nara!

lots of lovee