"Some times you write about life, and some times you live it"

There's been a lot of living happening around my part of town. Here are a few things I've gotten myself into since my last post:

-You've heard about people riding their bikes to work? My friend Ava and I rode our bikes 60 miles one afternoon to get to our work. Beat that. Actually, a couple of co-workers are planning on one-upping us by RUNNING to work!
-Kayaking the Provo river (much more intense than you might think-we almost died).
-My family and I took a cruise to Alaska. Being a tourist sucks.
-Neon Canyon! Navigating this Southern-Utah slot canyon involves the most beautiful rappel. Ever. The floor of the narrow canyon drops away, and you rappel through the roof of a sandstone overhang that encloses a green fern-lined pool some 80 ft below. A real oasis in the desert.
-I joined the BYU sailing club. I've only been able to sail once so far.
-About 50 or so more days and nights on trail with Aspiro. I worked with the girls group all summer!
-Rappelling Corona Arch! Corona is a 150-ish foot high sandstone arch near Moab, UT. After we were done rappelling, we RUINED our two climbing ropes by using them for the most intense rope swing I have ever encountered. The ropes started to fray pretty badly where they rubbed against the sandstone. It was so worth it.
-Arches National Park. Again. I love that place.
-I earned a spot with BYU Emergency Medical Services this semester. I volunteer on campus responding to 911 calls on BYU property. The city paramedics only come if we call them for backup.
-I volunteered for a bit with TERT; the Mount Timponogas Emergency Response Team. It's a group of EMTs, radio geeks, and outdoorsy-types who camp on Mt. Timponogas on the weekends during the summer to provide emergency care to injured or sick hikers. I spent three days on the mountain and didn't treat so much as a blister.
-I've started playing water polo again. BYU has a pseudo-club/group that plays on Saturdays, and there is group that plays up in Salt Lake on Wednesday nights. Nothing feels as good getting kicked, elbowed, pushed, punched, sunk, grabbed, and run over in the water. Except doing those things to other people of course.
-Smearing myself across the pavement of the Provo Canyon bike path. Long boarding the canyon path at night is super fun, but there ARE obstacles (such as potholes!) you should know about if you're going to do it without lights. Also, it would be good to note that trying to play water polo with fresh road rash isn't the smartest idea. Still, it was all worth it.

These are just things I've come up with off of the top of my head. My summer was pretty rad. I'm back in school now. I have finished all the prereqs for my major (print journalism) and have applied to the program. I should hear back from them any time now. In the mean time, I'm spending this semester finishing the last of my GEs. With any luck I should be out of here in three more semesters. I'm looking at going to paramedic school after I finish my bachelors'.
Let the adventures keep coming!
Nic