Shift 10 and more

My past week in the field had some epic moments. Well, mostly it was just a mammoth hike that involved finding ourselves on someone’s private ranch, being chased by horses, crossing 3 deep streams, one student vomiting, another refusing to hike on a steep rocky hill with only a half hour of daylight, hiking till 11pm, and then having to finish the hike the next day. Oh, and we lost a Nugget, my friend’s blood hound who doesn’t stop running when she catches a good wiff of anything. Thankfully she was found a week later.

This week I didn’t go into the field, and instead began my new role as the “Research Coordinator”. It is very exciting and I am more thrilled than I should be to reacquaint myself with statistics, consent forms, excel, databases, etc.

Pictures below are from a day of boating and cliff jumping on the Colorado River and climbing at Red Rocks.




I took Lisa forever to convince me that this was a good idea, and it was a good idea!







The AZ hot springs are hot!!


Top of Physical Graffiti in Red Rocks.

A New Position

The company I am with now has a research initiative to better understand when change happens and what the outcomes are for individuals in the program. With my background in research and program evaluation, I expressed interest in learning more about it. It turns out that my timing was great. They are scaling up the project and asked me to join the team. For now, the tentative plan is for me to be part time in the field and part time on research.

I love interacting with people on a micro level and working through intense emotional issues. This is why I studied social work and enjoy working directly with clients. However, my brain likes to think on a macro level, to try and figure out what is going on and why, and how to make changes. This is why I studied public health, did my undergraduate internship at a research department, and worked at a research organization for almost two years. While it’s not completely clear how it will all work out, I am psyched to incorporate another passion here.

Sundry reflections...

Crack Climbing



This is a picture of the Headache, a three pitch 5.9/10 crack climb in Zion. It solidified this belief: I hate desert splitters!

Climbers in the desert talk about desert splitters like they are the sexiest thing they have ever laid eyes and hands on. These people...they are dillusional.

After two pitches of my moaning and groaning, Anthony and I rapped down and rented bikes. It was ridiculously fun, and proved to be the perfect fix for my demoralized soul. And then, I bought a bike!!

Diversifying

I bought a bike!!!




Dad



Dad has been in my thoughts and dreams more often than usual lately. Maybe it’s because of the recent Easter holiday or working with a student who lost her father and brother in a tragic plane crash. My mom recently went to an awards ceremony in Citronelle, AL where they gave a scholarship in Dad’s name. A lady approached her and told her a story about her sister who was a cheerleader when mom and dad were there. Her sister decided to drop out her junior year. My dad went to her house and simply told her that she wasn’t going to drop out. She was going to come back to school and finish high school. She went on to become a guidance counselor and now repeatedly tells the story about how a teacher/coach (not even hers) cared enough to come to her house to keep her in school. I knew my dad did such things with his football players all the time. It has been touching to hear such stories about him having such an impact on those with whom his outcome or winning or losing was not attached.

Running

Running and I are like star crossed lovers. There is something about it that settles my soul and heart and brings peace to my racing mind. However, it proved to be an incongruent activity with my body.

In college I was as obsessed with running as I am now with climbing. I have described my break from running like the end of a very serious and involved relationship (pre-climbing). There was grieving involved and I tried to make it work for several years. After being medically separated from the Peace Corps, due to my back, I decided it was time to really give it up. I started climbing and haven’t looked back for the past 2+ years.

There are beautiful trails here. I decided it wouldn’t be so bad to try running out again. I have run 3 times for no more than 20 to 30 minutes. It’s amazing and I still love it. However, now I can peacefully accept that my relationship with running will not be as it was.

Hanging out and gila monsters ....the things you do and see around St. George.

Shift 9 and wiffle fun

Without fail, every Christmas Matt and I would get a wiffle ball set. We played countless games in the yard with cousins and neighbors, or just one-on-one. However or with whomever you play, wiffle ball is always fun. This week in the field, a staff brought a wiffle ball and bat, and we played copious amounts of it with the girls. It was a fun week in the field.

Quotes from the field this week:

“This is a workplace where you don’t have to keep score. Work just gets done. I am surrounded by truly generous people”.

“What you live for is what you find”

“Feel your feelings. What you resist will persistent.”

“What you keep on getting is what you are committed to.”

“I am love compassion and service”

“I think of healing as a miracle….here we try to create conditions conducive to healing.”
“Forgiveness is giving up all hope of a better past. Its an act of generosity. You don’t have to do it.”

"Climbers today are all hipsters. They learned to climbed in f****** coffee shops."



We have a lot of cacti in the field. Generally, they create a great deal of misery for us. This time of year though, they are quite beautiful with purple and pink buds waiting to bloom. I tried to capture this one, but it was sundown and the picture isn't great. Below is a great picture (from another staff) of a cactus blooming.



I have become absolutely neurotic about my skin. My sun hat and 85+ sunscreen are my best friends.