Monday, November 6, 2017

Lessons From Hiking the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim

I moved back to Utah at the end of August 2017 after living in D.C. for 2 years and NYC for 3.5 years, where I learned I am a city girl at heart. I was very intimidated by all the outdoorsy people in the West but I believe “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone” so I was ready to challenge myself and experience Utah to the fullest. 
Almost to the top
I asked my super outdoorsy friend to take me on a hike and she told me about this group called Adventures with Will that does an annual hike through the Grand Canyon from the North Rim to the South Rim in one day. That blew my mind but she’d done it the last 2 years and was preparing for the 3rd time in 3 weeks. She said anyone can join and I was in good enough shape from dancing and my regular Pilates/Yoga/Barre workouts to do it. I didn’t quite believe her but the more she talked convincingly about it, the more I thought this is the epic kind of challenge I like preparing for and accomplishing, like Ballroom Dance Camp just 3 months prior (see blog post). She said I just have to pay $85 to the organizer (for van rental & gas) and can borrow all the camping stuff from her. She added me to the Facebook event and a couple days later, I sent in my money!  
Planning out my food for the 3 day trip
I was a little daunted that I had only 3 weeks to prepare so I started asking friends to go on hikes with me. I managed to fit in 4 hikes that were about 6-7 miles long, which was only ¼ of the Rim to Rim hike. As the hike got closer, I did other things to prepare:
  • Bought way too much nonperishable foods at Walmart
  • Asked friends for pep talks, which I re-read several times
  • Listened to episodes from my new favorite podcast The School of Greatness by Lewis Howes. I listened to one with Erik Weihenmayer, a blind hiker/kayaker/rock climber, and one with Olympian Apolo Ohno (who happens to be from my hometown near Seattle!)
  • Started meditating again with the Calm app
  • Ordered a backpack with a water pouch (I hate the word “bladder”) and portable charger for my phone for pics
  • Did more yoga so I can be more flexible for dance pics
  • Stayed home from 2 activities I wanted to go to the few days before so I could go to sleep earlier and train my body to wake up earlier for the 3am start time

The mini group I hiked with
As I told my friends, family, and coworkers about the big hike, they were enthusiastic and encouraging but I got more and more scared and anxious.

Supportive person - “Are you getting excited for the hike?!”
Me - “No, I’m dreading it and I just want it to be over.”
Early morning light
One coworker said, “If you’re dreading it so much, why don’t you just drop out?” I was horrified by that suggestion and replied, “I can’t quit! I’d lose all respect for myself!” So I actually started thinking about all the reasons I’m choosing to put myself thru this despite the fact that I hate hiking and am not good at endurance workouts at all. I came up with a lot of reasons!

  • Because YOLO
  • To get out of my comfort zone
  • To prove to myself I can do hard things
  • To see one of the 7 natural wonders of the world up close 
  • For exercise and to challenge my body
  • To be more outdoorsy, cuz I live in the West now and it’s what ppl do for fun here (weird)
  • For the dance pics

Look at all the trees in the desert!!
Friday morning, I woke up at 5am to do yoga and pack before meeting up with the 21 other people for the 6 hr drive down. My nose started running like crazy and the more I blew it, the more stuffy it got. I was confused because I didn’t feel sick and I’d taken my allergy medicine.
Ribbon Falls detour
On the drive, people were excitedly talking and getting to know each other but I barely spoke cuz I could barely breathe! started to worry and I'm a devout Mormon so I asked one of the guys if he could give me a Priesthood Blessing the next morning if my nose was still runny. He said he’d been inactive and was just starting to come back to the Church. I thought that was great he was coming back and said no problem.
Abundant cacti
As we set up camp at the trailhead, I was feeling so congested, I asked another guy if he could give me a blessing before bed cuz I couldn’t imagine having to do a full day of intense hiking without being able to breathe. He said, “Ok, let me go talk to someone first.” I said ok and waited in my tent. I waited for what seemed like a long time and finally peeked out looking for him. He was talking to another guy reviewing the words to give a Priesthood Blessing. I was touched and happy that he was humble enough to ask for help and gets a chance to exercise his Priesthood. He came back and said he didn’t have any consecrated oil and I said I didn’t care haha. He gave me a BEAUTIFUL blessing that gave me much more than I’d asked for. Not only did the Lord bless me through that guy with “clear breathing”, He also blessed me with strength, health, vigor, and a positive attitude to finish the hike. That last part was what I lacked the most up until that point but if the Lord believed in me, I did too!
Cool rock overhangs
I shared a tent with my friend who invited me. Despite sleeping with 2 sleeping pads, 2 sleeping bags, leggings & sweatpants, long sleeve shirt & sweatshirt, socks and furry slippers, a hat, gloves, and hand & feet warmers…I woke up many times freezing. It got down to about 25 degrees Fahrenheit. We got 4-5 hours of sleep before starting the hike at 4:15am. The first 2-3 hours were steep going downhill in the dark and several things went wrong:

  • My flashlight went out in the first 10 minutes, so I had to stay close to the person in front of me and whoever was behind me had to stay close too. 
  • My water pouch tube didn’t work AT ALL. So whenever I needed to take a drink, I had to stop and drink from my big Gatorade bottle, which I will be forever grateful to my friend for making me buy. I don’t think I’d ever drank Gatorade. I just kept refilling that at all the water stations along the South Kaibab then Bright Angel trails. 
  • I slipped and twisted my knee early on and it was sore for a while. 
  • My portable charger never arrived so I just kept my phone on airplane mode, and I actually had 79% battery at the end of the hike!

Majestic rocks
BUT guess what?! I could breathe clearly the entire time! Didn’t even need to use my Kleenex and extra toilet paper til the end when it got chillier. The Lord didn’t let me down! Also, I later realized the problems with my portable charger and water pouch were a tender mercy cuz I returned it and got my $55 back haha. And I learned I always need to pack extra batteries.
Little stream we washed our feet in after lunch
As the sun came up, we were treated to gorgeous views. I marveled at all the desert fauna and flora (lots of deer), especially the odd-looking yucca plants. We were beside a bubbling stream nearly the whole time and I loved taking in all the greenery alongside the towering canyon walls. 14 miles in, we stopped at Phantom Ranch – a bigger camp ground with a few buildings, places for mules, bathrooms, and picnic tables. We rested for about an hour eating, dumping the red dirt from our shoes/socks, stretching, and washing our feet in the ice cold stream. I hate taking medicine unless I really need to but I took Ibuprofen to help with inflammation. That and Gatorade really made a difference; my muscles felt fatigued but not in pain.
The mighty Colorado
I actually led the way most of the time because [I learned that] when I’m focused on a time bound physical goal, I tend to minimize talking to conserve energy and just forge ahead to the finish (I learned this about myself on the hike). Or maybe it was because I was the 5th wheel with 2 couples haha.
The River that gauged this huge canyon over millenia
One of the hardest parts of the hike before the vertical climb at the end was the sandy part next to the Colorado River. We felt like we were on a beach trying to keep from sinking in! I’ve been studying Mindfulness this year and one of the most useful principles is – pain is mandatory [thru life] but suffering is optional. Suffering comes from resisting the pain. If we just accept the pain, it’ll come and pass. So I applied this on the hike by thinking “Ok, this is my life from now on and I’ll accept it” whenever things got harder – trail got steeper, legs got more tired, mounds of mule dung stunk up the trail, etc. Another useful mindset that I learned in my preparatory hikes is – enjoy the views and ignore the pain, basically redirecting my attention.
Beach sand at the bottom of a canyon!?
After our last stop for water and the restroom, it was a steep 4.5 miles straight up to the South Rim. That was when I mentally and physically kicked into another gear. I started focusing on getting to the top and refused to let my mind complain or dwell on how infinite the trail looked. I started praying a lot and talking to God like, “Ok Heavenly Father, you said I could do this. Please bless me with that strength, vigor, health and positive attitude you promised yesterday!”
View from the first set of switchbacks
I found a steady pace and stuck with it. In yoga, when things get really hard and painful, they tell you to focus on the breath and I got mine to be really regular – inhale for 4 counts, exhale for 4 counts. I found that if I gave my body enough oxygen, my muscles didn’t burn. I was in the zone! This was a really new foreign feeling to me because I avoid all endurance exercises/activities haha. I actually loved the log steps in the trail and the frequent switchbacks because it made me feel and see the rapid progress towards the top.
Pics don't do it justice at all
This is an unusual hike, opposite of hiking a mountain because the hardest part is at the end going uphill when you’re most exhausted! Lots of people gave the advice to eat and drink water regularly so I drank water in short intervals the whole time and ate my little bag of chocolate covered cherries slowly. I somehow started passing tons of people, but near the top when my pace slowed, tons of people passed me. I had to keep my pride in check and remind myself this is not a competition. Good thing I'm the least competitive person I know. We’re all on our own journey to endure to the end and it doesn’t matter how fast we go as long as we’re headed in the right direction and don’t quit. Yes, that is a directly applicable lesson for life.
The vertical wall up to the South Rim!
3 scriptures kept popping in my mind during the last arduous ascent:

  • John 9:3 “Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.” 
  • Ether 12:27 “And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.” 
  • Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” 

Gotta make it up before sunset!
So here’s the thing - the coolest part of this whole trip experience was feeling the love and power of God work in me and learning that sometimes, God gives us a weakness so we’ll be humbled to come to Him for help, and He’ll bless us with more than we ever asked for.
How much dynamite did it take to blow this hole for the trail?
The estimated time and distance was 16 hours, 24 miles. It took me 13 hours 10 minutes, 26 miles. I never would’ve finished that hike on my own if it weren’t for that Priesthood Blessing. I never would’ve thought to ask for a Priesthood Blessing if I didn’t suddenly get a miserably runny/stuffy nose. God gave me that small temporary problem so I would come to Him and He could give me greater blessings. How cool is that?! I feel like God gives us these blessings so we can help bring others to Him because He loves us and loves to bless us. I feel like Alma from the Book of Mormon who proclaimed, “Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.” (Alma 26:12)
Good thing I'm not afraid of heights. Oh wait, I AM.
The power of the Priesthood is real. I am so grateful for men who keep themselves worthy to serve and bless others. God loves and supports us, even in trials and challenges we volunteer and pay for! He keeps His promises and He always delivers, often more that we expect or deserve. I love Him so much and I’m grateful He stayed close to me through this entire experience.
My friends who passed me near the end - champs!
We all had ourselves a feast at the cafeteria that night, then camped again. Camping is the worst. Seriously, I don’t understand why anyone does this for fun. See Jim Gaffigan’s camping skit – it’s true!
I honestly loved the log steps cuz they gave me leverage going up.
Sunday morning, we took a long scenic route to drive home, stopping at 3 lookout spots along the Grand Canyon and got a completely different view from the rim! I’m grateful I found yummy sufficient nonperishable foods to bring so I didn’t have to spend money on the Sabbath. We got back to Provo about 8pm and all rushed to get home. That hot shower and soft warm bed never felt so good! And we all survived to tell the tale at work the next day :) Hallelujah.
Quick pause minutes before reaching the end
Scroll to the bottom for the dance pics I came for and got :)
Golly gee whiz - I climbed through that!!

Never expected all these gorgeous green trees around the rim
View from the Watchtower

Cool little mountain in the middle

Had to get cute souvenirs cuz I'm probably never coming back haha
Many thanks to my friends who patiently helped me take these dance pics. See more on my Instagram @lindanceflor.





Thursday, February 9, 2017

5 Bright Sides of Trump's Presidency

I'm definitely not as thrilled about your presidency as you are, Mr. Trump. Actually, it'd be impossible for anyone to be.
I don't know about you, but my mental and emotional health has been severely affected by Donald Trump's victorious election, inauguration, and the breakneck speed of policy changes and public reactions in the last 3 months. Obviously, I did not vote for him, but I didn't vote for Hillary Clinton either. I voted for Jill Stein of the Green Party, which I didn't completely agree with but more so than Trump or Clinton. I didn't expect her to win but I certainly didn't expect Trump to win either. The unthinkable happened, and unthinkable things have kept happening.

I've never felt so many surges of negative emotions while reading/watching social media posts and news sources - frustration, annoyance, indignation, shock, outrage, despondence, hopelessness, helplessness, disgust, etc...I seriously considered moving to another country for the first time in my life because I saw only negative consequences for America and the world. Dirtier air and water, inflamed and systematized discrimination of women & minorities, inexperienced and corrupt appointed leaders, conflicts of interest between his personal businesses & politics, obstruction of scientific research and facts, greater threat of nuclear war, a sullying of America's reputation in the world, and various other fears/worries. I cannot and do not want to go on living in a state of gloom and anger for the next 4 years!

So I've been trying to cope. Looking for the good in the world and in my life. Continuing to write in my daily gratitude journal. Venting to others. Praying a whole lot, especially for Trump and his cabinet members to be wise, honest, altruistic, and just. And I decided I wanted to write and share the positive consequences I can think of from Trump's presidency. Here's what I came up with:
  1. I am more informed - I barely read the news or cared about politics before this. But ignorance is a luxury I cannot indulge in anymore.  I am more motivated to stay informed because Trump is instating drastic high-level policies that will affect us all no matter how we might try to hide our heads in the sand. I need to know what's coming and do something about it if I can. I am now more aware of what's going on in the world, though I wish the headlines would be more balanced with positive things, like the things in this video I had no idea about.
  2. I have more compassion for others - It has been heartening to see how all the groups who feel threatened (which seems like everyone except heterosexual white American Christian men) are organizing, uniting, and peacefully protesting things that matter to them. It is also amazing to see how people who are not directly threatened stand up for others who are more vulnerable out of a genuine concern for common humanity. I feel more empathic and connected to others around me despite outward differences. 
  3. I am more articulate about my own stance - A lot of the things Trump has done/caused that have offended me do so on a deep emotional level, from which I respond with quick accusatory posts. My friends who think differently and present opposing views have forced me to better develop my own opinions, do more research to look for objective facts, and consider new perspectives. We are talking about politics and current events more than ever as a society, and I think it is important to learn to do so respectfully, clearly, calmly, and honestly. 
  4. I am learning and practicing mindfulness & Dialectical Behavior Therapy - These are proven skills and tools for managing our difficult emotions, thoughts, and behaviors more calmly so we become less likely to make rash decisions out of impulse. Mindfulness is about bringing attention to the present moment without judgment, which is helpful for me because I tend to worry about what might happen in the future. I'm reading books, attending workshops, doing more yoga, and using an app to meditate everyday (I highly recommend the free app Calm). My country, our world, and my life are likely only going to get more complicated and stress-inducing, so I'm dedicating this year to building a stronger emotional and mental foundation to better handle the challenges ahead. 
  5. I am drawing closer to Christ - I'm so grateful to have my Mormon faith to turn to throughout my life, especially now. I've been looking for General Conference talks and Ensign articles that offer hope and comfort. Teachings of the Presidents of the Church we are studying in church right now is a great resource. President Gordon B. Hinckley was such an exuberantly optimistic and positive prophet, along with President Thomas S. Monson. I'm grateful for their encouragement and example. All of these sources point me to Jesus Christ, my Savior and Redeemer. As I read the scriptures, I am inspired by how past people of God endured much harder times of war and persecution with firm faith and hope in the future. I know Christ will come again and be a just and merciful king who will lead us to eternal life free from sin and suffering. Trump is president for 4 years (hopefully less) but Christ is our king forever (Revelations 19:15-16). Because Christ is always the answer. 
I'm hoping I can think of more positive things as time passes. Feel free to share yours in the comments below!

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Farewell Letter to President Obama

Wow I never expected to be writing this but we live in extraordinary times. A man I didn't vote for in 2008 and 2012 is leaving the Presidency and I am so sad. And thankful. And anxious about his successor, who has already garnered way too much press and mostly for negative things. 

But I don't want to focus on the negative right now; there has been too much of that. This blog post is one of profound gratitude for the Obamas - for their leadership, example, faith, integrity, passion, and sacrifices. We don't always fully appreciate what (who) we have until we're about to lose it (them)! 

It was heartwarming to go back and read my "Prayer for the President" (see blog post) when he won the election in 2012. I respected him then, but I also greatly admire and love him now. I am touched and grateful to Heavenly Father for answering my prayer for the president over the last 4 years. President Obama has accomplished amazing things in the face of terrible odds and I, as an American, will forever be proud to have lived during his terms in office. Please see my letter below.

Dear President Obama, 
What an amazing honorable legacy you're leaving. You are such an admirable man in so many ways and makes us all want to be a better human and a better American. I just want to find a husband who adores and respects me like you adore and respect Michelle, who prioritizes fatherhood and family dinners when you could make so many excuses not to.
Thank you for your vision of inclusion of every person regardless of their beliefs, background, or lifestyle choices. Thank you for taking the threats of climate change seriously and being a fierce fighter to confront it. Thank you for your example of civility, dignity, and compassion during the many many trials and tragedies our country has faced in the last 8 years. Thank you for frequently and unapologetically calling upon God to bless us and bless this country, for being wise and humble enough to know we can't do this America thing without a higher power. You handle political pressures with calmness, creativity, courage, and exceptional optimism. Thank you for your puns and dad jokes, your shameless singing and joyful dancing, your playfulness with children and animals, and youthful enjoyment of life despite the burdens you carry.
I never voted for you but now I love and will miss you more than I ever imagined. I hope you get a much-needed and well-deserved vacation with your loved ones. I hope you find meaningful work after your presidency and will continue to inspire us with your talents in various capacities. May God bless you, Michelle, Sasha, and Malia with health, safety, peace, and joy for the rest of your lives.

With deep respect and admiration, 
Linda Flores