For the Beatufy of the Earth

1.  Red Pines Hike (Little Cottonwood)

 2. Lake Mary

 3. Lake Martha

 4. Lake Catherine

 5. Biking to work at Ridgecrest Elementary

 6. Biking up Emigration Canyon

 7. Hike up Sunset Peak (Catherine Pass) in Little Cottonwood Canyon

Lighting the flamez on Tinder.

Upon my coming back to the wonderful U.S. of A., I decided to jump head-first into the dating pool again, considering I had a 2 month (blissful) hiatus. I have joined an online dating website (again) and it has been less than fruitful (again). I also decided to join "Tinder" a "dating app" by classification, but in reality is really just a mindless swiping game like every other time-sucking app, but this time, there's "real" people involved (are they tho? see below). 

             For those of you unfamiliar with this game, I mean, app, you set up a small profile (with 1-5 pictures of yourself as well as an optional short short short blurb about yourself). Once you have done this, you can begin SWIPING! Yay! When you hit the "flame" icon a picture comes up like the one below. If you like what you see, you can swipe right. If you're not interested, you can swipe left. If they swipe right on you, then it pops up as a "match." It then gives you the option to strike up a conversation, or to "keep playing" (seriously). Or if you just think their picture is hilarious, and/or your life is pathetic, you can take a screen shot and blog about it ;) 

        So here I am. I have gotten 54 matches (meaning, 54 people that I have indicated I would be interested in getting to know have also indicated they would be interested in getting to know me). Out of those 54 people, only 9 have started actually having a (text) conversation with me (big step, you 9 people, big step, great job). And out of those 9, only 1 has tried to set up an actual meeting/date with me. I have initiated a text conversation with 3 of them, and some have not even responded! This is flabbergasting to me. FLABBERGASTING. 

Why? Let's analyze this situation/circumstance.

1. We both know we find the other person at the least, minimally attractive.

2. We know the other person will most likely not reject us.

AND YET

nothing happens! 

            Aside from those 54 minimally attractive/normal-looking individuals, the other 1 million people I have swiped through have been similar to the one's below. At the risk of being a total jerk and making fun of real? people, I have taken screen shots of their profiles just so you can humor me and feel my pain in knowing what a 28-year-old girl is swimming through right now here in Salt Lake City (and I'm guessing the world). I have left comments below each picture.

ARE YOU REALLY EIGHTEEN? WHY ARE YOU ON HERE. YOU LOOK 12.

This is really how you want to present yourself?

Are you real?

Sorry, I can't see you because half your face is covered in smoke. Oh wait, you wanted it like that?

Thank you, Erik, for the carrot costume. I really was needing my vegetables.

Wow.

I have always wanted to be with someone who dresses up like bunnies and carries around beer cans. PLEASE DATE ME!

I feel so Emo just looking at this.

Your hair is hotter than mine. That's a no.

And your hair is either hotter than mine, or you photo-shopped it on, both of which are unacceptable.

Yes please.

Cultural Excursions in Beijing: Cuan Di Xia（爨底夏） and Ping Yao（平遥）

We went on two cultural excursions during our 6-week program. They were both very enjoyable for me to see other parts of China.

First we went to the countryside- Cuan Di Xia. The city is small and old-fashioned, with courtyard-type homes and pictures of Mao still hanging in the bedrooms. The city's main source of income is tourism.

Me n' Mao in one of our "bedrooms"

Amazing mountains.

Awkward family selfie

View from the top of our hike.

Sweaty and loving life

View of our dinner tables, the courtyard in the center of surrounded bedrooms. It could sleep like 30 people (5 on each hard long bed)

Best food I have ever tasted. Honestly.

I found the food in the countryside to be more fresh, less greasy, and with more vegetables. It reminded me of how my momma cooks. So delicious.

I loved this first cultural excursion. The second was equally cool - in Ping Yao. We went for 3 days at the end of our program. We got to see a lot of historical sights. The town is pretty well preserved. All the streets in Ping Yao are narrow and dirt. And all the houses are low. It feels like you're in a cat and mouse maze.

This statue's mouth is shut symbolizing how women shouldn't talk? WATCHME

Good luck if you rub his belly

Cool wooden dragons that looks like they're about to fall apart

Cool shot from outside looking into a famous Chinese man's home (HUGE, he did export goods)

Little feet and a big umbrella.

Ping Yao is known for their noodles. Notice most of the dishes are some sort of noodle.

This man's genealogy- SOCOOL right? I thought it was fascinating.

Good luck if you kiss the lion. Notice a trend?

Beautiful garden

Me n' my closest friend Mary Christina

To appease all my family members who thought I'd get married in China, I started dating this handsome Chinese warrior. We got pretty serious.

selfie in our "cart"

Our "hotel" in Ping Yao - one of my favorite places we stayed. All very ancient looking and also super cheap. Less than $100 USD

This restaurant had photos of all the famous communists. Notice any? Ha ha.

We went to this place where you can have all these little fish eat the fungus off your feet. It was the worst feeling ever. I was surprised at what a whimp I was. I couldn't keep my feet in there for more than 2 seconds, literally. It was so gross!!

The fish swarming. *eew*

Ping Yao night life. No edits. One of my favorite pictures and such a cool atmosphere. Everyone was out and about and I especially loved the lanterns.

Okay. If you say so.

At Ping Yao's "great wall" around their city.

You can kind of get a feel for what the city looks like here. Tons of people, narrow streets, and ancient-style houses.

We also toured the city's political center offices, which included too much details about ancient forms of torture. It was disturbing.

And learned how to shoot bows and arrows

Great shot of our group.

We took an overnight train back to Beijing, which I absolutely loved. It was so comfortable. Oh besides that large Chinese man snoring up a storm with his belly hanging over the side of his bunk . . . ha ha.