Monday, August 6, 2012

Self Relection....by Jessica

Wow, I've really been MIA.

Zack and I took a 10 day cruise to Alaska and are trying to ease ourselves back into the real world.  I still haven't unpacked - my suitcase is on the floor exploding with clothes,  I want to eat and nap at 30 minute intervals, and I keep waiting for someone to push my chair in and clear my plate at dinner.



We went on a hiking trek up to the top of Mendenhall glacier in Juneau and when we got to the ice we had to put on spiky shoes over our hiking boots called crampons.

Our tour guide began his "how to put the crampons on tutorial" by saying - "Okay, these are a little tricky.  First you need to pull this part out, put your heel in first and then your toe, pull this strap around and through the top hole, around, then under, then through the two rings, then back under one of the rings, then through again - then pinch and pull, pinch and pull until they are on real tight."

I completely checked out and starting looking at the clouds, looking at the mountain, putting on some more lip gloss, right after he said "Okay, these are a little tricky."

And you know why?

Because I knew that Zack would come over and strap my crampons for me.

SO LAME.  I KNOW.




One of my self reflections at that moment was I need to take more responsibility for learning stuff even if I find it confusing or un-useful.  My reasoning for things like that are: I will never put crampons again so why should I use up any brain space learning this.  

I do have to add that I did TRY and put the cramp-ons on myself and when the tour guide checked he said "Wow, great job" and I said "You sound surprised, don't I look like the kind of girl who could throw on a pair of crampons successfully?" but then the other tour guide came over and said I actually had them on all backwards and Zack had to come over and fix them  so I really was just that girl standing there putting on her lip gloss looking at the clouds zoning out letting Zack put on my crampons.

Again.  SO LAME. {I'm never going to let Anya read this post}

We  hiked around and got to an ice cliff and our tour guide informed us that we all needed to climb this wall of ice to get on with the rest of the hike.  I knew Zack couldn't drag me up the wall of ice so I paid attention, used the learning part of my brain and successfully got myself up that wall.

{I'm on the left.  Zack is at the top in the red jacket looking at me thinking he is happy he isn't climbing the ice wall with me on his back.  Plan B}

{It appears Juli and I were posing the same way at the same moment 2,800 miles apart from each other.  Did you see that factoid that I just went and learned?  I initially put down 800 miles and then had to google it for the answer.  Good job trying to boost up that geographically stunted part of your brain Jessica.}

Even if I hadn't had the self reflection lightbulb, the glacial trek was awesome and the ice cave we got to explore was amazing.  


7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing. This looks so awesome! Loved your tuning out with the instructions -haha! Too real:-)
-m-

Juliana said...

That is soooooooo cool!!!! Good job!!!! PLease share more adventures with us....and of course food pictures :) So proud of you!!!

Unknown said...

I want to put that last picture as my wallpaper. Simply breathtaking!

Anonymous said...

cool love the cave photo
so how long did take to climbing the ice wall. remind me to ask you how to put on a pair of crampons

Jessica said...

I'm having camera photo transferring difficulties but I'll definitely get more pics up soon. The ice wall was small. It only took like 4 minutes maybe :)

Rachel said...

so glad you got to go! great adventure! always feel like I'm listening to myself in my head when I read your posts. exactly what I tell myself! love ya!

Jessica said...

Rachel, i wish we lived closer to each other, I think we'd be besties :)