As many already know, I live in a place that rains a lot. But thanks to the unusual weather pattern this year, it’s warmer and sunnier than previous years. Spring has arrived early and we were thinking of taking a vacation break to enjoy the nice weather and unwind through the natural beauty of the scenic drives and national parks on the west coast.

My girlfriend is going back to school right now and she will have a week break at the end of March. Work has been hectic these past few months for me and we both could really use the time away. We settled on a road trip rather than flying somewhere to save cost. The selected destination is Grand Canyon National Park. We both have never been there before and we heard from those who had gone backpacking there that it was definitely a memorable experience.

The timing could not have been better. During the end of March is a good time to do a Grand Canyon backpacking trip since the temperature down in the Canyon Valley would be just right, ~ 70°F. It gets too hot for strenuous hikes in the middle of the summer (>100°F). We already have some gears like a good pair of hiking boot and warm clothing in case it gets cold at night. We asked around and were able to borrow a backpacking tent and stove from a friend. The backpack, sleeping bag, and the rest of the items can be rented or purchased at low cost from the outdoor recreation store where my girlfriend works part-time. We spent some time planning our route and filling and faxing the form to reserve the campsites. Things are coming together nicely.

As you may have already guessed from the title above, things did not work out as we had hoped. We got a letter in the mail from the national park services several weeks later that there were no campsites available down in the places where we wanted to hike. We found out that Grand Canyon is extremely popular and people usually reserve up to four months in advance for the campsites. Since it would be the first time backpacking there and we are not experienced hikers by any mean, we did not want to go off the planned route to camp. We also did not want to go later in the summer since it may be too hot to do backpacking. So it was, the trip was cancelled and both of us were kind of sad we could not go.

A few days later, my girlfriend came home all excited. She said that her sister and brother-in-law heard what happened and suggested another option for us. They had been to Arches National Park in Utah and just felt in love with it. In fact, that was where he proposed to her. You guess it, we could not have been happier about this. This whole event just goes to show that second (or third, forth, etc.) option can really come in handy. Definitely, we should plan and pursue the first option that we really want. But it doesn’t hurt to have other plans just in case things don’t go exactly the way we hope for. Sometimes, second option can be a good thing after all.

Picture above: Park Avenue – Arches National Park – Photo from National Park Service Photo http://www.nps.gov/arch/photosmultimedia/index.htm?eid=400940&root_aId=602#e_400940

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As some of you already know, I like a good deal. This old habit got the best of me last week when I developed a skin rash after using the low cost (“cheap”) soap I bought in order to save a few bucks. I ended up seeing a dermatologist who said that it was just a minor allergic reaction and gave me some topical cream to help cure the rash.

It was the first time I’ve gone to a dermatologist and I was quite impressed at the professionalism of the doctor and the clinic staff. Let’s think about this for a moment. Imagine we were sick and needed to see a doctor. The usual thing to do is to go to the local clinic, answer all the questions, and fill out all the forms. After waiting the usual 15-30 minutes in the exam room, what if the doctor walking into the room was wearing his pajama. How confident will you be at his skill and ability to treat you? What if this is not just some common cold but something rather serious? Would you judge his ability from the clothes he was wearing?

Although it doesn’t say anything about our ability or knowledge, outward appearance does matter. As much as we hate to admit, we still make the initial judgment from what we see. And first impression really does make a difference. Many times when we look in the mirror, we don’t see ourselves. What I mean is that we don’t really think about how we look. We humans are a creature of habit (I can attest to that) and we tend to go with what’s easy, comfortable, and something that worked in the past. And we wonder why sometimes we feel not so confident in ourselves and why things don’t go as smoothly as we had hoped. We are what we wear indeed.

Below is a scene from a show called “What Not To Wear” from TLC. It’s a makeover show that helps the average everyday person look better through more appropriate clothing and personal styling (haircut, make up, etc.). Not only do people look better, they feel so much more confident, more energetic, and more attractive. We don’t have to spend a fortune like in the show to do this. We can do the same for a lot less.

What it comes down to is the way we see ourselves. For if we see ourselves like the person who is worthy, attractive, and deserving of a better life, we will start to take better care of ourselves. And when we do that, the real us will simply shine through.

Popularity: 4%

I live in a place where it rains a lot (some says it rains like 9 months out of a year here). The typical weather here outside of the summer months is cloudy and gray with some light rain. With weather like this day in and day out, no wonder why I often caught myself feeling down for no reason.

But as I learn over the years of living here, weather can get us down IF we let it (notice the capital “IF”). People here continue their daily life with or without the rain. They still go jog in the park, do a bicycle ride on a trail, and other activities. Some minor adjustments are needed, like wearing a rain coat and water-resistant shoes for outside protection or going to the gym for some indoor workout. Exercise can make a big difference in our mood and, believe it or not, our brain functions.

I came across a book called “Brain Rules – 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School” by Dr. John Medina a while back. Dr. John Medina is a developmental molecular biologist and affiliate Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Washington. His book describes, in a simple way, how the brain works. One of the things he found was that exercise can really boost brain power. He mentioned that our body are built for a lot more physical activities than what most of us typically do in a given day. Remember how our ancestors had to farm, hunt, and build shelter, etc. All those activities take physical work and it can do wonders to our mind, body (heart, brain, muscles, etc.), and reduce all kinds of risk to diseases like Alzheimer, Heart disease, etc. Below is a video presentation that John Medina gave at Google if you’re interested to hear more on this (more info also at www.brainrules.net). Note: No benefit or connection with this author.

Despite all these good stuffs we get from exercising, I still managed to not exercise for the past few weeks. Well, it was raining again yesterday and I felt so down that I just had it. I got off from the couch, changed, and went running for ~ 3 miles. It felt so good afterward. Quite rejuvenating, indeed. So if you ever feel down and out from whatever situation in life, try exercising. It may not solve all of our problems, but at least it will help us look better, feel better, and be more ready for whatever may come.

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“No man is an island”

from “Meditation XVII,” by the English poet John Donne

As human, we are all interconnected. We are a social creature and we need one another. We are also influenced by our environment. This includes the country, the town, the neighborhood, and most importantly, the space we live in.

Whether we live in a home, an apartment, a condo, or a loft, our living space, believe it or not, our surrounding environment can influence our mind a lot more that we realize. Ever visited someone’s place and wonder how that person could ever live there. You know. A place where there is no room to walk, stuffs spread out everywhere, and not enough lighting. And what’s with the weird smell that seems to suck the life out our every breath? How did you feel being there? Could you live in a place like that? Ever wonder how the owner of the place manages to live there?

The truth is that the place probably did not start out that way. The chaos just slowly builds up overtime. After a long day of work or school, family, and all the extra things we have to do to live a life, who has time and energy to clean and organize? I mean, what harm is it to just let things be for now? We all can probably agree to that. But as we already know, we pay for it later on. Our living environment get worsen overtime and we wonder why we could not think straight or get anything done in our life. It takes constant efforts to keep things in order. But the reward is so worth it. We get to live a more productive life. You probably wonder what the deal with the picture above? It’s my garage. This was taken after a few days of cleaning and organizing it, and there were two of us doing this. I know, it’s not the neatest garage you’ve seen, but it could be worst (notice I didn’t post the “before” picture). So, what do you say? Ready for a clearer and more orderly life? Let’s pull up our sleeves and get started.

Popularity: 9%