winter break + Southwest U.S. trip

Hope everyone had an amazing break and got to recharge. For me, the best part is that Dad took us on a trip to the Four Corners. Although we were just there not long ago, that didn't matter too much because we got to see old friends and explore new areas.

Day 1

Our trip began on the 16th with an afternoon flight to Denver. Checking in took a while due to heightened security following the 9/11 attacks, but there were no real issues. After a few hours, the plane landed in Denver around dinner time. We grabbed a bite to eat at McDonald's but didn't do much else.

The connecting flight to Albuquerque was about 80 minutes. Dad rented an SUV and took us to his friend Chih-Yue's house in Los Alamos. Because the Kaos have lived in New Mexico for as long as I can remember, there are few opportunities to get together. Chih-Yue was excited to catch up and put out snacks. I'm pretty sure we didn't go to bed until at least 11:45 p.m.

Day 2

Dad asked the Kaos to take us to the Bradbury Science Museum because I've always loved science. Chih-Yue was more than happy to oblige. Despite its small size, the museum is operated by Los Alamos National Laboratory and contains many exhibits. It happens that Chih-Yue works at Los Alamos National Laboratory as a climate researcher. Even though they're in different fields, the Wen Ho Lee case made for an interesting topic.

Later, the Kaos took us to Valles Caldera National Preserve. Geologists believe the caldera was formed by a massive volcanic eruption around 1.4 million years ago. Due to the cold weather, there was little to do besides take pictures. Our group then headed to Pizza Hut for lunch after stopping for groceries. Apologies to the vegetarians out there, but the meat lover's pizza is delicious.

Chih-Yue's kids Aaron and Samantha invited me to hang out afterwards. Aaron had a PS2 and introduced me to the Final Fantasy series. I got to play Final Fantasy VII for the first time and was quite impressed. One thing that stood out to me was the music. Final Fantasy X also had a great storyline and soundtrack — no wonder the franchise is so popular. I couldn't help but notice that Tifa and Yuna are really cute. Aaron says he doesn't disagree.

We played more games after dinner. TimeSplitters turned out to be decent too. I prefer the Final Fantasy series, but that's just me.

Day 3

Having spent two nights at Chih-Yue's house, the time has come to leave Los Alamos. Saying goodbye to the Kaos was the hardest thing to do. Hope we can see each other again in the near future.

So a little background — we used to go to a Buddhist temple in the Bay Area called the Fa Yun Monastery on weekends. However, the group relocated to New Mexico several years ago. It later split into two factions, one in Taos and one in Vadito. Mom wanted to visit them in Vadito as we weren't too far. I felt like we were embarking on a spiritual journey during this time. Snow began to fall as we drove up the mountains. It doesn't get any more Zen than this.

Everyone was very hospitable when we arrived. People showed us around and insisted we stay for lunch. I couldn't believe how good vegan food can be. Mom wanted to give back and decided to donate a large bag of oranges. One thing for sure is that the Fa Yun Monastery and its members will always have a special place in our hearts.

We arrived in Cortez and checked into our hotel after a long drive. Dad found a small town along the way called Durango and thought it looked fun. It's probably something to consider for a future trip.

Day 4

Our day began with a visit to Mesa Verde National Park to see the Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings. I didn't expect the crowd to be so large. Dad signed us up for the Cliff Palace tour as it's the most popular. It ran for about an hour and was quite informative. At some points during the tour, people were allowed to go inside the structures. I felt a bit like Indiana Jones.

Another great attraction was the Four Corners Monument near Teec Nos Pos. As the name suggests, this is the only location in the U.S. where four states come together. You can take fun pictures and check out the vendors. Dad got hungry and ordered some fry bread — which turned out to be delicious. Although we didn't stay long here, this was my favorite stop.

Our hotel was located in Page. I almost forgot to mention — we passed a small town called Mexican Hat along the route. Its name comes from a rock formation that looks like a sombrero. Too bad we couldn't get close enough for a photo.

Day 5

Dad took us to Zion National Park even though we've been here before. Driving through the canyon was an incredible experience. We also went back to Bryce Canyon National Park to see the hoodoos. The scenery alone made the trip worthwhile.

Our journey brought us to Moab after another long drive. It's a nice little town with scenic views. I wouldn't mind retiring here.

Day 6

We explored downtown Moab for a bit before going to a Chinese restaurant for lunch. One thing I noticed is that there aren't many Asians around these parts. However, the hostess was friendly and made us feel at home. The food was a little greasy but not too bad otherwise.

Dad then took to Arches National Park to see what it has to offer. Located next to the Colorado River, the park has over 2,000 natural arches and many other geological features. We bought some fridge magnets at the gift shop while we were at the visitor center. I'm thinking about giving one to Charline as she sent me a chocolate for Valentine's Day a week ago. Hope she doesn't get the wrong message.

Our last stop in Arches was a viewpoint from which Delicate Arch is visible. I was a little tired and stayed in the car even though it's a short hike. Only later did I realize Delicate Arch is the most famous. It's one of my biggest regrets. :-(

Canyonlands National Park also has a unique landscape. I wanted to stay longer, but there wasn't enough time because we had to drive another 400 miles. An extra day or even just a few hours would have been nice. Looks like we need to plan another trip in the future.

I saw a place called Natural Bridges National Monument and suggested going there. You can follow a one-way loop to see all three bridges. Dad turned around at Sipapu Bridge because he was afraid we'd be stuck after hours. He didn't want to take chances and decided to hurry back to the entrance, going the wrong way the whole time. Good thing there were no other cars.

We reached Shiprock around 8:45 p.m. and stopped at McDonald's for a quick dinner. So there's a rock formation that gives the town its name. You could see it in the distance even when it's dark outside. It's even considered sacred by the Navajo.

From here, the plan was to take U.S. 666 to Gallup on the way back to Albuquerque. But the thing is that 666 is considered an "evil" number. Mom was a little nervous even though she's not a Christian. To reassure her, my father took a detour. Luckily for us, the distance was about the same.

At one point later, there were several signs warning drivers to slow down as we crossed a mountain pass. Dad thought it was strange... until the road took a sharp turn all of a sudden. I'm pretty sure the only reason we didn't drive off a cliff à la Thelma & Louise is that he was paying attention. It took a moment to realize we were so close to death. Someone must have been watching over us.

On the bright side, the drive to Albuquerque was uneventful otherwise. We checked into our hotel around midnight and went to bed shortly afterwards. As you can see, this was the busiest day by far.

Day 7

I was a little sad that the trip was almost over. Soon it was time to head to the airport for our flight to San Francisco. Our hope was to go back to Los Alamos to see the Kaos again before returning the rental car, but this turned out to be impossible. Oh well.

Due to the tight schedule, there wasn't much to do at the airport other than browse the shops. You wouldn't believe how expensive the food was. Greedy bastards. We then boarded the plane and took our seats. I got to listen to music during the flight and really liked the selection. Uncle Harrison picked us up at SFO and gave us a ride home.

Epilogue

On the whole, this was a very special trip. Experiencing the local culture and seeing the Kaos made it even more so. I enjoyed visiting the Four Corners Monument due to its novelty factor. Arches National Park didn't disappoint either. Too bad we couldn't fully explore all the places due to time constraints. Seems like we need to go back soon. :-)

I go back to school tomorrow and am excited and sad at the same time. It's going to be great to see everyone and talk about the trip. Holiday blues, on the other hand...

Currently listening to: "Turn the Tide" by Sylver

Valentine's Day shenanigans

For an assignment in Spanish class, the teacher asked us to make Valentine's Day cards. I was paired up with a girl named Stella and had to write a love letter. Can you imagine the awkwardness?

Because we use a block schedule — and there is no class today — this happened the day before. I made a card out of construction paper and drew some hearts. Hope it's not too crude. I also managed to come up with a poem of sorts. It couldn't get any cheesier.

Stella was more generous and gave me a store-bought card and a chocolate waffle cone. You could tell she was embarrassed too. I can't believe Mrs. Schiffman made us do this. Of course, social anxiety doesn't help either.

But things doesn't end there. Each year, the school does a Valentine's Day fundraiser. You can buy a candy gram and send it to someone. Each one includes a chocolate rose and a note. Imagine my surprise when I received two. One's from my friend Charline — she's on the student council and wants to be in good graces — while the other came from an anonymous "secret admirer." Holy crap. I've never blushed so hard in my life.

It's nice to know someone likes me. However, no one seems to have an idea as to who she may be. Unless someone knows more than they're letting on. If anyone has an answer, feel free to comment here. Hope she sees this because I want to say "thank you." :-)

In other news...

1. I'm hosting a Valentine's Day event in RuneScape in about an hour. Come join me at Falador Park on server 1 at 5 p.m. Pacific Time for a chance to win 50,000 coins. Sorry for the short notice as I just got home.
2. Dad is taking us to the Four Corners again even though it hasn't been long since we went there. It's easily one of our favorite places.

Currently playing: Exile III: Ruined World