Category: nature

My break.

graypenguinLeave a comment

The year-ending and New Year’s holidays are always very busy. Three weeks fly by and I wish I had one more week off. I saw my family and many friends during my vacation. I feel a sense of relief when I go back to my home country.
Eating delicious food, going shopping, and sleeping in my own bed all make me happy.
At the beginning of this year, I participated in my old school’s New Year’s kickoff party, and it was a great time to see friends I haven’t seen in a year and teachers I haven’t seen in a long time.
The most fun thing I did during this vacation was going skiing with my family. My brother and I went snowboarding and my sister, dad and mom went skiing. I hadn’t skied since the 6th grade, about 6 years. At first I was very worried if I could ski well, but when I finished the first run, the old feeling came back. I had a few sore muscles, but more than that, I was able to spend time with my whole family, and everything was fun and we had good times.
Next time I see my family, I want to go on another trip to a different place.
I have wonderful memories of this vacation to see not only my family but also a lot of friends. When I was in the second year of junior high school, I had a takoyaki (octopus dumpling) party with five of my best friends from the same class. I also met friends from my current school when I went to my grandmother’s house. It was such a busy vacation that no matter how much time I had, it was never enough. I am already looking forward to going back to my home country and seeing my family again.

pc;me

What I miss already

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If I leave home, these are a few things I will miss about it:

My sister. It is scary knowing that she will keep growing and changing as a person, and I won’t be able to see her everyday to see that happen.

The weather. 40s and 50s is cold enough for me. I can’t imagine going about your day when it’s any colder than that; the image of walking around outside, going places, while your face and hands hurt from the cold is kind of sad.

Friends. There are still so many things to do together, and it feels there will never be enough time.

The food.

The mountains. When I first came here, my parents oohed and ahhed at the scenery, but I never saw what the big deal was. Now, I feel there is something comforting and familiar to feel wrapped up in the hilly earth. The places where everything is flat feels so lonely; in even large cities built in flat middle-of-nowhere desserts, you can look out on the horizon and see nothing. It almost feels cut off from the world. However, I imagine those cities are more closely knit internally.

Picture Credit: Johanna Zender

van life or bus life

progstenLeave a comment

So we all know what van life is and I’m pretty sure you can guess what bus life is. I’ve wanted to live in a van for a long time and wanted to convert one with my own hands and make it exactly how I want it, but recently I’ve been having doubts about whether I should live in a van because vans don’t have a lot of space so I couldn’t put a lot in there. However, a bus has quite a lot of space to put all the things I want there which is a lot. For example, there is almost no way I’m going to be able to fit a moped in a van like it’s not gonna happen. Also, I need a lot of power for everything and the best way I can get that is through solar and I could fit a lot more solar panels on a bus than a van. The bus is not perfect though it takes a lot of gas and I can’t get into certain places as easy compared to the van which is a big issue since I want to go to a lot of places that would need go like if I ever wanted to park in a normal parking lot i would need to take up about 5 spaces but in a van i could just do one. I might try and meet in the middle and do a box truck because that can get to most places but still has a good amount of space. I guess I don’t have to think about this to much right now but there’s a lot to think of so maybe I should start planning now.

https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=583150690&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS974US975&q=van+life+or+bus+life&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwja2JS4zcmCAxU8EEQIHSRsDkYQ0pQJegQICBAB&biw=1600&bih=884&dpr=1.8#imgrc=kWXkvVz7wm_qTM

The World

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The world is just actually so beautiful. The colors flood through the ocean, the mountains, to the empty plains. The blossoming flowers, bloom over the mountaintops. The sun rising turns the sky a flume of pinks purples and oranges. The admirable ocean blue hues. The twinkle of the waves as they break along the shoreline. At night the stars light up the sky creating a pattern and light shining down on the quiet night. The sun shining at the perfect angle to light up the perfectly imperfect flower. The wind blowing the grass of the field where the horses run. While the rain pours it pounds down on the wet cement the clouds create a gray glare along the wet world. The pollution us humans bring are destroying the beauty of the quiet earth we love.

PC:Me

Alabama Hills

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Alabama Hills was so pretty.

I went on the Alabama hills trip and it was so beautiful there. Everywhere we went, we were surrounded by boulders, and the horizon line on all sides was made up of either distant blue mountains or interesting rock formations in the shape of cashews, mittens, or huge stone hands. 

When I was little, I never really appreciated nature much. Whenever I went hiking to a scenic spot with OVS or my family, I focused my attention more on my tired feet than the beauty in front of me. I never saw what was so great about sunsets or mountains.

However, on this camping trip, I couldn’t stop feeling so grateful to have the opportunity to be out there, and I couldn’t help taking pictures of all the mountains and sunsets and little caves to hopefully take home a little bit of the wonder I felt out there. There was even a pink moment out there, where all the white stone mountains turned pink in the morning. It was so pretty that it was worth unzipping the tent and braving the freezing air to watch the sunrise.

Picture Credit: Mike Reyfman

Camping trip

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I went camping last Wednesday through Friday. I like camping, but not being able to get in the shower is a bit of a pain. I hate feeling like I am dirty all the time. I have a routine before I go camping. I get up two hours before the camp leaves, and first I wash my bedding. While I am waiting for the laundry, I take a shower. I always miss the shower when I know I won’t be able to shower for the next few days.
After the shower, I wash my clothes before drying my hair. Then I get dressed and go.

This is my first visit to Santa Rosa. I had only been to one channel island, so I was very excited because my friends told me that the view from the beach there was exceptional. The morning of the camp was very early, leaving at 6:15 a.m. We went to the harbor early in the morning and spent several hours on the boat to get there.
If I were to describe everything that happened at the camp, this vlog would never end, so I will write about my favorite part of the camp and the hardest part.

My favorite part of the camp was going out at night to take pictures of the stars. The sky was so clear, and the stars looked so clear and beautiful. My friend taught me how to take pictures of the stars, and I feel like we became closer friends. The hardest part of the camp was walking over 13 miles on the second day. It was hard, but I enjoyed talking with my friends and singing with them. I also saw a fox along the way; it was very cute. I also enjoyed napping on the beach with my friends. We also played card games on the boat and on the beach, regardless of where we were. I learned two new card games at this camp.
We also saw whales and dolphins on the boat, both on the way there and on the way back. Those things made us feel like they were inviting us to the island.

pc;me

pc;me

New Winter

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I’m excited for Christmas this year because I’m almost guaranteed a white Christmas. My family has recently bought a new house in Mammoth. This house is a house where everyone gets their own room so that means less fighting and everyone getting their own personal space. Since it’s large enough for my parents to be convinced we’ll be able to enjoy it, we’re packing up and spending Christmas in Mammoth; hence the white Christmas. I’m hoping that we’ll all be able to enjoy Christmas and the entirety of winter in Mammoth without stepping on each others’ toes. Everyone could fit into our old place but I have a feeling that the new house will be a much more inviting place for the whole family.


Since we’re going up for both Thanksgiving and part of Christmas break, I’m also hoping that I’ll really be able to improve my snowboarding skills. Last year I randomly decided that I wanted to Snowboard so I went all in and bought all the gear and now it’s too late to go back. So far, I’ve actually liked the process of learning how to snowboard significantly more than skiing. I don’t regret my decision at all.


I’ve never been a pro at anything on the mountain, I’m the type of person who would get in your way. To me it’s never been competitive, the whole thing is a joke in the best way possible. When I want to go fast I do, but I thoroughly enjoy face-planting in the snow by trying tricks I know I will never be able to accomplish and taking my time on the way down. Long story short, I’m looking forward to a fun winter.

“Snow Winter” by FOCA Stock/ CC0 1.0

Weather

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In my last blog, I wrote about clouds. That is my favorite weather story. In this post, I’m going to continue that and write about my dislike of rainy days. Of course, rain is an essential part of life, but I feel a little down when it rains. Some people may find the sound of rain soothing and cozy.

I dislike rainy days not only because of the overall atmosphere but also because of the bad memories I have.
In Japan, where I live, it is normal for it to rain, and we are usually prepared for it, whereas in California, it doesn’t rain as much and we are not as well equipped. Especially where I am now, even a little rain can cause flooding.
I have a bitter memory of a time when I came back to the U.S. from Japan and could not go back to school because it was raining. I had a lot of bad luck, my cell phone internet was not working, and the hotels nearby were full, so I had nowhere to go. Finally, my friends invited me to their house and I was able to survive this misfortune.
For me, rain is not my favorite weather, as I have some bitter memories of it.　Rainy days are not my favorite, but perhaps they have their own beauty and charm. I am not saying that I dislike rain, but I hope that one day I will be able to appreciate its charm.

pc:https://www.vcstar.com/gcdn/presto/2023/01/14/PVCS/488cf9d6-e228-418e-a16d-7a4ad6037b48-Saturday_rain_flood_1.JPG?crop=5103,2871,x0,y259&width=3200&height=1801&format=pjpg&auto=webp

Cloudy day……

graypenguinLeave a comment

The most popular weather may be sunny, but for me, clouds in the sky make me happy.

One of significant factor that captivates me about cloudy days is the ever-changing canvas they paint above us. Unlike clear blue skies, where the sun rules with its unyielding brilliance, clouds offer a dynamic display of character. Each day, the sky becomes a work of art, with clouds as the artists.

What I find most appealing is the unpredictability of it all.Clouds can change their shapes at whim and sometimes look like animals. It is as if they are trying to tell us something. These constant changes fascinate me, and I look up at the sky intently. Many people do not find clouds alone to be that fascinating, but the sky becomes a living, breathing entity that tells its own story.

Cloudy days remind me that change is a beautiful and essential part of life. They teach me to appreciate the transience of moments and the artistry of the natural world. I am grateful for these unpredictable cloudy skies, for they remind me that beauty can be found in the impermanence of life and in the constantly changing patterns of the world above.

pc;me

pc;me

Stanford duck syndrome and another rant about college

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Duck syndrome, first coined by Stanford, is the concept that everyone seems to have everything together, in the way that a duck seems to peacefully glide across the water, but it turns out that we are all struggling and working pretty hard to keep it together in a competitive environment, like the way that under the water the duck is paddling furiously with its little feet. 

When I learned about duck syndrome, I first thought it was pretty cool that there is a “syndrome” named after one of my favorite animals. However, it’s comforting to know that sometimes, even though everyone else seems to have everything together, they could be just as stressed and tired out as I am. 

However, I really hate the way that school is set up, especially college. Everything seems so focused on what is to come instead of the present. That sounds good in a way, but I don’t like certain aspects of it. For example, the way that your entire high school career, or at least the last half of it, is focused less on exploring and growing as a person and more on boosting a resume. With less pressure to fit a certain image of a worthy college applicant, students would have the time and energy to spend on passions and explore new interests, which would lead them to be desirable applicants anyway. Additionally, why are high schoolers expected to “specialize” and have their future figured out? Most seniors are barely legal adults; why are we expected to know exactly what we want to do for the next six decades of our lives?

Picture Credit: Guy Bianco IV