Real talkin' yeah

Well here it goes I guess.

I just want to show a little part of who I am.

I don't like showing myself to other people.
I'm procrastinator through and through. And that includes waking up in the morning
(And my blog).
I'd rather be outside than in most of the time.
I don't like big crowds.
I don't like loud noises.
I'd rather be reading a good book by myself than partying with friends.
(I still like to party with friends)
I  don't stress out about much. (Don't worry, be happy)
I love lemonade!
I don't think dubstep is real music.
I love classic 80's rock.
I bite my finger nails. Ahhh!
I love to see the world but nothing beats my backyard.


Thanks, Nelson, for showing me that I'm a tourist but giving me a taste of what being a resident is all about (I'm not sure if I'll ever be a true resident). Thanks to all the other awesome bloggers out there that are super good writers. You will go on to do great things.

I always spent more time reading your blogs than writing mine. I got way more out of reading others, which is kinda sad but oh well. They were just too awesome. I'm just learning how to be a good writer. You have to learn somehow I guess.

Thanks again,

Chase Vallejo

memories remembered

I remember getting scared out of my mind when climbed 2 feet up the rock climbing wall and having to climb down.
I remember when my whole family woke up because a baby chick was chirping from the incubator. And it imprinted on my brother.
I remember playing gameboys and how we would always get a new game before a road trip.
I remember my first backpacking trip and I was so tired and my pack was way too heavy.
I remember getting sick in Greece after I ate squid and was stuck in a packed taxi going down a mountain.
I remember I was about to kick a pebble off of the Eiffel tower before my Grandpa grabbed my shoulder and told me it would kill someone. And how I kept wanting to throw a paper airplane off.
I remember when one of my hamsters ate the other one's head off and I had no idea why.
I remember when my horse was spooked and it threw me but my foot was still stuck in the stirrup when it took off running. At least until I blacked out.
I remember peeing off Mt. Timpanogos and how my friend almost fell off a cliff fetching my hiking stick that I dropped.
I remember making gingerbread sleighs with my mom for my teachers in elementary school.
I remember riding scooters out in the rain. The best time to ride scooters.
I remember sitting in the corner of the band room by myself because I wouldn't stop talking.
I remember getting caught in a rip current, the first time I felt panic.
I remember milking the cows on those cold winter nights with my Dad.
I remember trying to sell rocks on the street corner. Hey, they were cool rocks.
I remember when life was more simple, and the juice tasted a little sweeter.

"Tensions"

 "Tensions"

Within this battle of ideas its time for another great debate. Unifying everything struggling to forge a new path.

Conversations with my heart

Me: I need to finish my homework

Heart: Let's go outside!

Me: I want to sleep in

Heart: wake up early and do service!

Me: I want to hit that deer so bad 

Heart: all animals play a vital role to the forest

Me: I want to punch that dude

Heart: not yet 

Me: blog about stuff. You know.

Heart: let your true feelings paint the canvas

Me: I like chocolate

Heart: chocolate is good 

Me: dumb dog stop jumping on me

Heart: the dog wants to be your friend

Me: I am late!

Heart: rushing is not going to fix the real problem here

Me: that girl is cute

Heart: yeah go talk to her

Me: nah I'm good 

Heart: you dummy head 

The tree I carved my heart into

My father once showed me the place where he carved my mothers and his initials into a birch tree.

He woke me up one summer morning and asked if I wanted to go for a drive. Just me and you he said. I miss those adventures. When the smell of pine trees and the sound of the river are all that occupy your thoughts.

Mom made us sandwiches and we were off. I climbed into the back of that old jeep and my dad said to get up in the front. It felt like I was being allowed to sit at the grown-up table at thanksgiving. Boo-yah! Now if only I could avoid falling out of this doorless tipping machine. The sound of the carburetor mixed with the rushing of the wind around my hair. The rhythmic timing of the shifting gears felt like a little shove pushing me closer to something I call home.

Good thing I brought a jacket. Because the higher the road of life takes you, the easier it is to get a little chilly if your not careful. But we always brought a football in case we stopped at a park. And the grass was so green then. But now it is cold. And the grass is encased by a foot of ice and snow. But it will come around. It always does. The sun is so persuasive that it makes all the trees come back to life. All the lonely thoughts of winter are quickly erased the first time it gets above 58 degrees. If only it could stay a toasty 98.6 all the time.

I've seen carvings on trees before. But this time it was different. This one is special. If it weren't for this tree I probably wouldn't be writing this right now. But I am. And the tree is there.

Sometimes scars will make you feel ugly, but let me tell you right now they are the most beautiful thing that can happen to you. It means you been somewhere, done something. Some call them battle scars. But I like to call them PROOF OF LIVING. I don't mean that yes, your heart is beating and your lungs are breathing. I mean that your eyes are seeing. Really seeing. And your fingers are feeling not just the screen on your i
phone but the earth and the rocks and the freezing cold water that will make it go numb, which is really feeling.

Yes I used to think that carving trees were bad too. But you know what? I bet that old birch tree was happy to have been carved into to someones heart. Just make sure it's someone you really care about before you go around carving into to living things. Because trees will not forget you very easily. Neither will the person who's name you've carved into theirs.

el dia de los muertos

I think the concept of death does not occur to us naturally. A child doesn't have any idea what death is. That is until media and violence on TV portray death as guys shooting other guys. But for some it may come because a relative died. But it is still foreign. Little kids often times will say that they are sleeping. I don't think dying needs to be something to be afraid of, but it should encourage us to do as much good as we possibly can while we are still here. In the face of death, whats really important to us comes out. In lots of funny movies when someone thinks they're going to die they will start confessing random stuff from a long time ago. In a way this has an element of truth in it. Don't wait till you're on your death bed to tell your family and friends you love and appreciate them. Try to let them know that each and every day in little ways. And appreciate and honor those who have lived before. And make them proud. Do something every day that makes it worthwhile to be alive. I think death has more to do with being alive than it does with dying. If that makes any sense.

Live each day as if it were your last. 

But don't go doing a bunch of crazy crap because then it probably will be your last. 

.

How to drive a stick shift (car)

Learning to drive a manual car is a very useful skill that will help you out in life. I think it is sad when someone asks you to drive their car but you can't because it's a stick. Thats dumb. And learning to drive a stick I believe will make you a better driver whether your driving a manual or automatic vehicle (and you'll be able to drive that flipping awesome sports car too). Nothing beats actually getting in a car and learning to drive. Just make sure in the beginning you complete these steps in a large parking lot with lots of room for error. And remember, it's just like any other car once you've got it in gear. 

1. Place feet on brake and clutch
2. Place gear in neutral
3. Start ignition
4. Release parking brake
5. At the same moment, release the brake and slowly release the clutch while giving it some gas.
6. If you squeal and the vehicle stalls or has trouble getting moving, repeat steps 1-5.
7. If you have started to successfully started to move forward cleanly and consistently, move on to step 8.
8. As you start moving forward, continue to depress the accelerator until you hear the engine making a higher pitched revving noise. This usually occurs around the 3,000 RPM mark, but is different for every vehicle. Once you start to hear this, depress the clutch while releasing the gas and shift into the 2nd gear. Once again, release the clutch while giving it gas gradually.
9. Repeat step 8 for the rest of the gears until you are at your desired speed. 
10. To decelerate, push in clutch and shift gears down one at a time until you are at your desired speed. Also use your brake along with your gears to help slow you down. You can also just use your brake by itself to slow down. Just make sure you put in into neutral before you come to a complete stop. 
11. Keep practicing steps 1-10 until you have it down. You are now a pro stick shift driver!

Good pain vs Bad pain

Good Pain:               

•   Working hard
•      “no pain no gain”
•       working out problems
•       birth
•       running a marathon
•       weight lifting
•       quitting a bad job
•       quitting a bad relationship
•       getting an A
•       Studying
•       Food withdrawal
•       Music pain
•       Getting up early
•      Staying up late
•       Watching a sad movie
•       Earning 7.25 an hour
•      Waiting to go to the bathroom
•       Setting a broken bone
•       Pulling out a splinter
•       Hiking a mountain
•       Washing your eyes
•       Service projects
•       Throwing up

Bad Pain:

•       Breaking a leg
•      Breaking an arm
•       Getting stabbed
•       Wrecking on a longboard
•       Wrecking on a dirt bike
•       Getting yelled at by parents
•       Getting yelled at generally
•       Being bit by a dog
•       Falling off a cliff
•       Getting an F
•       Swearing
•       Breaking a promise
•      Lying
•       Getting burned (literally or figuratively)
•       Embarrassing moments
•       Getting a ticket
•       Being sick

I dream of flying

Ever since I was a little kid I have wanted to fly. I was one of those kids that every time an airplane passed overhead I would look up and stare at it till it passed.

Every time I drive by the point of the mountain and see all those paragliders drifting through the air I want to be like them. No. I will be like them. I will fly. I will fly as high as everyone else and even higher till it gets hard to breath. They look so free and the earth would look so small from where they are. I WILL FLY.

Because I can't really explain how I feel about flying I found this poem that kinda does. Enjoy. :)

Freedom In Flight - Michael Clarke

The Soul Is happily singing
I feel as free as air
I soar ever upward
My freedom In flight
As the eagle I journey on
My heart uplifting
Peace of the divine
Freedom In Flight
Across the lake In freedom
For the mountains I fly
Within my world of wonder
My freedom In flight
Up In God's own blue
I look upon the world
My heart Is free
I have freedom In flight

Bricks of a burnt down house

When people think of bricks, most people would think of bricks used to build a house. But bricks remind me of houses that are burned down and crumbling, ready to be picked up for some other house to be built up again. But that is what is cool about bricks. They are reusable, recyclable and don't break very easily. When a house burns down, bricks and concrete are usually the last thing standing. And bricks are just about the only thing you can sell from your house after your house burns down.

Little fun fact for you, bricks have been found that are dated back to 7000 B.C. That's a long time! And they're still around! And they are also very good insulators which is why they're commonly used for pizza ovens. Now if you are reading this you probably didn't think you were going to get a little knowledge. Well now you did!

The smell after a good rain

One of my favorite smells and feelings is right after a good rainstorm. The clouds start to lift and part and the earth is renewed. The air is cleansed and it smells so good.

I love those days.

It almost feels like you are the one being cleaned and you have another chance to not get things all messy again.

I love to take a super deep breath and let the humid air fill my lungs. Aaaaaaah yeahhhhhh!

I Love to Ski

When people are in love when they are in high school, it is a bit like a young kid learning to ski. They start to get the hang of it and then they start to think that they are pretty good at it. They think they have it all. And then you look up and realize there is a huge mountain above you and you couldn't really get down it really well even if you wanted to.

This is how it is to young kids in supposed love. They think that this person is the one and only and they are together and before long they brake up and its off to the next person. Of course there are the exceptions where people really do find their sole mate in high school but those chances are pretty low. Most all other times its just for show or for fun or looks.

I think people need to slow it down and start out on the bunny hill because that's where they really belong.

Big Springs aren't that big after all

This weekend I had the chance to go see Big Springs up Provo Canyon. It had been on my bucket list for quite some time because it looked like a fun hike. Well I was expecting (coming from the name) a nice big spring coming out of a mountain.

Well it turns out Big Springs was actually kinda wimpy. Maybe it was the time of year or the recent lack of snowfall we've had but I still was expecting something a little more. Now don't get me wrong it was still pretty darn refreshing to dunk my head into that little trickle of water. And I do admit to taking a few sips of super good tasting water(it was coming right out of the mountain). I guess my whole point to posting this is that a lot of the time, we make things up to be something that their not. If we get ahead of ourselves then we might feel more disappointed down the road than we should be. But if we hold off and try to see the awesomeness in the little things, then it doesn't seem to bad after all. In fact, it might seem just great.

Now the next you feel like putting yourself down just think; it isn't that bad, its actually kinda cool

Computing: I am not a Robot.

I am not a robot. 

Really. 

I think what makes a person a person is that they have a soul. We think and make decisions on our own. We feel, we bleed, and we heal. We cry and laugh. Their are so many things that make us human that it would take much more than a blog post to write them all down. We don't think in 1's and 0's. We think in oh my goodness and what the crap. I think the question is not proving you're not a robot. Its proving you haven't become one. It's when we value how we look on Twitter or Facebook or online thing over how we are in the real world. That's when we have succumbed to becoming a robot. It's when we would rather text than talk to a person face to face that we have stopped feeling for real. To not become a robot we have to become who we really are. By showing our true colors no matter what shade they may be. 

So here's to being human. 

Pics from Mexico

I wasn't sure what to write about, so I decided to post some cool pics from Mexico. Just for fun.

I used to draw with crayons....

I used to love drawing with crayons. And then I discovered they're even more fun to melt. All you do is get a hot glue gun and start gluing them together. I would build these big towers and shapes. Its cool because you can mix together all the colors like a big melting pot. And when it cools down it stays just how it melted.  It really is quite fun. You should try it some time. You'll be surprised by how much more you can do with crayons besides draw. You can really create cool art.

Hola!

My name is Don Carlos.

Or at least It was going to be. For reals. I came with in a quarter of an inch to really being named Don Carlos. But then my dreams were crushed and my Mother came to her senses. So I guess this blog is a tribute to dreams that almost were but weren't. But also to dreams that can be if we try hard enough. 

I wish more people spoke actual spanish in this school, cause that would be cool

I also wish I had sick hair like this dude --------->

And that awesome mexi stache.

Oh well, I guess I will do with what I have.

Well anyways I love to read and am starting to like writing more now. Thanks to this Nelson dude. 

Funny thing also, my phone keyboard is stuck in espanol mode and I can't get it back to english. So now it auto corrects in spanish which is even more annoying than normal auto correct. 

Say hello to Don for me

Adios Muchachos