Fall Getaways

What a great time of year. This semester has been very different for me, but there are a few things that good old Provo always has to offer. These things include, but are not limited to, the following:

-demanding I be way too conscious of how much facial hair I have (BYU intramurals and testing center)
-drivers that don't really care about what anyone else on the road is doing
-pedestrians crossing 700 and 800 North without so much as looking up to see if a car is coming
-severe lack of parking for undergraduate students
-classes that begin at 5pm and don't get out till 8pm
-responsibility in general

But I can't deny the amazing outdoor resources that Utah valley offers. For the reasons mentioned above and more, I've begun to leave Provo every few days to be in the mountains. It started a few weeks ago on the opening day of elk season. I left with my brother and father-in-law to spend the weekend hunting. What began as a hunting trip turned into a weekend of sitting around an enormous campfire (courtesy of my father-in-law's insatiable desire for a fire big enough to see a mile away) and talking about how we were going to change the world. I can't recall everything that was discussed but here are the highlights:

-the condition of the economy and the obvious choices that will fix it
-the upcoming election and why Ron Paul should win
-food storage and why you should/shouldn't share in the upcoming apocalypse
-the importance of owning lots of guns and ammo, also for said apocalypse
-if living in the city or country is better
-my father-in-law's mischievous youth (ask me for details)
-colonoscopy and other important medical procedures
-global warming
-nuclear waste and why Yucca Mountain is the perfect disposal site
-and much, much more

This trip really got me aching for more so I've been going fishing every few days. These trips have literally been therapy for me and it seems I can't get enough. There are no signs saying I can or can't park in certain places. There's no time constraints dictating how long I can stay. There's no one but myself to rely on to make the trip happen. The fish are huge. There are no pedestrians to watch out for. No one is checking my ID card and facial hair growth. And best of all, there's no one else in my spot but me.