Item 11: The Elusive Pantrucas

I have been trying to eat at this place for months. Their odd hours combined with my work schedule had me convinced that our paths would never cross. But then fate dealt me a blow which involved reduced hours at work, which then made it possible for me to eat at this beloved restaurant. A bitter-sweet experience. It was worth the wait.

I ordered the churrasco palta, a delicious sandwich of avocado, steak, and tomato. It was a symphony of flavor! Any sandwich on homemade bread transforms it into heaven-sent manna, and this sandwich was no exception. The slices of steak were juicy, the avocado fresh, and the tomato, which I don't usually like, really added to the flavor. The bread, oh that lovely bread, was golden and crisp on the outside with a soft center. It was delicious - the only problem was the tomato soggy-fied (I know it's not a word...work with me) the sandwich which rendered it inedible for me. Call me a 2-year-old, but I can't stand when foods touch, which makes it a catastrophe when things that are meant to be dry become soggy. If you suffer from a similar plight of food-orientation snobbery, I suggest you eat the sandwich fast. It's so good, it's hard not to anyway.

Half of my remaining sandwich...yum!

This was Melinda's plate.

Melinda got something delicious as well, though I can't remember the name for it, sorry. Something with bistec in it (duh!). I definitely snagged some of her fries. Their fry sauce was amazing! I wonder if  that is a Chilean specialty. If not...I do say that Utah and Chile should combine more of their dishes. We seem to make a good team.

The end result: an empty plate and a full belly.

The best part about this restaurant is the owners. The owners are a cute husband and wife from Chile, and both are so friendly and welcoming. You feel as if you are walking into a Chilean home. The wife was extremely hospitable and was always checking to make sure we were comfortable. It was awesome. And the decorations are cute and homey as well. They have yellow checkered table cloths as you see above, and they have fun Latin decoration on the walls. 

My only advice to people in Provo wanting to partake of such a delicious meal is to just make sure you check the times they are open, otherwise you'll end up like me those countless tries before today; sad a la cart with a side dish of growling belly.

Items 8-10: O' Beautiful Zion

If anyone has yet to experience the gorgeous grandiosity (nice alliteration, huh?) of Zion National Park, you need to repent now and hightail it over to Southern Utah. This place is amazing! I think the last time I went I was 6 or something, so I really don't remember it. And this place is only 4 hours away from me! How could I have lived in Utah all this time and never visited these beautiful parks?

I'll start the trip from the beginning. My mom picked me up at around 10 Friday morning and we headed out for St. George. Of course, along the way, you HAVE to stop in Beaver for cheese curds. They are ver ver delicious. Yes, I did mean to say ver ver. 

Ice cream! The cheese curds were the perfect snack in the car.

And look what we found crossing the road in Beaver on our way back to the freeway!

I love peacocks!

Lovely. We got to St. George around 1:00 and realized we had some time to do something exciting before our 8:00 show at the Tuacahn. So, we decided to drive to Sand Hollow Beach, which has red sands and red rock surrounding the clearest, most beautiful blue water! It's a bit of a hike to get to the water though...bring some sturdy shoes. Also, there is a cliff jumping spot that looked like a lot of fun! I'll have to try it next time, when I don't have something to look nice for right after!

Red sand!

Just beware when you're at this beach you may catch what they call "swimmer's itch." Strange? Yes. Apparently, it's a parasite that lives in the water and ten percent of the population is allergic to it. For once, luck was on my side. No swimmer's itch for us!

Then, it was Tuacahn time!! We were able to see Aladdin, which was so amazing! Disney debuts all of their new Disney musicals at the Tuacahn to see how successful they are before they put them on large scale broadways. It was so fun! I loved the live camels, the 3D cave, and the clever comments. 

The guy who took this thought we were really weird...and then we saw him the
next day at Zion! He remembered us and said hi...haha! We just needed Misha to
complete this picture. :(

Here we are sporting our 3D glasses for the show! This is my favorite pic from the trip. :)

The next day we went to Zion. We hiked Weeping Rock which is a great place to get out of the hot sun. It is mossy, shady, and full of trickling cold water.

Yes, it's true. That guy does have his poodle stuffed in his bag.

And then we hiked my favorite hike I have ever hiked: The Narrows. It is absolutely gorgeous! You're in the water most of the time, which makes it the best hike when the temps reach 110 and beyond. 

They give you these sticks to help traverse the rocky river bed. I liked to
call my mom Gandalf, since it looked like she had a magical staff. 

I don't really know how else to describe Zion. I feel like I keep using the same inadequate words over and over, and I'm still not doing it justice. So please go and experience the beauty yourself! 

The wildlife here, well, the squirrels anyway, are not afraid of people. They even pose for the camera! Good thing Misha wasn't here...she would prob try to pet it. We know what happened last time she tried to help a wild chipmunk. It ended in disaster. And tears. Apparently, they can be vicious; who knew?

The other thing you come across is interesting people. One guy we met had a parrot he kept in a cardboard box that he had been hoisting around the whole day at the park! He was a very...interesting man. But we also met people from all over the world! We saw a family from France, groups from many Asian countries, a family form Great Britain, and people from Latin countries. That's just a few! I love how these parks are iconic and appreciated by people all over the world! I felt terrible that Zion was pretty much in my backyard compared to the traveling many of these folks had to do. I have made it my goal to visit Zion, and other awesome national parks Utah has to offer, every year. Hurray for beauty!

Haha, not sure what face I'm making...but look at that beautiful bird...

that's on top of my head!

Sorry for all the pictures, but I think you'll agree with me that in many cases, pictures say more than words. Did I have the best weekend ever? Yes! Watching awesome musicals and traipsing around in nature are two of my favorite things to do! And doing them with one of my most favorite people in the world (yes, you mom!) makes it that much better. I'm sad to be back home.

Item 7: Running Wild!

Ah! It has been too long! Forgive me. This post will be documenting my triathlon (yet another item on the summer checklist) I just completed a week and a half ago! Whoo hoo! It was a relay triathlon, so not as cool I know, but I was the runner. There were three people on my team; me and two very intense, strapping young men who biked and swam. Did I train for this? Nope. How far of a run was it, you ask? 3 miles. Now, 3 miles may not seem like a long haul for many people, but for those of us who don't really run (and if we do it is in the cool of night on flat surfaces), 3 miles means death. And it almost was for me. I was mentally writing my eulogy halfway through, but soon stopped as I realized if I did die, no one would know the clever piece I was conducting. A waste of time and energy, really.

The team! Those boys were about to be so sad I was part of it...:)

Anyway, the bishop reassured me time and time again that no one took this triathlon seriously...people walk, doggie paddle, etc. He lied. Everyone was serious, everyone was pushing themselves to the limit, and everyone was wanting to impress everyone else - and also gain a lover by doing so. Not I. As my heat reared to go, I was almost last in my group starting out. I was 3rd or 4th to last getting back. They say slow and steady wins the race, but I am living proof that it actually does not.

But...I did it! I ran the whole thing! The course involved a huge hill as well, and I did it! I was almost delirious when I reached the half-point water station, and I was a bit worried. My vision started to blur, and then darken, and then I started to sway. I kept thinking, don't pass out! You must keep running! Jordan will be so mad at you! And that's what did it. I started running (if you can call deliriously throwing your body around running), and passed all the volunteers who were too weak/smart to take part in this stake triathlon. They kept high-fiving me and saying, "Yeah! You can do it!" I wanted to punch them in the face. Why don't you do something helpful, like spray me with water, or hand me a drink? I don't need a cheer leader...it only makes me mad since it sounds condescending. I knew how I looked. My beet red face that looks like it's going to melt off, crazy eyes, and a sweaty face. Anyway, I digress.

Yes...they branded us with sharpie

My other teammate, (Brian?) ran up and met me in the parking lot. We ran together for a couple feet where I tagged Jordan. I wanted to cry. I have never been so happy to be back! I had been up sick that night with worry, and I think I ate something bad as well. I also had neither eaten nor had drunk anything that morning since I was scared I was going to get a cramp during my run. Instead, during the race my mouth felt like a desert - dry and full of sand, which made it impossible to breathe! I probably drank 3 gallons of water that day. My poor teammate kept handing me water, but it wasn't enough. And then I ran away from him and the sun...that blistering sun...yuck. I sat in the shade and sipped water and munched on apples with another guy in my ward. It was delightful.

I pushed myself hard that day. I had three strikes against me. Heat, hills, and no training. But I did it! Against all odds I conquered. I can do anything now. Anything!

This shot is post my nap when I got home

Side note: Please refrain from looking at the embarrassing blackmail shots on facebook taken of my laborious run. It really does look like I'm dying.