Now Reading: The Anthropology of Turquoise

“In this invigorating mix of natural history and adventure, artist-naturalist Ellen Meloy uses turquoise—the color and the gem—to probe deeper into our profound human attachment to landscape. From the Sierra Nevada, the Mojave Desert, the Yucatan Peninsula, and the Bahamas to her home ground on the high plateaus and deep canyons of the Southwest, we journey with Meloy through vistas of both great beauty and great desecration. Her keen vision makes us look anew at ancestral mountains, turquoise seas, and even motel swimming pools. She introduces us to Navajo “velvet grandmothers” whose attire and aesthetics absorb the vivid palette of their homeland, as well as to Persians who consider turquoise the life-saving equivalent of a bullet-proof vest. Throughout, Meloy invites us to appreciate along with her the endless surprises in all of life and celebrates the seduction to be found in our visual surroundings.”

Have any of you fellow bloggers read this already? What are your thoughts? This will be my first read of the summer and I’m very much looking forward to it!

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“Develop an interest in life as you see it; the people, things, literature, music- the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself.” -Henry Miller

Music Monday!

Not sure how many EDM fans I have following me, but I stumbled across this remix of A Great Big World’s “Say Something” feat. Christina Aguilera and I can’t stop playing it!!! What do you think? Here are both versions:

Look Inside Your Selfie.

The problem with technology is that it sometimes makes you feel inferior. You see things you *think* you want (and what others always seem to have)– these things can be as simple as a cute new top or as major as a new career. 

But if the technology wasn’t around, would you still want these things? Would the changes make you happy? Or would you be satisfied AND confident in the life you are lead? 

I love technology. It provides me with the means to seek out new information and ideas, to connect with people from all over the world, and to express myself freely. 

However, I notice that it can riddle you with fears and anxieties about not living a life that is fulfilling enough …But whose standards are these? Are they our own? Or were they only created because technology exists? 

Why does technology have such a strong hold over us? One so strong that it is able to make us doubt ourselves and the decisions we once made in confidence? 

If we weren’t constantly being inundated with posts and pictures and party invites would we be able to just sit back and enjoy ourselves? 

“In your head, a sunset can go on for days. You can eat up all the clouds in the sky.” -Yoko Ono

On Judgement & Negativity…

Passing judgement without reason is lethal. You can never grow or learn more if you are constantly putting a person, idea, or place down. I’ve recently started noticing how unwarranted some people’s negativity can be. Opinions are healthy, different perspectives are necessary, but negative presumptions are toxic. To me, having an open mind and the curiosity to learn are some of the most beautiful qualities we can posses as human beings. If you find yourself in the company of someone who has turned sour, try to remind them that there is no harm in listening and learning more. 

Just Wondering.

There are so many different places in the world with so many different things to offer …Is it even possible to scratch more than the surface in a lifetime? 

Uncertain.

I’ve been having a lot of restless nights lately. I go to bed tired, but then I lie in bed wide awake. An anxious feeling consumes me. I am excited, nervous, scared shitless. Up until now, life has been a single staircase and I just took steps. But now, as I’m preparing to graduate college, I take my final step. But my final step to where? It doesn’t just stop. I see doors, I see another set of stairs, and another and another, I see slides and I see bikes and I see planes that can take me everywhere. I don’t know what I want to do or where I want to go and that terrifies me. I thought college was supposed to be the step I took to get to the step where I knew what the rest of my life would look like. But here I am, up at 2 am thinking about all the possibilities–and all the consequences. I guess that’s a beautiful thing though, right? This panic that I am so privileged to have? I get to dream about a world filled with opportunities and challenges, but soon I will be apart of it. It will be chaotic and messy, but an adventure all my own. This uncertainty is unsettling, but then again if I was completely certain what sort of nights would I have? What sort of dreams would I dream?