When you get to the top of a mountain keep climbing!

So many things have happened in the last two weeks. Never a dull moment with my friends. Saying goodbye to everyone was difficult and sad, but my adventure has started and I can't help but feel amazing about that. I hope that I don't end up feeling disappointed that my co-workers aren't my art-night quartet or Austin or San Antonio friends. Then again, maybe I will stay out of trouble if they aren't as cool as you guys. My partner in crime Stephanie is also logging her adventures and doing more with less... she's got a one-way ticket to Europe with a backpack so follow her blog too. It's therewasnowheretogobut.blogspot.com.



 



 

I couldn't leave town without some crazy setback, so in true Amanda fashion I managed to accidentally kick a machete while I was goofing off in Cassidy's backyard a week ago. 6 stitches and a broken toe later....
I'm just happy to be off of crutches and walking semi-normally again.

Exhibit A: Pre-toe massacre shenanigans

mom giving me stitches on the kitchen table like the boss that she is

My friend Spike is really good at spinning flaming num-chucks. I wore a helmet on my head because I can't walk 10 feet without hurting myself... unfortunately no helmets on my feet. (It is probably terribly annoying that some of my pictures are sideways. I can't figure out how to get 'em upright... anyone know?)

The night before I left San Antonio Kayla and I decided to go see Taylor Swift kind of spur of the moment, so THERE I SAID IT! We saw Taylor Swift live and it was awesome. Come at me, bro. I couldn't think of any other way to spend my last week with my friends except blowing up fireworks, climbing statues, kicking machetes, seeing Taylor, going for drives through the hill country, and just laying low and chatting until the wee hours.
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I got the ball rolling about 1:30pm on May 23rd. First stop- Guadalupe Mountains National Park. I hit some pretty bad rain two hours away from the park but it cleared up right before I pulled in, thankfully. putting up a tent in the rain is absolutely no fun. The sunset pulling in was unreal. A crazy huge red sun was setting on my left and El Capitan, the ancient once-was reef, was jutting out in the distance to mark where I was headed. I couldn't stop pulling over to take pictures. So many colors.








 Laura inadvertently saved the day with the snack bag she gave me before I left. I found a bag of ramen in it and used my nifty little hand made aluminum alcohol stove to heat up some water outside of my tent, otherwise I would have been on the cheez-it diet last night. I had great plans to play guitar and write all night but pretty much ate, reviewed some medical protocol in my WFA book, and passed out. I've become a little obsessed with reviewing what to do in any kind of crazy emergency situation. I don't know why, because I just stare in horror at the pictures in my books and gag a lot. I wish I could have stayed in the Guad Mtns a little bit longer. They are truly beautiful. Unfortunately, just a little informational mile long hike was all I could take on the busted paw this morning before I hit the dusty trail. 

I'm fairly certain I drove through purgatory this afternoon.

Don't ever drive through mid-NM for the scenery.

Probably the most boring 4 hours of my life. I'm in Santa Fe now, hoping to find somewheres to camp in one of the national forests surrounding me after I soak in the city for a little bit. My first day in Philmont is tomorrow morning. All I can hope for is friendly people and a clear head.

Let me know what is going on in your lives, friends. :)