Carpe Diem - Seize the Day

I had quite possible the best Fourth of July in the book of Julia's life. My favorite part of the glorious day was going to a natural water slide that is nestled into the mountainside near my hometown in Utah. About a mile up the trail is this amazing slick rock that hundreds of people, I'd say, a day slip and slid down for fun. There's even a pool that you can cliff dive into. Of course, I was crazy enough to take the dangerous plunge.
 

Copyright Julia King 2013

Bucket list item checked off the list. Yes!

And I had the courage to send myself hurling down the slippery rock four times. Here's the pictures that were taken to document this momentous event.

 

Not only am I sort of showing off, but I'd like to make a point by gleaning from this cool experience and applying it to writing or whatever.

 

Anyone who's seen "The Dead Poet's Society" will know of the phrase: "Carpe Diem - Seize the Day."

 

In a nutshell, this phrase means you shouldn't let experiences or opportunities pass you by. If you do, then you will be missing out on something truly magnificent. I assure you, I almost didn't go to Sliding Rock, and I would have missed out on such a fun time.

 

My favorite quote ever is from "Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare:

 

"Cowards die many times before their deaths. The valiant never taste of death but once."

 

I take this quote as expressing if you don't take risks or man up to the challenge then you will die, not literally, but figuratively. You won't taste of the fruits of the risk. You will not see what beauty awaits you if you forge through the darkness to reach the ultimate happy light by conquering something you never thought you could do. You know what? You may not succeed, but that doesn't matter. The fact that you tried at all is pleasurable enough.

 

I encourage you to send out that first or 80th query letter. Write that story that has been swirling its brilliant plot in your head. Dive head first into your passions. And go for it!

 

So, in the coming months, I am going to try something that I never thought I'd do. I'm not saying what it is right now (surprise), but I know that I will die if I don't go down trying.

 

Do you take risks no matter the cost? How do you live your life with a carpe diem - seize the day attitude?

 

Writing Jewels

Smiling all the Way From A to Z -- O

Today's smiles are brought to you by something that truly brightens my spirits. The letter O stands for...

OUTDOORS

I was raised by a dad that enjoyed the outdoors more than anything. We went hiking and biking a bunch during the summer as well as road trips to see the beauties of Western United States. He taught me the importance of enjoying my surroundings to the full. It was not that difficult to do that since I grew up a mile away from the opening of a gorgeous canyon in Utah. His favorite mountain range, Mt. Timpanogos, just a 20 minute drive away from us. The Dadio is a photographer, too so nature is his canvas. He loves snapping photos of all things beautiful!

I've been backpacking many times. It's not easy and ya get rather stinky, but it's well worth the amazing scenery and calm from the sounds of rushing rivers, birds chirping, and each crunch of footsteps in the dirt. I've backpacked Zions National Park, Grand Canyon, and the Tetons, Yet, I've been able to do countless day hikes in Utah's mountains.

Here are some pics from my outdoor adventures:

Cinque Terre - Italy day hike

Grand Canyon

Great Wall of China - I'm in the pink shirt

 Dirty Dash - I can't say I smiled a lot cuz it was way cold.

I got really sweaty on my hike out of Zions. Odd that being sweaty makes me smile.

Zions East Rim

 Snowshoeing - Utah

Do you enjoy the outdoors? Have you been backpacking or hiking or snowshoeing? If so, where? Or are you more of a road trip kind of person to see the beauties of the world? Last but not least, starting with the letter O, what makes you smile?

Writing Jewels

PS: Refer to the blurb on the very top of my blogs sidebar to know why I am posting about what makes me smile. Go forward and smile!



Better Late Than Never... Posting, Finally

Hi friends!

I haven't had any real time to prepare a post for today, as I always post on Wednesdays. Ugh! I moved last weekend and have been getting a new job under my belt (of which is going splendidly). *grins*

Well, as I said, I moved to Salt Lake City, Utah. I never thought I would live in this neck of the woods, but alas, I am here. Very exciting, indeed. And I am through with a long commute to work, now. Yes! No more griping Julia at the wheel. *grumble grumble* Not a good combination, especially if I'm tired and heaven forbid hungry. Plus, I will be saving a bunch of money from the gas tank.

Here are some pics of the move:

Before...

 My crap made it upstairs at my old pad...

After... at my new place... My poor books haven't found a home yet. :(

Anyway, this is the third, count it, the third time I've moved in 10 months. Crazy-town for sure. Thus be the transiant life. I'd love to settle down into a permanant dwelling. Perhaps, I will do that sometime soon.

Anyway, what is the most times you've moved in a short period of time? Do you like moving? Detest it? Do you use movers or family/friend muscle (and your own too)?

Thanks for stopping by, folks! Have a great week until I see you again. Ciao!

    Writing. Jewels.

Great News

I've got some great news for you all. No, no... I don't have a publishing deal. Aww shucks. But I did find a new job! It's located in Salt Lake City, Utah. It will be a fresh new change for me, since I've worked at my current job for three years now. Change is good, right?

Right!

I'll be moving again...to Salt Lake City which will be incredible. I've lived in England, California for a brief stint, and Taiwan, but never anywhere outside of Utah County, Utah. This will be a new adventure for me.

This is happy Julia!

Anywho, I start my new job on October 1 and hopefully will be living in Salt Lake City before then. I'm so not going to commute. This is all sort of crazy and whirlwind. I'm nervous, not only for the move, but for the "new job learning curve". I hate not being able to dive head first into a job without being able to do it perfectly from the get go.

This is similar to writing (at least for me). I want my stories to be flawless from the beginning. That stems from having to go through my first book so many flippin' times, more times than I have fingers and toes. Talk about exhausting. It has gotten to the point that I don't want to look at it anymore. Ugh! Sucky.

But writing, as for day jobs, is a work in progress. We've got to realize that Rome wasn't built in a day (pardon the cliche). Good things will happen when they happen--sometimes not on our timetable, either. Thus be the writing industry.

Well, I feel blessed right now. I am getting the chance to have a needed change in my life and to progress professionally. If it weren't for a lot of rooting on from family and friends, including a whole bunch of Facebook followers, I'd have bombed the interview. I nailed it, though and what do you know, I got the job with high compliments from my soon-to-be employer.

Not to brag or anything. haha

Well, now you can congratulate me... LOL Anyway, how is your writing going? Day jobs? Life in general?

Loves and hugs from...

Writing. Jewels.

PS: Another piece of good news: I'm getting my hair trimmed and colored tonight. Goodbye splitends and grey hair.

Polished Perfection, Soon...

I captured a pretty photo of Mount Timpanogos in Utah on my way to work the other morning. Snow is here my friends. Thought I would share it with you. Enjoy! Now on to my recent thoughts about writing…
I’ve been mad about editing the past week, can’t get enough of it; although, I wish I had more time for it. I love how editing takes something good and forms it into something more pliable, more sensical (Is that even a word? I like it!). It makes it beautiful. Obviously it isn’t spectacular yet, but it can only sore to a polished perfection. Something important I’ve learned lately, critiques are the only way to improve your writing. Ever since I’ve had a couple people edit my manuscript, it’s helped me to see how I can improve as a writer. Absorbing the advice, I see more clearly how to sculpt my novel as I edit. Over the past months, I’ve been picking apart what other authors do in their work. This exercise has helped me improve my own writing, because novels, in a way, are the blueprints to writing. I see what accomplished authors have done, how they write, or how they develop the plot/characters; and I grasp a better understanding of writing. It sometimes distracts from reading, because instead of devouring the story, I'm devouring the writing. For example, if you want to learn more about science, you ask a scientist. If you want to know more about writing, you ask an author. If there's any advice I, an aspiring writer, can offer others, it’s to have others critique your work. It's the only way to hone in your writing skills. I know 20 years from now, I’ll still be learning how to be a better writer. I hope with asking others for help, and learning from experience, I will improve all the time.