Adventure Is Out There

Hiking in Lamani, Belize As many of my Instagram and Facebook photos indicate, we do a lot of hiking in our little Monson family. I have received a lot of skeptic looks and prying questions as to whether or not I really enjoy being "outdoorsy." The truth is: I would never do the biking, diving, hiking and/or camping that we do without the enthusiasm and encouragement from my guy Dave. Scuba Diving with Sharks in Grantsville, UT Which lead me to wonder, why is it that women are told, taught, and expected to hate being outside? My thoughts: It is really hard to go pee. I mean, talk about a messy, dusty, unsanitary, and an awkward balancing act. I'm not even going to go into the fear you feel when you realize too late that you've chosen an exposed location... Spiders. Enough said. Make up.. do you wear it to at least look decent for the first hour of the adventure, only to have it melt and fade without hope for correction or touch up? Or do you take...

I can still feel the memory almost as vividly as the moment I was experiencing it. I was dressed in white, walking into one of the most beautiful rooms of the Temple, and as I passed the threshold of the room, I crossed a tangible barrier of love. Tears flooded my eyes and I was overwhelmed at the support and excitement I felt from everyone in that room. Then I looked up at Dave’s face and was in awe that I had finally arrived. Arrived to the place where I could truly love with my whole heart and trust without abandon; all with the support of God, my family, dearest friends, and this Man. The following hours and days passed with a fury of twinkling lights, photographers, music, and happiness. Pure happiness. I finally had what my heart had always wanted, a Husband to call my own, and a love that rivaled all the rest. Settling into our small apartment was just about as exciting as the wedding festivities themselves. We had been planning...

As a little girl you imagine your future with Prince Charming but can’t grasp the specifics of when, where, and how. Well this is the when, where, and how my happily ever after begins: I was walking on the backstreets of Beijing with my little sister Annie, our friend Christian Richter, and our personal tour guide Shannon. We had just gotten done riding tandem bikes through the Hutong and were walking through some alleyways filled with teenagers and vendors selling stinky tofu on sticks. I cleared a corner and saw him. He was tall, handsome, and best of all… AMERICAN. We talked all evening about Chinese corn flavored popsicles, communism, and how he is NOT related to President Thomas S … we went our separate ways, me with his business card, and him only with my name. I spent the remainder of my time in China smiling and recalling the encounter- and came home to a Facebook message from him. We proceeded to Skype for hours at a time about once a week, making ...

Some people say, "It was a once in a life-time opportunity," and often times I don't think we accept the gravity of that statement. In my limited experience with such an opportunity, I have discovered that most people will never in their lifetime experience what I experienced... and I find myself feeling very undeserving of the gift I received. I saw China in a light that I never expected. I LOVED IT. Oddly enough its polar opposite from “The America” in a lot of ways. Annie and I have been working on a long running list of reasons why China is different from the good ol’ USA, and this is what we’ve come up with so far. If you want to add… feel free. · They eat with chopsticks ; we eat with miniature shovels . · They love giving gifts; we love receivin g gifts. · They use skin whiteners ; we fake-bake, lay out, and use bronzer. · They love communism; we love McCarthy. (Kidding, but seriously) · They live to w...