Horseshoe Bend- Page, AZ.

Last December I took a solo trip to Sedona, Arizona and fell in love with the state. Arizona has so many beautiful landscapes, and it’s a perfect place for reflection, meditation, and relaxation. So, this year I made another trip to Arizona! I think I am going to make it an annual thing! 

Instead of Sedona though, this year I ventured to Page to the the Horseshoe Bend. The bend is located approximately 140 miles from both the South Rim and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon – but only 5 miles from the beginning of Grand Canyon National Park.

My Sedona trip was a solo adventure, this trip I took with a close friend. We drove from Las Vegas, the ride was extremely easy and only 4 hours. You pass through the Utah Mountains and the scenery is everything.  

Horseshoe Bend is a horseshoe-shaped incised meander of the Colorado River located near the town of Page, Arizona, in the United States.

Horseshoe Bend is located 5 miles (8.0 km) downstream from the Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell within Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, about 4 miles (6.4 km) southwest of Page. 

Horseshoe Bend was breathtaking and the perfect place for me to end my year. As I sat atop the mountain I reflected on my 2017. I thought about all the risk I took, things I accomplished, and the tears I’ve cried. I let it all out and left it in Page. 

I’m so ready for 2018!!  

An Open Book.....

I can’t stress how important self-knowledge, self-education, and being socially conscious is— especially for people of color. I strongly believe that consciousness is vital for our survival in today’s world. Consciousness is the state of awareness of an external object or force and the best way I know how to remain conscious is through the reading of literature. 

I’ve always loved reading. When I was younger it was fictional novels that allowed me to dream and escape for a while. Now that I am older, I am more into non-fictional books, biographies, and self-help novels. I wish my reading list was larger however, I am very excited to share the books I did read this year with you. 

Picture by Rikkí Wright  (www.foreverrikk.com)

My 2017 Reading List

1. The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley

2.  Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey

3. Women, Race, & Class by Angela Davis

4. Willie Lynch Theory- The Making of a Slave by William Lynch

5.  The Bomb Life by Claire Summers 

6. The Mis-education of the Negro by Carter G. Woodson

7. Between the World and Me by T’Nehisi Coates  

Picture by Rikkí Wright  (www.foreverrikk.com) 

Picture by Rikkí Wright  (www.foreverrikk.com)

Out of the books I read this year, Malcolm X autobiography was my favorite. Of course it is my intentions to read and learn more for the new year. 

Picture by Rikkí Wright  (www.foreverrikk.com) 

Picture by Rikkí Wright  (www.foreverrikk.com) 

Picture by Rikkí Wright  (www.foreverrikk.com) 

Some books I look forward to reading in 2018 include:

1. Revolutionary Suicide by Huey P. Newton

2. How to be Black by Baratunde Thurston

3.  48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

4. The Secref by Rhonda Byrne

The list is still growing, in fact I solicited suggestions from dear friend Katricia who has a blog dedicated to literature . 

Please see what Katricia had to say below and checkout her blog www.thirty2books.com 

https://thirty2books.com 

“Reading is informative, fun, necessary, a getaway, a lesson, a journey, a smile, a tear, a connection. It allows us direct insight into untold stories, history forgotten and into some of the greatest minds that have ever graced this planet.

My top 3 picks for this year would have to be:

1. The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson

2. Between The World And Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

3. (And one I’ve read for a 2nd time) The Greatest Salesman In The World by OG Mandino

Some of my 2018 planned reads are:

1. Ego Is The Enemy by Ryan Holiday

2. I’m re-reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan

3. and diving into more books about putting people over profit, so I’ll be finishing up Social Business by Muhammad Yunus”

Salvation Mountain

The first weekend in December I took a trip to Salvation Mountain. It was created by Leonard Knight and is 50 foot in height and 150 foot breadth made totally of local adobe clay and donated paint.

Salvation Mountain is located in the lower desert of Southern California in Imperial County just east of the Salton Sea and about a hour and a half from Palm Springs. Salvation Mountain is Leonard's tribute to God and his gift to the world with its simple yet powerful message: "God Is Love." Unfortunately, Leonard passed away in 2014, so now the site is maintained by many volunteers , but we will get to them later.

There is no denying Salvation Mountains magic and beauty however, it reminded me a little bit of modern day Religion. Beautiful in theory but at the core some weird stuff may or may not be going on. *cough cough* the volunteers.

The bright colors were inviting, the positive messages like love is universal were also pleasent to be around, and seeing so many different people laugh and frolic around the mountain was peaceful. But after spectators finished taking thier selfies and exploring, they depart and I wonder if the message still sticks or was is it just for show. 

Also the “volunteers” who manage the site are some hills have eyes-hippy-UFO believing type people. Nothing wrong with that, but I didn’t get the vibe that they were there to carry out Leonard’s intended message for the site. This is what I mean by Salvation mountain reminds me of modern day religion.

Don’t get it confused I am a bible reading believer however, a few years back I decided to focus more on my relationship with the Creator vs my attachment to Religion. In my  opinion the original intent of religion has some how been lost and tainted. I don’t believe every religious institution is wacky, but I’ve come across some sketchy things. Like the appearance of one thing and at the core it is really something else, like salvation mountain. I won’t spend much time on my theories on spirituality and religion though because I have a whole podcast on it. So go ahead and listen to that once your finished reading this. 

Well, back to my overview of Salvation Mountain.... I would def suggest you taking a day trip out that way or maybe stop through while you are in Palm Springs. It is gorgeous to look at and meditate on depending on the crowd. My only heartache is the “volunteers” as mentioned above. My friends and I were hackled by one a few times and he was just to aggressive for my liking. All in all though, I enjoyed myself and I’m grateful I got a chance to see Leonard’s work, check out the rest of my trip via photos below.

Museum of Ice Cream SF

The Museum of Ice Cream opened in September in San Francisco and it's located on 1 Grant Avenue, a San Francisco Landmark built as a bank in 1910, its ionic columns now bedecked with pink Museum of Ice Cream banners. The museum exhibition is a bubble-gum pop aesthetic and super cute! I had an amazing time exploring through the bright colored rooms, eating treats, and feeling magical.