The top of the world.

 Come on, who thought of The Carpenters with that blog post?

"I'm on the ... top of the world, looking down on creation & the only explanation I can find..."

 On Saturday, as a final hurrah to our summer, Bekah and I hiked Mount Timpanogos. Now, we invited at least 50 people from our school and BYU ... but no one wanted to join us (insert tears here).  Even though we were a bit saddened by this news, we figured it meant that everyone else was intimidated by the hike & our mad skills.  Heehee. Or so we kept telling ourselves that afternoon. Because, really. Who wouldn't want to hang out with us? We're funny. And semi athletic? But surely we are entertaining company!

14 miles. That's a long hike. I think that's the longest I've ever done, though I know there are more intense, longer hikes in the world. But, though I did have to remind myself a few times that the view would be "worth it," I can promise you...it's an incredible feeling when you reach the peak!

 I've heard of people hiking to the peak and arriving just in time for the sunrise. Now, that would be beautiful! Bucket list item? Maybe.

DIRTY. That's what 14 miles of hiking through dust, rocks, and dirt gets you.

Have you ever hiked Timp? Or does it sound like the last thing you'd want to do for fun?

the summer is ending.

North Carolina map. My feet. Obsessed with this photo. It has nothing to do with this post, except that it happened on my last summer vacation. 

goodbye, lazy pool days.

goodbye, Boy Meets World reruns.

goodbye, afternoon naps on the rooftop. 

goodbye, summer adventures & vacations. 

hello textbooks.

hello cardigans ... boots ... and new rust colored jeans.

hello new friends. 

hello fun (rock climbing, scuba diving, etc) & challenging (Spanish translation, Spanish literature, etc.) classes.

hello, new adventures. 

it's my last fall semester (maybe my last semester of my undergrad... let's be honest, I have a hard time deciding what to do with my life!)

and i can't wait. 

Chocolate! Chocolate! Come here.

Jen got sick off imported Swiss water.  

Obviously I've been having a grand time here in Asheville with my sister. And more family is coming tomorrow! Yippee. Basically, Jen pointed out that the majority of what we've done is exercise and eat. But, I suppose there is nothing wrong with that, right?

Here have been some highlights of my trip:

-Running 7.2 miles my first day here (with a little jet lag...I was feeling ambitious! And the low altitude didn't hurt either)
-Going to church at a small branch and meeting a mutual friend of one of my best friends in Utah.
-A magnificent pie party with quite the variety including: savory samosa pie, gluten/vegan free pie, classic apple pie, and the delicious triple-berry lattice pie that Jen and I made.
-Eating the best chicken sandwich ever (seriously. delicious.) at Early Girl Eatery
-Walking around downtown with Jon and Jen. Poor Jon has to put up with our constant movie quoting, singing, and inside joke-telling. No, no. He gets to put up with us.
-Deeming The Ultimate as in the winner in my book of the great debate between two local icecream shops.
-Finding an adorable owl wristlet at a local shop. There were so many cute owl trinkets to choose from.
-Going with Jen to her gym for a core strengthening class (still feeling that one this afternoon)

I love seeing my sister extremely happy and content with the place she lives. I love that she knows all the roads like the back of her hand & that she will travel & explore them with me. I love that she and Jon have visited many of the restaurants and shops so they can give great recommendations ... that my sister knows the history of a certain downtown building that has a man with a pig face etched in stone. But, feeling that passionate ... that's what home should be, don't you think?

Jen and I enjoying black licorice taffy.

Oh, in case you were wondering how I'm doing on my half marathon training, Jen is an excellent trainer :) I'm also officially registered for the race! It's real, folks.

You can see more of our adventures on Instagram (@cheripeacock or @jonnifer).

east coast, here I come.

My sister snapped some photos of local graffiti art in Asheville ... and we all know I'm fan of that after this post from Spain.

Well, pretty soon I will get to see all this — and more —in real life. Tonight, I'm taking a red eye flight & I'll wake up in beautiful North Carolina (eh..more or less). I can't wait for this time with my sisters and sister-in-law. 

I know there will be a lot of quoting While You Were Sleeping, You've Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, and Return to Me. I can guarantee there will be moments where I end up crying because of laughter. There will be more half marathon training with my sis. I'm sure I'll take loads of photos. 

And, I'll probably end up singing my "I love Chiiiiiina...that's what I love" song. Just you wait, sisters. It's coming.

I seriously feel like a little kid on Christmas Eve, knowing that in less than 24 hours, I will be with my sister! EEK.

Pictures, posts, & good times ahead. 

the half.

**no, this is not me. and does not look like me when I run. it's just a visual for this blog post.

For years, I've had "run a half marathon" on my bucket list.

This week, I started training for it. The race I want to run is the Cedar City Half on Sept. 15. That is definitely not 12 weeks away, so I'm not following the schedule exactly. But I can already feel my endurance increasing & my muscles working hard.

Today I ran nearly 4 miles in 40 minutes, which is slower than I ran in cross country, but the 10-minute pace works for me. I also recently purchased new running shorts, capris (clearance for $10. Score!), and socks. Nothing motivates you (well, besides perhaps relationship woes) like new running gear!

I can't wait to run in Asheville for the next 10 days with my sister. I think running is a great way to explore when you are traveling.  And then to run again in Cedar. I love my little town!

So, with that being said ... if you have run a half marathon, do you have any tips? Or even if you haven't, what are some great running/"pump up" songs?

Any & all advice is appreciated!