Racing the Sun

As I strapped on my backpack I took a deep breath of the brisk morning air just before we set out on our morning hike. It was 3:00 am as we began our journey to the top of Mt. Timpanogos, if we were going to make it by sunrise we would need to make up a lot of time.

As we began our ascent we could see distant lights high above us that seemed to inch up the seemingly black cliffs in front of us. Though it seemed hopeless I refused to dwell on how steep the canyon bowl seemed to be and how far away the dotted lights pierced the darkness thousands of feet above our heads.

My buddy Rob and I decided to walk by moonlight, it made the entire experience worthwhile. After a few moments we were to see amazing stars and scenery that was blind to those whos eyes had already adjusted to the artificial light in front of them.

By packing light and dressing light we were able to hike quickly, passing many hikers that at one point seemed to be far ahead of us. As we continued to scale the mountain the brush seemed to grow less and less thick until we came to the first rock shell section of the climb we slowed our pace. Over who knows how many thousands of years the rock cliffs above two of the areas approaching the peak of the mountain have been slowly falling apart onto the slopes below. In the first section the rocks were small and unsettled. That meant that every time I took a step my foot would sink into the shell rock or the rocks would break loose and I would need to quickly regain my footing.

I could tell from the silhouette of the cliffs in front of us the climb was about to get much harder.
Since I had never done this climb before Rob was leading us through the shell rock since. We nicknamed him Zeus because of his extremely muscular build and highly trained muscles. This may have been the reason he chose the path of most resistance in climbing the mountain, it wasn’t til daylight on the way back down that I found that the trial snaked back and forth along the face of the steep incline to make the hike actually very enjoyable.


After bouldering up the loose shell rock and climbing up rock faces as we took short cuts straight up the face of the mountain, I looked at Zeus in exhaustion. We both knew I wanted to slow down, but we both knew we wouldn’t make it to the top in time if we went any slower, so we continued.

Once we got to the top of the first ridge it became only a slight incline that led into the bowl beneath the peak. To the west of he bowl is a several thousand-foot cliff, to the north is another decline that leads to another entrance to the peak. To the south was a small lake that was fed by a massive glacier that remains year round.
And to our backs was the most immaculate view of the dozens of peaks to the east. Beneath the cliff sat a brick walled shack with metal roofing and a huge chimney at the back. It was a cozy place for frozen hikers to rest and get warm. As we approached the shack I noticed a blazing fire surrounded by people and large groups standing around the shack relaxing before making the final journey to the top.

Without the slightest hesitation we continued past the shack towards the peak, we could already see a gold rim forming around the horizon in the distance and we didn’t want to miss the sunrise.

Racing for the top we came to the second rock shell section. The only difference was that this time instead of small rocks that kept moving around, these were large rocks that spread out in between sheets of frozen glaciers that had to be passed through in the darkness by touch rather than sight. In exhaustion we continued to the top as we jumped from rock to rock hoping that as we landed the rock wouldn’t give way to our weight.

The glacier sections seemed tricky to the mind that hadn’t rested in nearly twenty hours and a body that had been pushed to the limits.

After the rocks we had one final incline before we would get to the ridge that would look out over Utah Valley and have a perfect view of the sunrise, but upon getting to the ridge Rob and I looked at each other, then to the peak and then back to the trail. With little discussion we agreed that if we moved quickly we could still make the hike to the top. I snapped a quick picture and we were off.

We were now at about 10,000 ft above sea level and the barren rocky terrain stretched upward to the peak. The final hour was steep and produced amazing views of the Utah lake and Utah valley nearly 6,000 ft below us.

Upon arriving to the top I shouted for joy, surprising the handful of other hikers. To my surprise there was a small…umm… structure at the very peak. It was a 10 X 10 square wooden refuge with a triangular roof that provided minimal shelter from cold wind.

Glancing down a bit I noticed the rocks shelves would be perfect for me to get comfy and eat my victory meal as I waited for the sunrise.

As I sat down I began to shake uncontrollably as I opened my Ziploc baggy to chow down on my chicken and pasta. A debate ran through my mind of whether my body needed sleep, food, or warmth. After finishing off my victory meal I rested my head on the rocks next to me and propped my feet up on the rocks below me in preparation for the horizon to slowly unveil the warm bright sun.

With excitement of accomplishment and raging anticipation I physically and mentally gave in to the exhaustion. All of my excitement for the sunrise vanished as I fell asleep on the rocks at the top of Mount Timpanogos.

With half of the sun peeking out from behind the horizon I woke long enough to enjoy my triumph of ascending nearly 7,000 ft in just under three and a half hours to see yet another mountain sunrise that will not be forgotten.

With great joy and a smile on my face, I curled up on the rock next to me and took a brief nap before making my daylight journey back down the mountain.

Coincidence or Fate?

The student section known as "The MUSS" at the University of Utah has over 6,000 members. That means over 6,000 different seats that would be (somewhat) randomly selected and given to me. As I walked into the stadium I was stoked that I would be sitting on row 20 at the 30 yard line. I was excited beyond belief. My friend Matt was already inside waiting for me as I walked in and glanced ahead at our seats. There I saw matt sitting a row behind out tickets oblivious to the couple sitting in front of him which were the seats next ours. With my jaw wide in unbelief I looked at my ticket number. Then back up at the familiar couple. Then back at my tickets. Matt and I have seats 14 and 15. My ex-girlfriend and ex-best friend have seats 16 and 17.
WTF!!!
Trying to be a lil sneaky so they wouldn't see me I sat next to Matt behind them so I could try to think about how I would handle sitting right next to them for not just an entire game, but for an entire season of football. Well, as I was pondering the situation their entire crew showed up. All of which are good friends of mine. One of them has a knack of making the most of any awkward situation. After saying hello to my ex he looked past them and ran a gave me a hug. My ex was a little surprised when she realized what he was doing, she obviously hadn't noticed me come in. Continuing to make the situation awkward he laughed as he glanced back and forth between the couple and myself.
I couldn't help but laugh at the chances something such as this could happen.
I guess they could sense the awkwardness in the air as well. It wasn't long til they nonchalantly move down a few rows.
Why is my life so dramatic? I understand I bring some of it upon myself, but this. Really?
Well, thats one game down and five to go.

Cultural Values

Many years ago a student from India named Hari Dam came to America for an education. After many years in the American culture he made many observations relating to the differences between the Indian culture he was raised and the American culture to which he was introduced. Just before leaving America he published his observations in the school paper. The following are his words.

" You live in time; we live in space. You’re always on the move; we’re always at rest.

You’re aggressive; we’re passive. You like to act; we like to contemplate.

We always hark back to the past; you always look forward to the future. We pine for the lost paradise; you wait for the millennium.

We accept the world as it is; you try to change it according to your blueprint. We live in peace with nature; you try to impose your will on her.

Religion is our first love; we revel in metaphysics. Science is your passion; you delight in physics.

You believe in freedom of speech; you strive for articulation. We believe in freedom of silence; we lapse into meditation.

You first love, then you marry. We first marry, then we love. Your marriage is the happy end of a romance; our marriage is the beginning of a love affair. Your marriage is a contract; our marriage is and indissoluble bond.

Your love is vocal; our love is mute. You delight in showing it to others; we try hard to conceal it from the world.

Self-assertiveness is the key of your success; self-abnegation is the secret of our survival.

You’re urged every day to want more and more; we’ve taught from the cradle to want less and less. Joie de vivre is your ideal; conquest of desires is our goal.

We glorify austerity and renunciation; you emphasize gracious living and enjoyment. Poverty to you is a sign of degradation; it is to us a badge of spiritual elevation.

In the sunset years of life, you retire to enjoy the fruits of your labor; we renounce the world and prepare ourselves for the hereafter."


(Hari Dam, student from India, cited in Religions of the World, 7.)

Lake Powell

It had been at least five years since I had last seen the magnificent bay of the Bullfrog marina and the glistening tin roofs of Halls crossing marina miles away on the other side of the bay.

We spent the entire evening loading up the houseboat to prepare for the seven days we would spend camped out 20 miles downstream.



Lake Powell is the second largest watershed for the west holding 24,322,000 acre-feet of water when full. In terms of size it is the largest manmade lake in the United States – 186 miles long and almost 2,000 miles of shoreline, that’s longer than the entire west coast of the USA. The lake has 96 major canyons, some of which are 15 to 20 miles in length.

Early Sunday morning we began the trek with the houseboat, two ski boats, and two wave runners towards the area we picked out. Since the houseboat tops out at a speed of about 10 mph we towed one of the ski boats and the wave runners and my parents and I took our ski boat down the lake to find our perfect spot.



Once anchoring in the houseboat it took no time at all for the water fun to begin. The 20-foot cliff nearby seemed like the perfect start to the week.

But just as anyone knows, when it seems to good to be true, it probably is, so expect something bad to follow. The first day we found a leak in one of the ski boats that required my parents to quickly make the 20-mile journey back to the marina in order to repair the leak.

By the second day we had one of the wave runners propped up on its side on the beach while we pulled a rope out of the water intake.

The first few days massive windstorms came through swaying the houseboat from side to side nearly smashing into the rocks on either side. Luckily the anchors held and we were later able to secure them tighter in preparation for the much bigger storms that would come later in the week.

By the fourth day we found a mouse on the boat. This may sound like only a minor detail, but mice in this region are known to carry the deadly Hantavirus that can kill within weeks or even days. After a quick look around we found mice all over the shoreline.

But despite what seemed to be a week of bad luck, it was truly a magnificent experience that brought back great memories from the many years I have been going to Lake Powell. The massive red rock that surrounds the lake becomes only more and more breathtaking as the sun disappears behind the massive cliffs and the moon creates a silhouette of the canyon walls surrounding us with a blanket of stars as our ceiling.



Since I was the only young guy in the group I had to be tolerant of the endless girl parties and conversation. I tried to get excited about the nail painting party (if that’s what it is called), but I just couldn’t share the same enthusiasm as my cute eight-year-old girlfriend Isabelle who insisted on painting my fingernails. The crazy dance parties to the latest Katy Perry songs isn’t exactly what a 23 year old male looks forward to participating in. So to many of the girls dismay I found solace in putting my headphones on or reading my book. According to all the girls I was a party pooper, but it seemed to me that I was just being normal.

Although the parties at night weren’t exactly my style, the long hot days with a lake to cool off in was just for me. I spent hours every day trying to outdo myself on the tubes, surfboard, wakeboard, and sky ski at every chance I got. I would have worked on my slalom skiing as well, but I’m still recovering from a back injury from a slalom skiing adventure a few months back. And to my great joy my goals were exceeded and my confidence in my abilities was increased. I think I am obligated to admit that the confidence I gained was mainly from the over the top compliments given to me from my great friends in the boat encouraging me to keep trying until success was attained.

The greatest memories I have are those shared with close friends. Experiences left in my mind are those that inspire me in times of distress. Being on a boat with 16 close friends will bring about memories that can never be forgotten. Whether it is a mother telling her daughter her sunburned face looks like a bad road rash. Or that same mother expressing her lack of concern of me sleeping in the same bed as her daughter because “they are in love with different people, it doesn’t matter”.



On the last day all of the boats began moving upstream to the marina, it seemed like a somber yet needed migration towards home. We were tired, sunburned, bruised, and beaten, and ready to return to civilization. But as we began our journey home we all took with us some of the greatest memories we will ever have. The friendships created and the experiences enjoyed will never be forgotten.

When Opportunity Knocks...

Gasping for air I began the gruesome turn between the first and second switchbacks on 24/7, the trail that scales the mountains behind my house. Although I knew the trial would be hard and would test me physically and mentally, I never thought I would be exhausted in only the first few minutes into my mountain biking escapade.

I’ve had a history of ambitious ideas and plans that I never really made a reality, but recently that has all began to change. I decided I was not going to let past mistakes and failures hinder me from the possibilities in front of me. No matter the size of the task, it is always doable.

As began the third switchback I felt my legs giving out and all energy fading. The third switchback is the worst; it is steep at first then turns to a gradual ascent that scales the mountain towards the top. In an effort to pace myself I stopped for a break about how half way up the steepest part of the third switchback. Bent over my bike I looked at where I had been and dizzily eyed the path in front of me. I then felt my body sway as my legs began losing and I was forced to slowly kneel to the ground.

As my vision blurred and soon went black it was as if I was looking at myself from above. At that moment my entire body lost strength and I fell to the dirt on the side of the path. As I regained my vision I looked again at the steep path to my left and the descent to my right. Unable to move I wondered how long it might take for the next outdoor enthusiast to come along and find me lying on the side of the trail. It was at that instant that I remembered a favorite speech given by Vince Lombardi titled What it Takes to be Number One. His speech starts with the sentence “You’ve got to pay the price.”

Life is like that. Any worthwhile experience has a price to pay. And how much that experience is worth to us is the value of the price we must pay. Although physically I couldn’t move, I pondered the steep hills I have encountered in my life, where I had met adversity and fought it with all my heart. I then thought of those times I had chosen to turn around and ignorantly choose to take the easy way out. I thought of how my family has always been there for me to help lighten the load. I thought of the handful of real friends I have, the ones that have sacrificed so much to see me get through the difficult climbs.
I then remembered Vince’s next words, “ You don’t win once in awhile, you don’t do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.”

I looked at the path to the left, stood up, took a gulp of water and forced my body to continue upward.

The next hour and a half was a mental fight to continue upward despite constant cries from my body for relief, to turn around, to lose. I refused. I was determined to make a habit of winning, a habit of facing each task with my whole heart and relentlessly chasing each goal.

After reaching the top of the mountain looking back at the gruesome trail I had just ascended the end of Vince Lambardi’s speech came to mind.

…I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour-his greatest fulfillment to all he holds dear- is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle-victorious.

I sat looking at the landscape in front of me with complete joy in where I was. Where I am. Life is full of opportunities to learn, experiences to live, and places to see. That is what makes life so exciting, the constant change. Although the change is hardly ever what we want to happen, it makes growth a never-ending process.

Sometimes life seems like it only goes uphill, but when we push forward through the misery and darkness we slowly begin to see a new light. A light that brightens our hope for the next mountain we will scale. The next chapter of our lives.

Life Insurance: The Final Test

A life policy that is cash surrendered is subject to federal income tax. Which of the following statements is true concerning the taxation of surrender values?

A) The amount received in excess of the total premiums paid is taxable
B) The amount received minus the face amount of the policy is taxable
C) The taxation only applies if the surrender is done during the first 7 years of the policy
D) None of the above

Where do these questions come from? I have studied the book front to back countless times and I don’t remember seeing half these questions. But I know this. Only the earnings are taxed, therefore it has to be… A: the amount received in excess of the total premiums paid is taxable.

After emptying my pockets at the secretaries desk of the Prometric Testing Center I was escorted into a room with five desks against two walls and ten desks in the center of the room. Each desk was in its own cubicle and had a computer. With nothing but scratch paper and a key to my locker in my hand I sat down at the middle desk against the left wall. As I sat down I couldn’t help but notice that they had placed cameras above each desk and every few minutes a proctor would walk through.

An insurance contract that has features of a life policy’s settlement options and is designed as a way for an insurance company to sell savings accounts is called a/an:

A) Policy rider
B) Policy options rider
C) Annuity
D) Variable life

If there was any question I would be scolded for missing, it would be this one. The pride and joy of the insurance industry is Annuities and their ability to not only mix insurance and savings, but to be more profitable than a savings account in every way. C, Annuity.

Although the exam was not the hardest exam I had ever taken, it was certainly the most draining exam I had ever taken. Before I started the test I had already planned to not only take my time on each question, but I would also take my own little “brain break” every 25 questions. At first the questions were difficult but doable. I felt confident going into question 16, but then it steadily got harder, until I reached question #30 where I felt every question probing deep into my understanding of the material. I felt like each question drained me more and more.

In order to avoid a taxable event when replacing one life policy with a different policy, which of the following must be done?
Complete the 1035 exchange form
Request exchange privileges at the time of application for the new policy
Make all money transfers directly to the new policy
All of the above

If I’m wrong on this one then so be it. I know that completing a 1035 exchange will avoid taxes, but so will making transfers directly into the new policy. Maybe its all the above, but B doesn’t fit the description. Here goes nothin, A, complete the 1035 exchange form.

Just over half way through the test I was getting exhausted. As I read the question it didn’t even seem to register. I couldn’t seem to get past the way the guy next to me seemed to be pounding on the keyboard, I think he was taking a GRE test, in any case he was making it extremely difficult for me to focus on my test. If only he would type more quietly like the person behind me. Once I noticed the earmuffs hanging on the wall beside me I eagerly put them on and instantly enjoyed the silence.

The questions seemed to ease up once I got to question 80, at that point I knew I only had about 25 questions left so I took my time on each question. At that point in the test I knew it would be close if I did pass, so I didn’t want to rush through it. After the final questions I went back and reviewed the questions that I didn’t feel confident about my answers.
Eager to be done with the test I was tempted to click the link that said “end exam”, but I didn’t want to miss out on a question that I could have gotten right had I reviewed. After I was done reviewing I nervously clicked the “end exam” link. Then, as I read the score breakdown of the exam, to my astonishment and relief it said, “PASS”.

After leaving the testing room and going to the front office to get my certification I felt completely drained. The secretary kept asking me questions about applying for my insurance license. All I remember is that I couldn’t answer any questions that didn’t apply to life insurance, annuities, or insurance taxes. Undoubtedly they were confused at how some one like me could pass an insurance exam when I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to apply for the license or not.

Exhausted and mentally drained I walked out of the testing center with joy I had not felt in months and a re-enforced confidence in my future.