So...I've been noticing how I get emails/texts from my family members who enjoy my blog posts. I'm so glad you guys enjoy my blog posts, but, um...would you maybe just go to my blog on your web browser and write your comments there? I can usually reply back, if you want to talk about the post. All I really want is more comments. If you subscribe to my blog, or follow it by email or something, don't reply to the email, it won't work. Just type the URL of my blog into your web browser, and click on the button that shows the number of comments. Then write your comment.
Thank you :D :) :] :}
Friday, September 4, 2015
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Peace, dudes
It's essentially where you come up with your own little pieces of advice and write them down on little slips of paper and store them in a decorated (empty) Altoids tin. You can also use quotes from your friends, or your favorite book, show, etc.
It's fun! Really!
So to MAKE a Peacemaker Kit you take an empty mints tin and decorate it with fun stuff like duct tape and googly eyes. And it's normal to write "Peacemaker Kit" on some paper, and glue the paper to the kit.
 |
| My kit |
Then comes the
 |
| Unless you're free soloing, that is. |
Or you can quote others:
 |
| Toph is the BEST. |
 |
| Pleeeeeeeease tell me you know who Ashima is? |
 |
| This is a Di quote. |
Make up little 'rules':
 |
And eventually you'll come up with something amazing super special noteworthy.
 |
| Well? |
Now go off and make a Peacemaker Kit! :D
Thursday, August 27, 2015
An interview with Taryn, by Taryn
Taryn: Hello, and welcome to the interview!
Taryn: Hi! It's so great to be here. Nice to meet you.
T: Nice to meet you too. Is it okay if we start the interview?
T: It's fine with me.
T: Great! So, first question: why did you start Taryn's Travels?
T: When I was ten years old I had already been out of the country several times with my doll Kayla. I told my mom I wanted to start writing a travel blog. She helped me set it up, and here we are now!
T: Your readers have probably noticed you don't post as much about travel, though.
T: Yeah, sorry guys. It's more like I want to just write about my life than just the travel bits. I would probably write more travel stuff if I were allowed to update on the go, but someone--ahem, my mom--won't let me, on the very slight chance that someone will find out where we live and break into the house. Not that I want that to happen, but, y'know.
T: I do know. What is your favorite thing to write about?
T: Um........I guess, anything that happens to me that I can put a sarcastic spin on, and big things happening in the world. Like Target deciding to remove pink from the "girls' toys" aisles and blue from the "boys' toys" aisle. I should probably actually write a post about that (even though it's old news), because I am so happy now that Target is being less gender-stereotypical than before! :D
T: What do you consider to be your biggest accomplishments in life?
T: Well, I won fifth place at my first climbing competition, so that made me happy. I mean, top five, people! I'm also happy about the video Islaved over worked very hard on with my Cadette friends, and the fact that I've been writing in a journal every day for almost eleven months now. I've almost finished my third journal. I write about my day.
T: School is almost starting, and this year, it means something to you! Are you excited?
T: OH YES! I have my outfit all planned out--every detail down to the color of my hair elastic--and a fuzzy blue pencil case and a cool stripey backpack. I also had to complete some math homework because I'm taking algebra (ideally).
T: Anything not so exciting?
T: Well, the early mornings I guess, but I'll get used to it, and the sunrises will be really pretty. The thing I really don't like is the over-the-summer reading assignment, where we have to design a postcard with the "picture" being an illustration of our favorite scene from the book. I can't illustrate. I tried colored pencils. I thought about acrylics, but I don't want to waste them cause they're Kathy's and my mom's and also really expensive. And I'd need a canvas. Those are intimidating. Today I made myself at least try the illustration bit by making a word cloud, which is actually a word lightbulb because the book I chose for my report is The City Of Ember. Maybe I can just skip the illustration and lose a point. I don't care. I mean, it's a book report.
T: I would advise you against that, but it's your project and also none of my business. Er, so, what do you do in your spare time?
T: Climb.
T: Besides that?
T: Well, I've been on a baking spree lately. I read a lot, play Minecraft, and watch Avatar.
T: The blue people movie?
T: Noooooooooooo, the cartoon. It's in my profile.
T: Right, sorry. What's your favorite emoji?
T: The eggplant!!!!!
T: Okay, then! ...why?
T: Not sure. I don't really like eggplant. :|
Taryn: Hi! It's so great to be here. Nice to meet you.
T: Nice to meet you too. Is it okay if we start the interview?
T: It's fine with me.
T: Great! So, first question: why did you start Taryn's Travels?
T: When I was ten years old I had already been out of the country several times with my doll Kayla. I told my mom I wanted to start writing a travel blog. She helped me set it up, and here we are now!
T: Your readers have probably noticed you don't post as much about travel, though.
T: Yeah, sorry guys. It's more like I want to just write about my life than just the travel bits. I would probably write more travel stuff if I were allowed to update on the go, but someone--ahem, my mom--won't let me, on the very slight chance that someone will find out where we live and break into the house. Not that I want that to happen, but, y'know.
T: I do know. What is your favorite thing to write about?
T: Um........I guess, anything that happens to me that I can put a sarcastic spin on, and big things happening in the world. Like Target deciding to remove pink from the "girls' toys" aisles and blue from the "boys' toys" aisle. I should probably actually write a post about that (even though it's old news), because I am so happy now that Target is being less gender-stereotypical than before! :D
T: What do you consider to be your biggest accomplishments in life?
T: Well, I won fifth place at my first climbing competition, so that made me happy. I mean, top five, people! I'm also happy about the video I
T: School is almost starting, and this year, it means something to you! Are you excited?
T: OH YES! I have my outfit all planned out--every detail down to the color of my hair elastic--and a fuzzy blue pencil case and a cool stripey backpack. I also had to complete some math homework because I'm taking algebra (ideally).
T: Anything not so exciting?
T: Well, the early mornings I guess, but I'll get used to it, and the sunrises will be really pretty. The thing I really don't like is the over-the-summer reading assignment, where we have to design a postcard with the "picture" being an illustration of our favorite scene from the book. I can't illustrate. I tried colored pencils. I thought about acrylics, but I don't want to waste them cause they're Kathy's and my mom's and also really expensive. And I'd need a canvas. Those are intimidating. Today I made myself at least try the illustration bit by making a word cloud, which is actually a word lightbulb because the book I chose for my report is The City Of Ember. Maybe I can just skip the illustration and lose a point. I don't care. I mean, it's a book report.
T: I would advise you against that, but it's your project and also none of my business. Er, so, what do you do in your spare time?
T: Climb.
T: Besides that?
T: Well, I've been on a baking spree lately. I read a lot, play Minecraft, and watch Avatar.
T: The blue people movie?
T: Noooooooooooo, the cartoon. It's in my profile.
T: Right, sorry. What's your favorite emoji?
T: The eggplant!!!!!
T: Okay, then! ...why?
T: Not sure. I don't really like eggplant. :|
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Why I am "weird" and unique and LOVE IT
1. I don't like acting, sketching, painting, singing solo onstage, ballet, designing fashion, and writing novels. I know, I'm terrible.
2. I obsess over a ten-year-old cartoon.
3. I eat pretty much anything you put in front of me--not if it's poison or something, but I've had snails, tripe soup, Dutch licorice (ewwwwww), fermented shark, intestine sandwich, and a lot of other gross/odd-sounding things.
4. I don't love any sport except climbing, which isn't weird for me, but I get the feeling a lot of people don't think you can be passionate about rock climbing. (see previous post)
5. I've never been to public school, which, again, isn't weird for me, but my peers may think it's weird.
6. One of my closest friends is almost three years older than me, which <sigh> isn't weird for me, but I don't think it happens to a lot of other kids my age.
7. I don't feel influenced by the media to look/behave a certain way, and I'm pretty happy about that, but apparently a lot of other tweens and teens feel like they have to look/behave a certain way because of the media.
8. Makeup and mani-pedis are so not my thing. Unless the makeup I'm using is for Halloween or something, I've never found it very interesting. The one exception is fun flavored lip glosses, even though they come off whenever I eat something. And mani-pedis? Forget it. The polish will wear off the next time I climb, and I don't like when the stylists trim and file my nails. Also, they only let you choose one color. What's up with that? Home nail-painting is so much more fun.
9. I don't like dresses and skirts. They're impractical. I got this cute dress from a friend, but I'm going to change it into a tank top. Skorts are okay.
10. Indie/alternative music RULES! :D (Okay, so maybe that is even less weird but whatever. I guess it's more like I don't love the music played on pop music stations.)
2. I obsess over a ten-year-old cartoon.
3. I eat pretty much anything you put in front of me--not if it's poison or something, but I've had snails, tripe soup, Dutch licorice (ewwwwww), fermented shark, intestine sandwich, and a lot of other gross/odd-sounding things.
4. I don't love any sport except climbing, which isn't weird for me, but I get the feeling a lot of people don't think you can be passionate about rock climbing. (see previous post)
5. I've never been to public school, which, again, isn't weird for me, but my peers may think it's weird.
6. One of my closest friends is almost three years older than me, which <sigh> isn't weird for me, but I don't think it happens to a lot of other kids my age.
7. I don't feel influenced by the media to look/behave a certain way, and I'm pretty happy about that, but apparently a lot of other tweens and teens feel like they have to look/behave a certain way because of the media.
8. Makeup and mani-pedis are so not my thing. Unless the makeup I'm using is for Halloween or something, I've never found it very interesting. The one exception is fun flavored lip glosses, even though they come off whenever I eat something. And mani-pedis? Forget it. The polish will wear off the next time I climb, and I don't like when the stylists trim and file my nails. Also, they only let you choose one color. What's up with that? Home nail-painting is so much more fun.
9. I don't like dresses and skirts. They're impractical. I got this cute dress from a friend, but I'm going to change it into a tank top. Skorts are okay.
10. Indie/alternative music RULES! :D (Okay, so maybe that is even less weird but whatever. I guess it's more like I don't love the music played on pop music stations.)
Thursday, August 20, 2015
The most annoying question I'm asked when I tell people I'm a competitive rock climber
"How do you compete in rock climbing?"
And then the follow-up:
"Is it just who gets to the top [of the wall] first?"
NO.
Well, yes, because speed climbing is a thing. But competitive climbing isn't just speed.
In local comps (that means the competition is in your region), each climb is worth a certain amount of points, with the easiest climbs having fewer points and the harder climbs having more. So the easiest climb in the comp is worth 100 points, while the hardest is maybe 3000--might be less, might be more, depending on how many routes are set for that comp. You climb at least three things, and the judges take your top three highest-scoring climbs and add the points together. The result is your score. So if I climbed 6 routes, each one worth 500, 1000, 1400, 1500, 1300, and 900 points, my score would be 1300 + 1400 + 1500 = 4200 points, which would probably get me some kind of ribbon or another. You also have to record the amount of attempts you took on a climb on your scorecard--so if another girl had the same amounts of points as I did, but she got the 1500 on her first try and I got it on my second, then she would place higher than me.
In Regionals and above (Divisionals, Nationals, maybe Continentals or Worlds), they lead you into "isolation"(not very isolated)--you're in there because they don't want anyone looking at the climbs beforehand. You can't bring anything with internet capability into the isolation area, and you have to be escorted to the bathroom. Pretty strict place.
Anyway, in Regionals each hold you get to improves your score. If I reached hold 20 on a climb at Regionals, I would get 20 points for that climb. If you finish a climb, the judge writes on your scorecard that you finished. You also get a fraction of a point if you touch a hold, and a fraction of a point if you get to the "usable surface" of the hold, which means you grab the good part, er, the usable part of the hold. Also, when you compete in lead climbing you get points for which quickdraw you reached. Kinda confusing, right? At least it's only the judges who have to worry about stuff like that.
I hope this post cleared up some of your questions about comp climbing. What I write up there ^ is the truth. Let it be spread around like a...like a...oh, I don't know, just spread this around and I won't have to answer the dreaded questions again. :-)
And then the follow-up:
"Is it just who gets to the top [of the wall] first?"
NO.
Well, yes, because speed climbing is a thing. But competitive climbing isn't just speed.
In local comps (that means the competition is in your region), each climb is worth a certain amount of points, with the easiest climbs having fewer points and the harder climbs having more. So the easiest climb in the comp is worth 100 points, while the hardest is maybe 3000--might be less, might be more, depending on how many routes are set for that comp. You climb at least three things, and the judges take your top three highest-scoring climbs and add the points together. The result is your score. So if I climbed 6 routes, each one worth 500, 1000, 1400, 1500, 1300, and 900 points, my score would be 1300 + 1400 + 1500 = 4200 points, which would probably get me some kind of ribbon or another. You also have to record the amount of attempts you took on a climb on your scorecard--so if another girl had the same amounts of points as I did, but she got the 1500 on her first try and I got it on my second, then she would place higher than me.
In Regionals and above (Divisionals, Nationals, maybe Continentals or Worlds), they lead you into "isolation"(not very isolated)--you're in there because they don't want anyone looking at the climbs beforehand. You can't bring anything with internet capability into the isolation area, and you have to be escorted to the bathroom. Pretty strict place.
Anyway, in Regionals each hold you get to improves your score. If I reached hold 20 on a climb at Regionals, I would get 20 points for that climb. If you finish a climb, the judge writes on your scorecard that you finished. You also get a fraction of a point if you touch a hold, and a fraction of a point if you get to the "usable surface" of the hold, which means you grab the good part, er, the usable part of the hold. Also, when you compete in lead climbing you get points for which quickdraw you reached. Kinda confusing, right? At least it's only the judges who have to worry about stuff like that.
I hope this post cleared up some of your questions about comp climbing. What I write up there ^ is the truth. Let it be spread around like a...like a...oh, I don't know, just spread this around and I won't have to answer the dreaded questions again. :-)
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
6 reasons why climbing is the best sport, ever
1. You get SO STRONG. Seriously. And it trains your entire body--that means arms, legs, AND core. You'll feel good about yourself. Plus, the world of pullups will open up to you. Additionally, it strengthens your mind and makes you improve your mental game.
2. You'll make lots of friends. Unless you're one of those people who grunts noncommittally every time a potential friend asks you a question, the expansion of your friendship circle is pretty inevitable. When you boulder, you'll need a spotter and/or a witness to support you when you say you just sent that V4 (or higher). Top-roping/leading: You need a belayer, and if your mom or dad refuse to take the belay certification class, you're out of luck. Ask a friendly staff member for a belay. Or you could find a person your age with a Grigri/ATC hanging from his/her harness. But I would start with the staff.
3. Sometimes, you'll flash a hard route. Most of the time you won't. But I like the fact that you might get it right (if you know what you're doing), rather than the "you'll never get it right the first time but just keep trying and eventually you will" #$%^. Yes, it's true. But it isn't really something anyone wants to hear.
4. There will always be something to work on. Whether it's your three-month lead project or a brand new boulder problem, it's pretty hard to be bored at the rockwall.
5. There's something for everyone. Scared of heights? Start with bouldering. You will, eventually, move on to big walls. If you want. Need something daring? Try a lead climb (I don't care how easy it is). And even better, take some falls. Want to try some hard stuff? Start on top-rope. The falls are generally less scary, and it allows you to rest wherever you need to--without downclimbing or heading up to the nearest quickdraw and resting there. And if you really want a challenge, offer to clean (unclip the rope from the quickdraws) a route after someone's lead climbed it. Harder than it sounds.
6. It is just so. Much. Fun.
2. You'll make lots of friends. Unless you're one of those people who grunts noncommittally every time a potential friend asks you a question, the expansion of your friendship circle is pretty inevitable. When you boulder, you'll need a spotter and/or a witness to support you when you say you just sent that V4 (or higher). Top-roping/leading: You need a belayer, and if your mom or dad refuse to take the belay certification class, you're out of luck. Ask a friendly staff member for a belay. Or you could find a person your age with a Grigri/ATC hanging from his/her harness. But I would start with the staff.
3. Sometimes, you'll flash a hard route. Most of the time you won't. But I like the fact that you might get it right (if you know what you're doing), rather than the "you'll never get it right the first time but just keep trying and eventually you will" #$%^. Yes, it's true. But it isn't really something anyone wants to hear.
4. There will always be something to work on. Whether it's your three-month lead project or a brand new boulder problem, it's pretty hard to be bored at the rockwall.
5. There's something for everyone. Scared of heights? Start with bouldering. You will, eventually, move on to big walls. If you want. Need something daring? Try a lead climb (I don't care how easy it is). And even better, take some falls. Want to try some hard stuff? Start on top-rope. The falls are generally less scary, and it allows you to rest wherever you need to--without downclimbing or heading up to the nearest quickdraw and resting there. And if you really want a challenge, offer to clean (unclip the rope from the quickdraws) a route after someone's lead climbed it. Harder than it sounds.
6. It is just so. Much. Fun.
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Gender stereotypes make EVERYONE mad
Haha--the comics are funny today.
Ugh, sports section.
Ads, ads...more ads...
Flu: Look, Kayla, minions!
Kayla: Minion mac'n'cheese--weird.
Flu: And a fart gun!
Kayla: Wait...so the boys get the "Genius" shirt, and the girls get the heart? Really, Target?
That makes me so mad!
Flu: Let's write them an angry, hate-filled letter!
Kayla: Cut out the "angry, hate-filled" part and you've got a deal.
Hmm...let's call it "Target Letter".
<typing> Dear Target,
I am a twelve-year-old girl living in Northern VA. My friend and I were very offended by the ad for the $7 Minion T-Shirts. Aside from the fact that you are doing the usual "girls wear pink and boys wear blue" marketing stereotype, the fact that the "girls' shirt" had a heart and the "boys' shirt" had a minion making a potion and the word "Genius" (spelled with cool letters!) on it made me incredibly mad. Not only are you assuming boys would like this shirt better than girls, you are subtly reinforcing the stereotype that boys are smarter than girls. Please do something about this ad!
How should we end it?
Flu: <whispers>
Kayla: Oh, okay!
<typing> Respectfully, Kayla.
Flu: I told you to write "Disrespectfully".
Kayla: Yeah, well, kindness counts. C'mon, let's go...um...
Flu: I'm going back to bed.
Kayla: Good idea.
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