salt lake

Sept. 12, 2009

The current grabbed me with both hands. "Help me! I'm serious!" I was headed for the edge of the waterfall. One of the girls swimming in the upper pool with me got a hold of my wrist. James saw the commotion from shore and dove towards me. Just as he got to me, the girls managed to pull me onto the rocks. James was caught in the current and went over the edge.

That was five years ago during a study-abroad trip in Southern Mexico. James emerged below with ripped up feet and hands, but alive. We hadn't seen each other again stateside, until Bree and I rolled up to his family's place in Salt Lake City.

Celebrations. Not only did his mom get to meet the Lindsey James "saved" from the waterfall, I got to spend my birthday, and be present for a "Celebration of Life" party in honor of his recently passed dad.

Early birthday morning, our mutual friend, Sara, took me hiking to a sparkling lake up a STEEP canyon. In the evening, we met up with a group of James' friends, and Bree and her visiting boyfriend, Sergei, at Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant. Noella--who I'd met the day before--baked me a cake replete with 26 candles! Margaritas all around, then we headed to a salsa dancing club. Walking up with a cake, I caught the attention of the manager and managed to get all ten of us in for free! Salsa, cumbia, barchata, merengue...

I made sure to get the full Mormon experience before leaving Salt Lake, visiting the Temple and Brigham Young's home. Friendly tour guides abounded. One mentioned that Mormons, as a highly persecuted people group, should be at the top of the list for political reparations. A movie of Joseph Smith showed a charming man with one wife...

After the party for James' dad, they loaded us up with leftovers; we made promises for more visits, then Bree and I returned to Highway 89 and pedaled on towards Idaho.