Dreamer Part 5 // Friendships, Theories, and the Difference Between Watching and Stalking

Oh my goodness so there are these two big projects that we finished right before break and NEITHER TEACHER has put in the grades and it’s THE WORST. I don’t want to wait!

Heya! ‘Tis Naomi, and I’m bringing you the next installment of “The Dreamer”. Which, if you didn’t know, is this story series about girls and dreams and… welp, maybe you should just read the previous chapters (or, if you’re like me and don’t have amazing long-term memory but don’t wanna reread the entire series, you can read the previously on…). Seems easier, yeah?

Previously on The Dreamer: Kurota feels this weird connection with her classmate Nova and isn’t sure why. Being a logical weirdo, she usually wouldn’t act on such a feeling, but this one is really strong and so she’s been watching Nova for the past few months. Nova, oblivious to Kurota’s creepy watching, is trying to deal with losing her sister to a fire.

These two get paired for an English assignment. And well, Nova hasn’t really been paying attention to school… and… you’ll see what Kurota thinks about that in this part! Yay!

Get Caught Up: Prologue (The Dream) | Part One (Soulmates, Dreams, and Homework) | Part Two (Sisters, Grandparents, and Other Lost Things) | Part Three (Observations, Awkwardness, and an English Assignment) | Part Four (Group Projects, Annoying Partners, and Zoning Out)

“… and she didn’t even know what the project was. Like she zoned out for the entirety of the speech. And I’m going to sound like a total nerd, but how is she not even a little bit excited to do a project on a way we’re hurting our environment that could get us to a national contest where we could literally win $500?” Kurota groans. She’s sprawled across Orenda’s floor as she complains about her group project. 
“See, you’re my best friend and as such I love you. But first off, since when was being a nerd a bad thing? And second off, how can you not take this as a good thing? You’ve been trying to talk to her and figure out what’s going on here since the beginning of school.” Of course Orenda thinks of it that way.

Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/adults-bed-blur-casual-206293/

“I think you’re getting it twisted because you’re the one who wants to talk to Nova. Not me.”
“Mhm. You’re still the one who wants to know everything about her, and talking to her is a way better way of doing that than creepily stalking her all the time.”
“It’s not stalking if I’m not following her.” Kurota protests.
“Well, creepily watching her then. Better?”
“Yes.” 
“Well when you and Nova have some special bond, I am always going to remind you that I was right when I said you should just talk to her, you crazy introvert.”
“Well when I totally fail this project because of my partner and then never talk to her again, I am always going to remind you that I was right when I said I should stick to watching, you crazy extrovert.”
“Wait, does this mean you’re going to give up on watching her?” Orenda jumps up from where she was lying. 
“Yeah, probably. What’s the point? Not sure why I stuck to this so long anyways since there’s no reason whatsoever that she’s important to me.” 

Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/adult-book-boring-face-267684/

“What if she’s your soulmate and you just decide that she isn’t important to you? Then you’ll never have a soulmate!”
“We are not going to your crazy theories again. I’ve heard them all enough times.”
“Alright, whatever. I know you don’t believe in magic and all that, but seriously? You should consider something that’s a little out of your comfort zone. Just saying.”
“Can we change the subject now?”
“Fine.”

And that’s that! Hope you enjoyed…

Can we all just pretend that I went on some amazing quest and that’s why I can’t keep up with the blog? // Some Updates + Things Because It’s Been Way Too Long

Last time I posted was only 2 months ago… that’s okay-ish… right? Although I kinda gave no warning and have not been consistently posting since like August but WHATEVER. IGNORE IT.

So sorry it’s been forever. I had to cure my entire population of a tearing-out-throats disease while simultaneously dealing with feelings for the dude that betrayed me, I accidentally found a portal in my Grandfather’s wardrobe, I found out that I was actually a different not-person and went off to fight angels, I finally got my letter to a magical school like 2 years late… or I was just sorta was busy with life. You decide which of those things you believe (and bonus points if you know which book each of the excuses comes from {but don’t ask me what the points are for}).

So ANYWHO, heya! ‘Tis Naomi Domi, a blogger you may or may not have forgotten about, and she’s posting on her blog about climate change (another thing you may or may not have forgotten about). Today it’s not reeeeally about climate change because like it’s been too long, buuuut whatever. It is TECHNICALLY a blog about climate change, so I’m sorta obligated to like… say that? Anywho.

The actual content of this post is pretty self-explanatory… I’m just sorta catching up on stuff? Soooooo since I’ve apparently forgotten how to transition, let’s just keep scrolling, shall we?

• I have not forgotten that the blogosphere exists... I’ve just been doing other things? I am so excited to read your blog posts again because I’m kinda suffering from blogosphere deprivation.
• I actually have full drafts ready this time so if I decide I don’t want to write a post, I can just publish those and it’ll be great and MAYBE I’LL BE CONSISTENT.
• The plan is to post weekly at least for now… hopefully on Mondays and maybe sometimes on Tuesdays.
• You might not remember Charlie… but she’s started blog 3 (her others are gone now, very sadly), and so if you want to hear about her life you can join her blogging family right over here.

• COP27 just happened in Egypt (like it finished four days ago), meaning that the leaders of the world got together and talked about how our world is dying. Fun times!
• NASA is preparing to launch this satellite called SWOT that will give us a bunch of new information about the world’s water which is connected to climate change because we’ll get information about how oceans affect our air.
• And a lot more but I kinda realized that I use a lot of words to explain things, so I’m going to be talking about those things (and these two points) in future posts where I have room for all those words.

• I read These Violent Delights and am so obsessed I need the next one right now. This has nothing to do with climate change, but like you need to know what I’ve been doing SO THERE.
• I got really busy with school and flute which is why I haven’t been posting (I mean, um, PART of the reason. I’ve definitely also been saving the world and stuff. My life’s not boring and normal at all.)
• But now I’m on Thanksgiving break and have literally NOTHING to do soooo I can finally make blog posts.
• I forgot the reason I’m not a lifestyle blogger is that I have no clue how to talk about my life, so I’ll stop now.

Aaand, welp, that’s that! I guess I shall encounter you in the comments?

So that was a long unannounced hiatus… // Also, a work of cli-fi for each day of the week

Sometimes I think school is really pointless. Like, next year I will have no remembrance of literally anything I learned in social studies, so what’s the point? SOMEONE EXPLAIN THIS TO ME.

Heya earthlings and aliens! Naomi here, and in case you forgot over the very long no-post-period, I am a human (or at least PROBABLY a human) and you are reading a post from the SSCC.

I’m going to pretty much ignore that whole unannounced hiatus thing except to say sorry and hopefully I’ll post more frequently now? Life is being life and blogging continuously is continuously getting forgotten. It’s the saddest thing.

But ANYWHO. Since I feel like doing a bookish post again (I don’t think I’ve done an informational post in a while, but it’s fine. I’ll do it next post?), you’re getting a book for every day of the week! Bear with me when my reasoning makes literally zero sense and I write anywhere between 2 sentences and 2 paragraphs about each day of the week… JUST BE GLAD I’M BACK.

Ohkie, now enjoy!

So people here start the calendar with Sunday, but I start it with Monday because I’m SPECIAL so we’re doing that here.

But anywhooo, Monday is an amazing yet underappreciated day (ok I hate Monday a little but it’s fine I hate The Ones We’re Meant to Find a little too because WHY WAS IT SO SAD SERIOUSLY PEOPLE), and since The Ones We’re Meant to Find is too, boom! Oh plus, both Monday and The Ones We’re Meant to Find are a bit emotional and all over the place. SO.

Tuesday is… I dunno. It’s like that day that I don’t like but I also don’t hate, and Midnight at the Electric is that but a book so it’s a perfect match. Totally.

Sooo there’s the W. Wednesday = Wilder Girls. But then there’s also like the SADNESS AND STUFF of Wednesday to be compared to the SADNESS AND STUFF of Wilder Girls. It’s a perfect match!

So ya know how Thursdays are just SO CLOSE to being good? Like you’re almost to the end of the week and it’s almost Friday and it should be a good day but for some reason it’s not really? That’s the Marrow Thieves. Except, of course, The Marrow Thieves isn’t a day, it’s a book. I loved the IDEA of this book but the writing was an issue for me, ohkie?

*it’s totally wrong to rate your own story… right? But also I just can’t it’s impossible.

So Friday is sorta linked to school (and leaving it), just like Dreamer. Plus, I feel like Dreamer is something you could read on a Friday because it’s a KINDA light read.

So well first off, there’s the wonderful alliteration thing going on here too. Saturday paired with The Sea is Salt and So am I creates SO MANY Ss. So yayyy! Uh huh. But also, am I the only one that thinks SATURDAY IS SUCH A BIG DAY or whatever. Like THERE’S ALL THIS TIME cause school is mean and takes the ENTIRE WEEK and then church and stuff is SUNDAY so Saturday is like THE DAY WHERE YOU DO STUFF.

And also other things like that. And The Sea is Salt and So am I just has that… vibe? I know, I’m great at explaining this, right?

See this was going to be a post on like cli-fi books, but then I decided, well, Iowa Chapman and The Last Dog had to be in this (Dreamer too but whtevs). Oh, and if you decided not to read the okay-looking image above, Iowa Chapman and The Last Dog is a podcast. Like a 3-hour-long one.

It’s cool, okie? And I’m not good at explaining it. But ANYWHO, the whole day of the week thing. See, Sunday to me is like a nice happy day because NO SCHOOL and other things, but like it’s also kinda sad because the weekend is over? And this podcast is pretty much that. So.

Alrighty roo, that should be it! ‘Til next time…

Dreamer Part 4 // Group Projects, Annoying Partners, and Zoning Out

We have a test. On the second week of school. Like just WHY? We also had to do math on the first day… seriously, people?!

Heya! So yeah, I have been sorta temporarily missing, but I’m sure it’s fine since I’ve been off and on for the past like 2 months and nobody’s gotten super mad at me yet. So that. I mean, in my defense SCHOOL EXISTS and literally just started so I might be scarce for a little longer. But anywho. Speaking of school…

Previously on The Dreamer (because if I wasn’t writing this I’d forget parts of this story over the long periods of time I’m making you wait between sections): Kurota feels this weird connection to one of her classmates, Nova, and she’s not sure why. So far, she continues to be an annoying non-magic-believer and tells her best friend Orenda that all Orenda’s theories (including but not limited to dream visits and soulmates) are wrong. Meanwhile, Nova’s dealing with losing her sister and grandparents to a fire.

Kurota’s been observing Nova from a distance for the past few months and then, in a stroke of fate (or just pure luck), Kurota and Nova are partnered for an English project.

Get Caught Up: Prologue (The Dream) | Part One (Soulmates, Dreams, and Homework) | Part Two (Sisters, Grandparents, and Other Lost Things) | Part Three (Observations, Awkwardness, and an English Assignment)

Nova used to love group projects
She also used to love talking to people.
Used to be popular.
Used to always know exactly what to say.
Used to be loud.
Used to be confident.
Used to be someone who got As and the occasional B.
She used to be a lot of things. But that was before Eli died. Before everyone decided that she was to be handled with care, and before she decided that she hated people for what they’d done to her sister. To her world. 
And so now she hates group projects. Especially the kind where she didn’t get to pick a partner who cares about the project just as little as she does. Especially this one, because Kurota Nadir is not the partner she would’ve picked. At all. Kurota had probably gotten honor roll her entire life.
Well, actually, correction, she’d probably gotten distinguished honor roll for her entire life. And she was not going to let Nova do nothing for this assignment. Which was unfortunate, because that was exactly what Nova planned on doing. 
As all this races through Nova’s mind, their English teacher is explaining the assignment, and Kurota (who’s now sitting at the desk next to her) is, of course, listening intently. Because it’s Kurota.
Nova, being the opposite of her partner, zones out for almost all of it, and the only part she catches is “So you can complain about your pairings and slack off on this project all you want, but it will still count as a grade for two classes and get two of your peers to a national contest. So start working.” 
And, well, the entire class is still silent. Awkward.
“It’s a little hard to do partner work silently, so unless you all want this to be very, very difficult, you better start talking now.” Their teacher’s voice sounds like it could snap at any moment, and Nova wonders what would happen if the entire class went on strike and didn’t talk. Maybe they’d get out of this stupid assignment with these stupid assigned partners. Like the one who had just started talking to Nova.
“Um, what do you think we should choose? Would it be better to do something more well-known like climate change, or something less well-known like water pollution?” Oh gosh. Nova had no clue what Kurota was talking about.
“Well, before we talk about that could you maybe explain exactly what we’re supposed to be doing?” Kurota rolled her eyes at that (or tried to at least – Kurota was not good at rolling her eyes and it just looked like she was glancing at the ceiling) and Nova could tell that this project was going to be a nightmare.

And that’s all for this part! We’re only like halfway through the actual story, but I’m very much looking forward to doing some extra Dreamer posts, so… what would you like to see? How I actually wrote it (like, you know, behind the scenes), deleted things/weird ramblings (the majority of which makes absolutely no sense), the things I based this off of (because it’s, ya know, cli-fi so I need to have some sort of a factual base… right?), a book trailer, or character aesthetics and a tad more about them? Or, like, something else that I can’t think of and you can would be cool too.

Anywho, bye for now!

It’s National Back to School Prep Day // 3 Ways I’m Trying to be More Eco-Friendly this School Year

That was a very long title. Maybe not the longest title ever, because I’ve read and wrote some pretty long ones, but it’s CLOSE, ohkie? It’s close.

Heya earthlings and aliens! Naomi here (yep, I know, I haven’t posted for a week because apparently my schedule is just a suggestion, but it’s fine. Totally fine.). I start school in a WEEK and I’m so exciiited. But anywho, I feel like talking about the things I’ve been trying to do (both this year and past years) to be a little more environmentally friendly (and other things too, but this blog is about the ENVIRONMENT and not my LIFE so that), so I’m going to.

Let’s read and type on!

From like kindergarten to 5th grade, I had the same backpack. Aaand then it got too small, so I got a new one for 7th grade (the reason I didn’t have one for 6th grade is complicated, so we’re just going to say it was Covid). But ANYWHO, I’m using last year’s backpack again, partially because backpacks are hard to shop for, partially because it’s what I always do, and partially because the EARTH.

See, making things involves factories, factories involve energy, and energy involves fossil fuels. Plus, a lot of the material isn’t amazing for our environment either. So the longer I can hold on to my backpack, the better. Ta-dee!

Of course, this applies to most school supplies. Pencils use both wood (dead trees – unless of course the wood is used sustainably) and plastic (not good for the ocean or the climate). A lot of folders are plastic. Binders? Same thing.

Obviously, I DO need to get new things (and, guilty pleasure – I enjoy getting them new), but if I can reuse a few things, that’s good. Right?

I walked home the majority of last year, with the exception being rainy days, times when we had to get somewhere faster than I could walk, or times that I stayed after school for things like band or clubs.

But anywho, one of the friends I walk with said she’d be trying to walk home in the rain more to be more eco-friendly, and I think that’s a good goal to set. Just bringing an umbrella to school or deciding to get wet (my favorite thing to do unless I’m going somewhere right after school because RAIN IS AMAZING) can help save gas and means I’m not riding in a car (oh, for aliens, a car is this thing that pollutes the environment and gets us around super fast-ish).

Obviously, everyone reading this can’t walk home from school (especially the aliens), but taking the bus instead of driving with your parents can be amazing too.

This is an… interesting one? Last year, I got school-made lunches some days for the first time in my entire life (school lunches are not exactly known for being good, so I was like PACKING IS SO MUCH BETTER. Plus meat. It’s hard to be a vegetarian and eat school lunches and I basically got pizza every day, which gets old. Fast.), and there was SO MUCH SINGLE-USE PLASTIC.

Trays were re-used, but there’d be packaged apples or little plastic cups, parchment paper (I think?) that you had to put down under your pizza, and plastic-coated milk cartons. I would have used so many things that were going to never decompose in landfills (which are an issue for our climate, ohkie?) and had been made in factories which, as previously discussed, are just not GOOD.

So anywho, this year packing lunches seems like the better option because, well, when I pack my lunches there’s less trash. Plus, I don’t have to eat gross pizza every day. Because ew.

So anywho, that’s that! Encounter you in the comments (hopefully)!

Dreamer Part 3 // Observations, Awkwardness, and an English Assignment // Oh, and an Update Too

The more I write of Kurota, the more I think that I may have written a character who’s basically me except she doesn’t believe in magic. Which, whoops. But it’s fine. Definitely.

Heya humans (and non-humans, you too)! ‘Tis obviously Naomi, and I’m sortaaaaa excited to share Part 3 of The Dreamer with you? Definitely not the best part, but it’s necessary. Because we MUST BUILD THE PLOT OK? I have to make things move forward. And I’m not amazing at it. But we deal. Sooo… enjoy!

Get Caught Up: Prologue (The Dream) | Part One (Soulmates, Dreams, and Homework) | Part Two (Sisters, Grandparents, and Other Lost Things)

Four months ago, Kurota had decided that the best way to figure out what weird thing was going on with Nova Dodge was to observe her from a distance. Maybe Kurota would remember something that made this whole thing make sense. Maybe the weirdness that she seemed to be getting from Nova would seem less weird. And it was, in theory, a great idea.
The problem is that most theoretically great ideas have issues when they’re put into practice, and the biggest issue with this one was that the more Kurota observed Nova, the weirder Nova seemed. She wore the “cool” clothes and on the rare occasion that she talked, she used the right words and seemed confident enough. But the thing was, she wasn’t… social.
She sat alone at lunch (despite the fact that Orenda, who disapproved of Kurota’s plan of observing from a distance, had invited Nova to sit with the friends on several occasions), always worked alone when she could, and never raised her hand in class.
And the other issue was that, other than learning that Nova was even weirder than Kurota had thought, she had… well… not gotten any new information – there was no reason for Kurota and Nova to be connected, and that was the weirdest part. Because Kurota still had that feeling.
Orenda had, on several occasions, told Kurota to just go up and talk to Nova, but what was there to say? “Um hi, I feel like we have this weird connection and I wonder if you feel it too.” Or maybe, “I’ve been watching you for the past four months and you seem really weird. Are you good?”
Add the fact that, even when she wasn’t trying to explain to weird classmates why she’d been watching them for the past four months, Kurota was horrible at talking, and the answer to Orenda’s idea was always a firm “Yeah… no.”
So up until this point, Kurota and Nova had not said a word to each other. But, well, the thing is that when you’re in multiple classes with someone, it’s only a matter of time before you’re forced to interact. And that forced interaction finally happened on December 11th when partners for their newest English project were announced.
And when Kurota checked the list of partners, she had to read it again.
Because, well, Kurota’s partner for her new English assignment was Nova Dodge.
And later, when this was all in the past and Orenda had taken to repeatedly telling Kurota “I told you so”, she would usually add this part in and say that it had been meant to be. That this was just the universe’s way of telling Kurota that Orenda was right on many accounts – about how Kurota needed to talk to Nova, and about many other things too.
Kurota didn’t agree and always argued that she was bound to get partnered with Nova eventually. That it was just a matter of time, and that there was nothing magical about it. That however magical the connection between Nova and Kurota was, their meeting had not been magical at all.
But whoever was right, this assignment would change the lives of both Kurota and Nova. Whether it would be for the better or the worse was up to the two of them.

And yes, right, there was a quick little update for me to share – I felt like changing my home page, and so I did – if you’re interested, go check it out! Ohkay, yep, that was it.

Soo… that. See Encounter you on Monday!

Goodbye July, Hello August! // School Starts in Like… 21 Days

Has the wordpress editor always had this serif font? Because I may be going crazy, but I think the font changed.

Heya earthlings and aliens! ‘Tis Naomi, and I’m convinced that we skipped a few days. Because it was literally just June. I mean, I definitely didn’t write “Goodbye June” instead of “Goodbye July”. So I’ll file a complaint to the calendar people and tell them that they skipped a few days, but in the meantime, I think I’ll just write this post. Sound good? Great.

Goodbye July

Hey, that sorta rhymes!

Goals

1. Post another part/chapter of The Dreamer.
   I did! It took me like 5 million rewrites, but I did.
2. Post more than 5 times
   Heh. Heh. Heh. Well.
3. Actually read or watch some climate change stuff!
   I read AND watched climate change stuff, so.. whoop whoop?

This Month’s Media

Well, I actually read The Marrow Thieves. And it was… ok? It wasn’t the best book in the entire world (the main character was so aggravating and the romance was a tad bleh), but it was a really interesting and important-feeling book. So that.

Aaand I watched Kiss the Ground (read my review-ish thing here), which was AMAZING and had AMAZING pictures and I’m so proud of myself because I actually watched it.

Goals

1. Post another part/chapter of The Dreamer
   I need a goal that I will definitely reach.
2. Post 5 or more times
   Come on, me! You got this! *ignores the fact she only wrote 4 posts last month*
3. Find a way to keep blogging as school starts up
   Heh. This’ll be fun.

Holidays

World Water Week is from August 23 – September 1 and I’ll hopefully remember it exists so I can do a post on it.

Alrighty roo! These posts are always super short, but whatevs. I’m off to file that complaint to the calendar people.

3 Things I Learned From Kiss The Ground // Ft. Me Getting Way Too Excited Because I’ve Kinda Been Planning This For an Entire Year

It’s kind of weird that I didn’t read/watch any climate change-y media for like 500 years and then I watched Kiss The Ground AND finished The Marrow Thieves? I dunno, I do things like that sometimes.

Heya humans and everyone else! ‘Tis yours truly, Naomi Domi (although isn’t it obvious?), and this post marks an amazing accomplishment. I’ve finally watched the movie I’ve been saying I’ll watch since 2021, and I’m finally doing the review I promised 500 million years ago (maybe not to you, but I promised MYSELF and I’m important too, ya know?). So… shall we?

*gasps*
*starts coughing because she gasped too… gaspily*
*waits for the coughing to subside*
*continues like nothing happened*

So if you’re one of those earthlings/aliens who was not around for my entire blogging life, or if you’re one of those earthlings/aliens who does not REMEMBER my entire blogging life, let me explain something to you. A while back, I wrote like 5 posts on cows. And how when cows… fart… they sorta put greenhouse gases into the atmosphere?

I was just a tad bit obsessed. So anyway, when the Kiss the Ground people were like “COWS CAN BE GOOD” I was like “WAIT WHAT MY ENTIRE LIFE HAS BEEN A LIE I NEED TO TELL PEOPLE RIGHT NOW”. And then of course I stayed silent and kept watching and filed it away in my mental file folders that I can’t keep track of so I could put it in this post later because that’s how the world works, okie?

Okie. So anyway, about this whole good cows thing. Cows can graze on plants and take the place of machines to keep a sustainable farm growing. And a sustainable farm means more carbon in the soil, and less in the atmosphere. So woop-woop!

Ohkie, so maybe the title is a tad… exaggerated? But anywho, here goes the explanation.

So there’s sustainable farming and there’s non-sustainable farming, right? Right. Sustainable farmers actually make more because they have a variety of crops, plus the soil is healthy and therefore stores carbon. Yay, right?

But then you think, well, why in the WORLD are farmers still doing what they do – they can SEE the other human’s farm, right? They can SEE that sustainability is a better option.

There are a bunch of factors that probably go into a farmer not deciding to convert to a sustainable farm, but one of them is that the US government PAYS them for farming things like corn, and not for farming a wide variety of things.

Yes, you read that right, the government pays farmers to keep doing what they’ve always done. To destroy the soil by planting only one or two crops.

I’ve been wanting to watch this movie for forever, so OBVIOUSLY I knew it was an idea. I just didn’t know how… simple it is. Obviously, it’s not like they’ll talk about the cons in this movie, but the pros of sustainable farming? Unless I’m missing something huge, I’m pretty sure they outweigh the cons.

Healthy soil from a sustainable farm means more crops and more profit. Healthy soil from sustainable farms means more carbon in the soil and less carbon in the air. Healthy soil from sustainable farms means healthy food and happier people. Healthy soil from sustainable farms is a win for everyone. Not just the earth.

(And obviously, everything that’s a win for the earth is a win for people too, but I’m just saying.)

And well, that’s that! Go watch Kiss the Ground, people. I’m just going to be off now since outtros are like the hardest thing to write.

National Parks Pt. 1 // Ft. Me Being Proud Because I Actually Remembered Things I Learned on Vacation

Ohkay, so maybe that title was a LITTLE bit of a lie since I didn’t exactly remember them and I just… wrote notes down on my phone… but like, whatever. No one has to know about that.

Heya earthlings and the rest of you! ‘Tis Naomi, back with yet another post on climate change (*cue surprised gasps*). This time, I felt like telling you all about my vacation to the southwest national parks and figured I could tie that into climate change ’cause national parks help save our planet AND they’re affected by climate change. So boom! Anywho, I found info about climate change in 3 of the national parks I visited (there was probably info on it in other parks too, but it’s fine) and then I did some more research. And uh, that’s the post!

I should probably stop describing it and let you read the actual post, so I’ll stop writing too-long-introes. Enjoy!

About the parK: Intro Video | Website

How Zion is Affected by Climate Change:

So I didn’t go into this vacation thinking about doing a post on the hot southwest national parks because like, they’re all focused on… rock formations. And like, since when did rock have anything to do with climate change? And since when was ROCK affected by, like, anything? When I think about national parks affected by our changing climate, I think about Glacier. Because glaciers melt. But guess what? Zion isn’t actually just rock (I know, CRAZY, right?).

The ranger-led hike that we went on was focused on water. Why? Because Zion is desert-y, and water’s precious there. Because the rivers shaped the giant rock formations in Zion. Because water sustains life (wow, water is necessary for life? Nobody knows THAT).

These are actually my photos! Left is a photo of the end of the ranger-led hike, right is a photo one of the Juniper Trees we saw on the hike.

Ohkay, ohkay, yeah. I’m getting to the point. It takes me a while, ohkay? Well anywho. So water IS actually affected by climate change. And that means that, if you’ve been following through this very long section, you realize that Zion is affected by climate change.

How? Well, the river has been down for 10 years because there’s less snow and less water. There used to be boating in Zion, and there isn’t anymore. And then there’s plant life.

Forests are dying, and in some cases, nothing has yet grown up to replace them. The climate is changing here. It really is.

The question isn’t if {change will happen in Zion} anymore. It’s how.

Ranger Dolton, Ranger at Zion National Park

Ignore the stuffed animal. I was taking photos for my cousin of them in all the National Parks we visited, and I got one with the sign, and… that.

About the park: Website

How Mesa Verde Works to Prevent Climate Change:

Mesa Verde is affected by climate change, but here we stayed in the actual park, and I wanted to talk about what the national park did to have eco-friendly rooms.

So you see, plastic is bad for climate change because it’s often single-use (which means more production, which means more pollution) and it’s usually made of fossil fuels. And you know how when you stay in a hotel room, you get those little single-use bottles of shampoo and things? And well, they’re really bad for the environment.

So what did Mesa Verde have? They had containers in the wall that we could get soap and shampoo and conditioner out of so they didn’t have to use that plastic (*glares at Past Naomi who decided not to take a picture of the containers that Present Naomi can’t describe). It was amazing!

How Mesa Verde is Affected By Climate Change:

I’m not 100% sure what this is from, but I do know that I have a video of some dead trees from Mesa Verde that I’m not sure I meant to take. But like, it’s great ’cause it’s very possible this was one of the wildfire sites we saw. So woo-hoo!

Mesa Verde is actually not a desert like pretty much all the other parks I visited on my trip, and so guess what? It has TREES (Well, the deserts have trees too. Along the rivers. But Mesa Verde has more trees. Like, forests. Ever heard of those?). And well, climate change and trees are sort of enemies. If that makes sense.

Like trees fight climate change by sucking carbon out of the atmosphere. But then again, too much carbon is bad for trees. And climate change causes OTHER problems for trees too.

Like wildfires. The hot weather and drier climate make them more intense and more frequent. We passed a LOT of areas in Mesa Verde where you could see the damage that wildfires from as many as like 20 years ago caused.

And the other thing that the very helpful visitor center sign told me was that bark beetle infestations also happen because of climate change (Warm winters mean more bark beetles). This harms forests too. GIVE TREES A BREAK, CLIMATE CHANGE. *glares at nothing because she doesn’t know how to glare at climate change*

Don’t really need to caption this once ’cause it’s literally just a photo of Grand Canyon National Park.

About the park: Website

How Grand Canyon is Affected by Climate Change:

Guess what? There are animals in the national parks. And they’re affected by climate change (wow, I know, right?). Water scarcity threatens the California Condor, a bird who already barely escaped extinction. Desert Bighorn Sheep habitats have gone from 80 to 30. It’s not good.

And one other thing that may not be the worst thing, but that still is important to think about. Visibility. On one of our (short, level, Naomi-has-COVID-and-is-wearing-a-mask-and-it’s-really-hot) hikes took us by a sign that told us about how pollution is affecting visibility in the park. It gave the very specific example of Mt. Trumbull, a mountain 60 miles away that, on a clear day, you can see very well. But on a day that the air is filled with pollutants? You can’t see it at all.

Can you see the mountain in the distance? We could, but um I’m not the best photographer and you have to really look to see it in the photo.

“Bark Beetles: A Natural and Dramatic Forest Disturbance | Rocky Mountain Research Station.” Www.fs.usda.gov, Nov. 2015, http://www.fs.usda.gov/rmrs/projects/bark-beetles-natural-and-dramatic-forest-disturbance.

“Climate Change | Grand Canyon National Park Lodges.” Grand Canyon, 21 Apr. 2015, http://www.grandcanyonlodges.com/who-we-are/sustainability/climate-change/. Accessed 8 July 2022.

Major, Kerri. “Plastic Waste and Climate Change – What’s the Connection?” WWF.org.au, 30 June 2021, http://www.wwf.org.au/news/blogs/plastic-waste-and-climate-change-whats-the-connection.

Ranger Dolton. The Watchman Ranger-Led Hike. In-Person.

And that’s that! This was a bit of a very long post, but uh, whatever. Bye for now!

The Dreamer Part 1 // Soulmates, Dreams, and Homework

I am currently dying because I have a lot to do and I can’t read my book. Because you know, I should just be able to read and that should just take up my entire existence. Please?

Heya earthlings (and non-earthlings, hi to you too)! ‘Tis yours truly, and yep, I’m not dead. And also, yep, I didn’t find anything cool like Narnia or Hogwarts. I DID find a lot of really amazing books, but that’s irrelevant. This is not a book blog (although I’ve really been wanting to start a book blog cause like BOOKS ARE LIFE).

So you want to know why I didn’t post for like the entire month (yeah, I know that’s an exaggeration, but it’s fine)? Well, ya see, there’s not really a good explanation for that. Or, actually, the explanation is a long story involving fingers and cars (they’re not compatible), boredom (yes, boredom means being less productive. Don’t ask why.), and beaches. So you can just be glad I’m back (or not glad, but if you’re not glad, then I’m not sure why you’re reading this post so there.).

The OTHER thing that’s probably important to tell you is that I’m gonna be away for 10 days. I’m working on scheduling a few posts, but I won’t be reading your posts or responding to your comments ’till I return. Sorry.

*sits there awkwardly for a few minutes*

Oh, right, the actual post! I’ve just written a 5-paragraph-long intro and I haven’t said one word about The Dreamer. Whoops. Well, the 5 paragraphs were important, ok? Or at least 3 of them were. ANYWHO, today I’m bringing you the first “chapter” of The Dreamer, and if you’re not sure what that is, go check out this post (especially since that post also contains the prologue, which is important. So.).

I present to you…

Kurota’s 7th-grade future wasn’t looking super good. She couldn’t even get the easy first-day-of-school homework done because she couldn’t stop thinking that she knew the blonde girl sitting in the corner of homeroom. Nova, that was her name. Kurota was sure she’d never had a class with this girl, but there was something achingly familiar about her. 
And this was distracting Kurota from finishing her “My Life in Numbers” homework from Math 7. The easiest homework she’d get all year. If she couldn’t finish this, how could she be expected to get the hard stuff done? 
She exchanged her homework for her phone and made a mental note to try it again in an hour. Maybe her brain would be less foggy once she’d texted with her best friend.
Kurota: This might sound weird, but I feel like I know Nova somehow.
Kurota’s phone said that Orenda replied a minute after her text, but the phone must have been wrong because Kurota waited for an eternity.
Orenda: Why is that weird? She moved here last year. You probably saw her around.
Kurota: Well, maybe. But Orenda. I feel like we were close and I can’t remember how.
Orenda: Oooooooh! Maybe she’s your soulmate!
Kurota: Stop being your weird magic-obsessed self. You know I don’t believe in that stuff.
Orenda: Just ‘cause you don’t believe doesn’t mean it’s not real. People didn’t believe that the earth was round. Doesn’t change the fact that it is.
Kurota: And people believed the earth was flat. Doesn’t change the fact that it isn’t.
Orenda: Point taken. But Kurota, how else am I SUPPOSED to explain it? Oh, new idea! Maybe she visited you in a dream!
Kurota: Orenda, I love you like a sister, but a DREAM? You think she visited me in a DREAM?
Orenda: Hey, it’s possible. You have a better idea?
Kurota: Hmph.
Orenda: Well hmph back to you. 
Kurota doesn’t know how to reply, so she turns off her phone and gets her homework out. It hasn’t been an hour and her brain’s not any less foggy, but she doesn’t know what else to do, so it’s easy homework and racing thoughts.
Thoughts of a girl she just met.
Thoughts of a girl she feels like she knew. 

And there you have it! This chapter isn’t as good as the prologue because I’m much better at climax-writing than normal-life writing, but it’s fine. The story must go on!

Anywho. I’m going to go read now. Because like. That’s important.