# data[].attributes.body
There is a big culture around rock climbing, one that many people don't realize even if they are aware of the sport. It is mostly viewed as a hippy pastime and while it is there is a serious competitive nature to it and an abstinence from mind impairing substances is a must in some circles. There is different types of climbing, sport climbing which is the one I'm most interested is the most fun for me. There is also bouldering which consists of short routes typically safe to fall off of not requiring a harness most of the time either. It takes serious mental and physical power to conquer the routes that are now considered normal which in climbing's infancy would be considered expert. You need to exercise finger strength almost daily by hang boarding if you plan on becoming an adept climber, as well as study the many crimps and holds that allow you to be more efficient while scaling rocks. It is not atypical to be hanging from the tips of your fingers hundreds of feet up while doing more advanced climbs, not to mention being dependent on your partner to ensure your life. It is a serious sport which brings a lot of joy to my life and many others. Growing up in Utah was the perfect place to practice this sport.

# data[].attributes.body
My mother is from Poland. Growing up I was taught Polish but never completely grasped it and grew less and less adept in it in age. Polish culture values salt as a great purifier. Many polish foods are preserved in salt and many folklore is based around it. Growing up my mothers side of the family was mostly alcohoilc and had vodka at every meal. While visiting they had given me the drink at 6 years old much to the dismay of my mother who typically was the most clear headed out of all of them. Polish culture creates resilience as many cold nights in harsh jobs are spent. My grandparents were miners in one of the worlds oldest salt mines. You are looked down upon in Poland as well as many other previously Soviet occupied countries for having a smile on your face, you are viewed as a "clown" if you express joy all the time. This is something I experienced a lot in my life while visiting my mom, however that is not to say they don't have a sense of humor, it is just much darker and less laughter oriented.

# data[].attributes.body
Soemthing I quickly dismissed while growing up but grew ever more entranced by it while aging. It really is so important to sit and simply do nothing. There is also transendental meditation as where you repeat the same phrase over and over whatever it may be until it becomes something much deeper than language could ever explained. I haven't missed a session even engaging in month long abstinences from caffeine and television as taught in one of my courses. I beleive that it is one of the only sustainable ways you can create a feeling of peace and confidence in who you are in a world that moves so fast. I beleive there is a certain magic in slowing down and stillness that can't be found anywhere else. There is also a meditation like state found through exercise which is just as if not more benificial.

# data[].attributes.body
I was raised Mormon as well as catholic. When moving to Utah in middle school It would be hard to find someone who wasn't Mormon at the school I was growing up. I attended boy scouts as well as church activities on Tuesday and grew up knowing there would always be way better snacks while hanging out with the LDS crowd. I never was baptized but all my friends were and they all attended baptisms for the dead, a concept which baffles me still to this day. As we grew older many of us grew to resent the church but eventually came back when we realized it was more about gratitude for being alive then anything else. I cherish and value the teachings I learned and still live a clean drug free life as a result of it.

# data[].attributes.body
It bleeds into everything I do. Most of my family is spanish speaking and I grew up in many Latino communities. I learned to speak Spanish and English as well as studied there in elementary school, many of the jokes, stories, and sayings I know are from the language. I find myself thinking in Spanish most times and had an accent growing up. I cherrish and value the ideas passed down to me by my many aunts and uncles. Religion also played a role in this as the majority of my family is catholic.