Adventure Seekers

Recently I've been scrolling through old pictures. It's good for me to do that. Life, for me, needs to be documented in pictures. Just like with songs bring back memories, and smells transport me to different places, so, too, do pictures.

Sometimes it's easy for me to get lost in the current season of life. The season of dirty diapers, nap times, and early bedtimes. I LOVE so much of this season. I like the down times in the afternoon and late evening, but the time limitations and adventure limitations with young children are real things.

As I scrolled through our old pictures I was reminded of the things we used to do. We used to be spontaneous, adventure-seekers, vacation planners, and more. Recently I think I started to follow a false notion that we don't really do exciting things. But we did and do. Right now it just looks different.

When I shared this with Jim he said, "We'll do them again! We'll do them with our kids! In a few years there will be no stopping us!" And this is why I married this guy (among many reasons).

Residency and young children years are only a season. I'll savor this season right now, for all the glory that it is. And I am sure I will look back and long for the days when a baby was sleeping soundly on my chest (as Owen is right now).

We've still got the adventurous itch. We have the bug. And I am pretty sure that's one thing that no season can take out of our bones.

A little walk down memory lane... the adventures we documented, for there were far more that aren't included.

The month we started dating, my sister and I showed Jim a waterfall near our house. This was in December- yes, it was freezing cold!!!

College Spring Break trip to Seneca Rocks and we bouldered near Gandy Creek.

Winter Break backpacking trip during college. We spent a week backpacking directly after an ice storm. Coldest week of our lives. We still say that we had the best nap EVER when we returned. We had no idea how exhausted we were.

We spent four months apart while I worked at Teton Science Schools in Kelly, Wyoming.  That summer I summited The Grand Teton & Mt. Teewinot. Jim traveled to Mexico, Ecuador, and the Galapagos Islands. At the end of that summer, Jim flew out and met me and then we drove back across the country, stopping at three incredible national parks.

Bryce Canyon NP, Zion NP, and The Grand Canyon.

Coolest backpacking trip EVER. The Narrows in Zion National Park.

Sunset over the Grand Canyon.

While there we accomplished probably the most spectacular physical feat we'll ever do. We hiked down the entire Grand Canyon and back up in one day. It was hot, it was intense. and we did it.

This picture was taken shortly after Jim asked me to marry him at the waterfall in the first picture.

And then that same canoe carried us away from our wedding, to our getaway car.

We spent out honeymoon at St. Johns in the Virgin Islands. We kayaked across and snorkeled at an incredible location across the way. Jim said it was comparable to the snorkeling he's done in the Galapagos! We did it again.

He has a knack for finding small critters and wildlife.

Honeymoon hike. We both agree that our honeymoon probably had a little too much adventuring and not enough relaxing. When we're in an incredible location, it's hard to just sit on a beach!

We moved to Louisiana and spent tons of time kayaking in Lake Martin. Jim had a scare with this guy. To this day I still think I see gators in the local ponds.

Not our typical adventure scenario, but we're glad to have experienced Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

Rock climbing at New River Gorge.

Hiking in Alaska.

And an overnight kayaking trip across Kachemak Bay near Homer. SO beautiful! Puffins, sea otters, bald eagles.

Hiking all around our beautiful area in Virginia.

 Our phenomenal trip to Maine (even with my neck injury it's still one of our favorite vacations).

 LOBSTER! Which I am now allergic to. Womp, womp.

Adventure will come again.

Right now it just looks a little different.

But mark our words, it will come again.

ONE MORE YEAR OF RESIDENCY STARTS TODAY!

Here we go, we're on our way :)

European Adventure

Waiting to board our first plane.
Roanoke Airport, March 28th.

We've just returned from a trip to Europe! It was a whirlwind of visiting family & friends, seeing the sights, walking in my grandpa's footprints in Switzerland, and keeping up with our eighteen month old.

I have so much I want to share. Mostly in pictures, but I'll try to use some commentary, too.

Some may think that we were crazy to travel with an eighteen month old (and maybe we were!!), but he was really a champ overall. More on that later.

It was really special to share some of these memories with Jim and Ian. Who knows if Ian will remember any of it... but we'll have the pictures and stories to share with him.

Miraculously, Jim was able to take two weeks off for our trip. This is basically unheard of in residency. It was wonderful for us to have him around for two whole weeks.

Overview of Our Trip:

Part One: We visited my cousin, Marianne and her husband, Christoph and daughter Annie in Hannover, Germany for almost a week.

Part Two: Easter weekend we went to Bückenhof and visited my host parents, Mark & Meg, from when I studied abroad and student taught at an international school while in college.

Part Three: We traveled to Switzerland and met up with my friend Eva for an afternoon with my sister and her boyfriend, who came from where they've been living in France to meet us. Then Marianne, Christoph, and Annie all joined us to stay together in Illiswill, near our great aunt and the rest of her family. We spent a couple nights there.

Part Four: We headed back to Hannover by car for one more day before we started making the journey back home.

We were blessed to have incredible hosts each place and are truly grateful for the time we shared with all of them.

In the coming days (hopefully not weeks!) I'll have more pictures and explanations for each leg of the trip. Stay tuned (and patient).

Love, K

A Quality Friend

My longest-standing friendship has been with my dear friend Matt. He started off as my travel soccer coach and school gym teacher in fourth grade, I believe, and has stayed in my life ever since. He quickly became my mentor and good friend on and off of the soccer field, baking cookies with me, visiting me while I stayed after school with my teaching parents, and taking a genuine interest in my life.

When I learned he was leaving our school prior to my eighth grade year, I remember having a massive lump in my throat. Life wasn't going to be the same and it really wasn't. But that didn't stop our communication. We started writing lengthy emails back and forth, since that was about the time when I got my own email address. Occasionally he'd call me on the phone and ask about my life and share his own. A couple times a year he would venture out our way for a short visit, but it wasn't until I got my license that we met a few times for a hike or rock climbing. 

In every conversation, Matt was real. He shared about the joys in his life, but he also shared his frustrations and struggles. His compassion and authentic outlook really had an impact on me. Anyone who knows him can attest to the fact that he just exudes enthusiasm.

While we may not email as often or talk on the phone very frequently, Matt has continued to pursue a friendship with me to this day. I am forever grateful and honored to call him my friend.

When he called to tell me he would be passing through with his family and wanted to come for a visit, I was ecstatic! In recent years we've had an afternoon visit once a year, if that. But this would be for a longer duration and I could spend more time with his wonderful family!

Matt, Kristin, and Lev arrived for two nights a couple of weeks ago. It was great to have them around and to get to know his family better! Lev was born a few weeks before we got married, so I'll always know how old he is! (That's four, by the way.) He is adorable and really takes after his dad. 

First we went to The Cascades which, as you know, is our favorite hike in the area. The drive there was sunny, the hike up and down drenched us in rain, and then the drive home was sunny again. Fortunately, Matt & Kristin are two of the most positive people in this world and enjoyed it anyway!

But the climax of our trip was going to Floyd, VA. We had a delicious pizza dinner before heading over to the Floyd Country Store for some flat-footing. Lev immediately wanted to get out on the floor and Matt obliged him. They didn't stop dancing all night! It was so much fun to see them enjoying themselves on the dance floor. 

My sister, Phoebe, came into town around the same time and definitely didn't want to miss a night of flat-footing! Here she is with her square-dancing partner, having a grand ol' time.

Then Kristin took a turn or two with this fine gentleman...

The woman on the left below is always at the Friday Night Jamboree and she was quite keen on dancing with Lev.

 But who can resist dancing with this little fellow, really? Not this pregnant lady!

And it must run in the family because Phoebe couldn't resist him either.

Thank you for stopping through, Matt!

Before they left, we all went to the Blacksburg Farmer's Market together. Jim, who was on night shifts during this time, also joined us for a morning at the market. I'm so grateful for the friendship of this family. We look forward to more hiking, dancing, and enjoying time together in the future! 

Until next time :)

Packs on Backs

We've just returned from an overnight backpacking trip :)

It's the first one we've done since my injury last year and boy are... were we happy campers. There's nothing quite like the feel of a sore body through and through from carrying your own house on your back up and down some mountains. We only had one night to go, because of Jim's rotation, but it was great.

Again, no pictures to show. Sorry! Unfortunately we cannot seem to locate the camera cord and therefore the camera is dead.

We had beautiful weather and views. We got to watch the sunset last night and we didn't use a time piece for the whole two days. How lovely and freeing to just follow the sun!

Showered and clean, we went to our favorite restaurant these days. Now we're home and resting/reading/studying. We're going to sleep well tonight!

Autumn Hike

Missed me? It's been a while.

I've been learning a lot.

Today Jim and I hit the road for the Blue Ridge Parkway and hiked Rock Castle Gorge Trail. It was classified as a strenuous hike and I'd have to agree that it wasn't moderate or easy. The 10.8 miles of it were filled with beautiful views and creeks, difficult climbs, and one interesting encounter with some cows.

I'm grateful to be able to truly hike again. You know, allow my heart to pump to its full potential and allow my muscles to scream for mercy as I push them further and further... yes, hiking is wonderful therapy.

Though the leaves had not hit their prime yet, the cool breeze and changing leaves gave us the taste of autumn. Leaf litter covered the ground and each step brought the satisfying crinkle and crunch of leaves.

Leif was in heaven. We can't recall him having so much fun on a hike before... It was probably the longest hike he's ever been on and he was a real trooper.  He frolicked in the streams, pushed happily up the steep slopes, found a bone, and carried his doggy backpack like a champ.

Unfortunately we forgot the camera, so there are no pictures to post. Just trust me... it was great :)

To continue our autumn flavor we bought hard cider and then came home and made a fire in the fireplace. The smells of the fire are wonderful, but the cider was not.good.at.all.... you win some, you lose some!

This fall I'm going to soak in as much as I can.

Take me to the river...

Drop me in the water!

There's one place in this world where I feel completely in-tune with my surroundings. When I was a year old my parents bought an acre of land on the Clarion River in Pennsylvania. As teachers, they had their whole summers off and, while living in Brooklyn, New York, they decided to get out of the city on their vacation and enjoy some time on the river. What better place to purchase some land than near Cook Forest State Park and about 45 minutes away from my grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousins.

Dad, Kodi, Mom, Me, Grandma

That first summer we camped for the WHOLE summer in a two-room tent. We had a water jug for brushing our teeth and a solar shower for rinsing off. Yes, in rain and in fair weather, my parents spent the entire summer "roughing" it with a one year old. They also had my grandparents' camper for their kitchen.

Dad, Mom, & Me on the bank

In time my dad decided to take on his first building project: the "barn." This barn never housed any typical farm animals, but that's what we've always called it. To hear him tell the story, he would read the first chapter of the book one night and then do that step the next day. That evening he would read up on the following day around the campfire and then continue on. This structure has a loft, where my parents used to stay, a bunk bed, for me and my brother, and no water, plumbing, etc. The camper was still used as the kitchen and the solar shower was the other source of cleansing.

The Barn as it looks today

Soon after my sister was born my dad built a cabin which we now call "The Pinery." The cabin does have running water and plumbing, but it has been a work-in-progress over the years. Each summer they would choose a new project: board and batten siding, playground, insulation, ceiling, pellet stove, murals in the bathrooms, screened-in back porch, an additional shed, and an earth oven.

Family Get-together

A few things still remain the same such as the fact that the only inside doors are to the bathrooms. The three kids' triple-decker bunk bed still stands in the "kids room" and my brother and sister still sleep in their beds when they visit.

Adding the board and batten

The barn turned into a storage barn for our gear, tools, and porch furniture once the cabin was built, but Jim transformed the top bunk into a "bachelor pad" the summer we got married. That's where we stay when we frequent the cabin.

Grandma and Pheebs

Throughout the years my parents moved to a few different states. We always joke that my dad only lives in a place for 5 years before he gets the itch to move again. So, they lived in Detroit for five years, Brooklyn for five years, Savannah, Georgia for five years, Philomont, Virginia for five years, and now they've lived in Paris, Virginia for going on fourteen years (I think)... he finally broke the stretch! Pretty impressive though, eh? But since we moved a fair amount, my siblings and I grew very fond of the one consistent place in our lives.

My parents' first "baby," their dog, Kodi, would desist from sleeping in the car, rise, and begin sniffing. He could smell the river from a mile or two away and when we got onto River Road my parents would open the door and let him run along the river bank and swim all of the way to our cabin. My siblings and I also grew very connected to the smells, sights, feels, tastes, and sounds. All of our senses are awakened with each visit and I think that's a pretty unique and neat experience. I'm not implying that we can smell the river from a mile or two away, but the smell of pine and the distinct river scent makes us feel at home.

Me & Willem

When I worked for Teton Science Schools in Wyoming that was one of the tennets of our/their educational goals: to connect the students/participants to the place through place-based education. With that connection will come care and stewardship for their local environment and community- I love it! I always felt a slight disconnect because I didn't get to travel back with the students to their home and work with them to assimilate all they had learned in WY into what they can do for their distint community. In Louisiana, Jim and I did get to do that with a group of three boys for a week and it was magical. They were so proud of their heritage and filled with a wealth of information about their ecologically and culturally rich surroundings and could not wait to share what they had learned with their friends. Whew... I digress!

This is a more recent picture of what it looks like during the winter months.

The Pinery has become a staple in our lives and we have many traditions. Whether it's kayaking, biking, canoeing, hiking, blueberry-picking, crafting, reading, visiting, or playing games, we always try to check everything off the list (no matter the length of the visit)!


So many memories have been made there, both good and bad. My sister fell and "lost" her tooth on the porch, we got countless bee stings and scrapes, my dad was rushed to the hospital with a blood clot in his lung, our neighbor flipped his tractor off of the bank and my dad was the first to find him, etc. But each of the three kids learned how to ride a bike on our sloping hill, we perfected our math skills through evening Yahtzee games, Mom and I took basket-making classes and made baskets on the porch, Willem went hunting for a tiger on his birthday, we played cowboys and indians with homemade bows and arrows, we climbed up into crevices in the pine trees to read, and we played king of the rock on "Dad's rock." Willem and I would be a team against Dad and Phoebe. Our tactic was to knock Phoebe off the rock and let her float down the river until Dad finally had to depart the rock and retrieve his teammate. So many more memories...

Grandma, Pheebs, & Me

There's something to having a place in your life that doesn't change. Jim and I chose to get married there almost three years ago and, fortunately, The Pinery means a lot to him, too. It's also a place where there's always something to do, which definitely keeps this active girl busy! But most importantly, it brings our immediate and extended family together, and for that I am grateful.

Dad- Grandpa was helping, but he's the one who snapped this picture!

Tomorrow Leif and I will begin the first leg of the journey up to The Pinery. Unfortunately, Jim won't be with us during the next week and a half but he does plan on getting up there for a few days later this summer. He's studying like crazy right now for the boards and won't have the two of us to distract him during his final push. 

I can't wait to play fetch in the river with Leif and visit with my family. This summer will be the least active amount of time I've EVER spent at The Pinery. Good thing I have a few good books to read :)


Yep, take me to the river... I'm ready!

______________________________

I had a few pictures I still wanted to add, but I met my quota. Most of these pictures were taken by our family photographer, Grandpa (aka Waldo). Grandpa is an amazing scrapbooker and has every year documented from the birth of each of his children to each trip they ever took up until the present. Dad then scanned these pictures from the slides he created.  Sorry they are not in order, but they're still fun to see what it looks like over the years!

Good, good news!

Well, two doctor's appointments later, I am feeling quite optimistic and happy!

Yesterday we met with the neurologist and he is expecting a full recovery for me! Woohoo! Never have those words been more beautiful. I put them in the same category as summer, dark chocolate, vacation, music, singing, outdoors, and adventure :)

Hiking up Mt. Aspiring in Alaska, 2011
Full recovery means I may do this again!?

He drew me a few pictures to really diagram what happened and what he expects to happen. He also changed my pain medications and muscle relaxers, in hopes that they will help and to take me off of one narcotic, which could lead to other problems. He guessed that we are out-of-the-woods, so to speak, as far as a stroke, with a 5% possibility of stroke. He says I'll need to stay on coumadin for 9 months, so that puts us to Novemeber, folks. It will be a very happy Thanksgiving, indeed. I'll go back to him in three months, but will communicate with him prior to then.

When we walked out of his office Jim immediately said, "He is a beast." Jim doesn't give out those compliments lightly. So, you can be that he really is :)

This morning I went to the family doctor, who Jim also thinks is incredible. Side note: Jim went to Honduras with my family doctor and his family last year. He got to see him in many different settings and is just so impressed with how he interacts with patients, other colleagues, medical students, and his own family. Jim basically wants to BE this doctor. And I think he's pretty great, too.

Okay, back to the update.... they checked my INR and it was 2.0!!!!! Yay! This means that I am barely within the range I should be in, but I'm there! And this also means that I don't need to prepare myself for horrible, painful shots of Lovenox every 12 hours! Good, good news.

He also checked my hemoglobin levels to make sure that I am not at risk for anemia and I'm not, yet. We'll continue checking those levels whenever I go in for a visit.

So, those are the wonderful updates. Yup, I'm thrilled. I still have a headache and neck pain, but hopefully the new medications will work their magic. It's still going to be a slow, low-key recovery, but there's an end in sight and a healthy, good prediction comes with it.

We filled out my paperwork for the school system today and he says I can return for full-day work starting on Monday (3/5). By then perhaps the pain will be "under control." The fact is that I may have to live with some for a while. I think I'll tiptoe into work and do some planning and some visiting and prep before then, but that's the deal.

Thank you for your continued support and love! It's time to go lie down now :)

Our Alaskan Adventure

Adventure is rooted so deeply in our bones.

It's how we met and it's what we love to do together. So how perfect was it to make the trek to Alaska where we could combine that passion with a visit to an amazing family.

Christoph and Marianne are two incredible, artistic, and talented people. Two years ago they packed up their camper and drove across the country to make the life they had dreamed of during their years in Germany. They've made much of this dream come true in the last two years. They are determined, dedicated, and motivated learners who have tackled life in Alaska with ease. We are honored to call them our family.

And they've made one amazingly relaxed and happy baby, Annaliese!

Our time in Alaska was full. We only had 10 days but we made the days count. We hiked Skilak Lake Trail with some of Marianne's friends from work- gorgeous views on a beautiful day. See the picture of Jim, CK, and me below. Jim and I took an anniversary hike up Skyline Trail, which was a steep and strenuous climb where we went all of the way past the saddle (where you were supposed to stop) and got to sign the book on Mt. Aspiring! That seems appropriate for our second anniversary as we are aspiring to be better and this year was strenuous with med school and a second first year of teaching. It was great!

We also spent time with almost all of their awesome Alaskan family and friends, visited Homer and Hope, crafted, went beach combing for agates and did Andy Goldsworthy art on the beach, went to Midnight Sun Brewery, searched for and saw wildlife (but no bears), played with their wonderful baby, learned how to (me) and shot a 22 and a hand gun (Jim and me), built a greenhouse (Jim was in heaven!), and saw incredible views.

We are ecstatic about Alaska and all of the possibilities. There are so many things to do there and seasons for fishing and clamming and hunting and... and... and... The list just never stops.

The most amazing thing to me was the light. The sun would rise around 4 AM and set after 12 midnight. That means that it almost never gets completely dark before the sun rises again! This definitely messes with your head and makes you ready to stay up until the wee hours and then get up early. Quite interesting. It's easy to be sleep deprived, but the winter would be a whole different story.

Our hosts were gracious enough to help us set up an overnight trip. We rented a double sea kayak and paddled across Kachemak Bay to Gull Island, and then eventually to Halibut Cove. We scouted our campsite before heading to hike Alpine Ridge Trail. We started our hike at 5:30 PM but didn't have to worry about the light because it didn't get "dark" until almost 1, and even then it was dusk. We hiked up to a beautiful view of a glacier with a lake with icebergs below, while we could also see the Homer Spit, which is where we began our paddle, and the rest of the water we had covered during that day.

That evening we set up camp and Jim used the coals from the fire to make a heated bed for us to sleep upon. He dug a trench and then filled it with the coals and hot stones from the fire and then covered it with sand. Then we put our sleeping bags on top. The ground was still warm in the morning! Jim also made shell spoons for out utensils (even though we had brought some)- just for fun and they worked well!

We saw many bald eagles, puffins, gulls, cormorants, and a few sea otters and seals. The sea otters were our favorite because they would roll and watch us, rub their bellies, and then repeat the whole process. We got to watch a few off in the distance as we sat around our campfire that night. The next day we paddled back and again got to see the sea otters, which you can see in a picture above.

It was the perfect overnight for us.

We loved our time and we love this family. Thank you Kasch family for a great 10 days! We miss you.

Here's a picture of all of us on our last day, while we did the Russian River hike. A friendly hiker offered to take our picture. Good thing he did because it was the only one we got of all of us on the entire trip. I love this picture.