Tanzania Recap

I'm finally feeling that I'm in a place to discuss the happenings that occurred on the Tanzania trip :)

To say that the trip was an experience is an understatement. It was a phenomenal experience, a rewarding experience, a beautiful experience, and in so many ways an exhausting experience. There has been a lot of professional development in flux in the weeks since our return, but as of today I feel that things are more solidly in order and have returned in many ways to how they originally started out.

The climax of the trip happened early when the trip coordinator became ill, we discovered it was malaria, and as her medical situation deteriorated rapidly in the Tanzanian hospital, she was medically evacuated out of country. She and I had already been in country for eleven days prior to this happening and she became ill on the second day that the students were in country. The experience was definitely daunting, worrisome for her health, taught us a LOT about where policy and program gaps exist that need to be fixed, and also left the coordination of the trip on the shoulders of our boss and myself....The good news is that she's recovered and that we also had individuals in country who were able to assist us with language/transportation/etc. Thank God :)

The daily coordination of multiple details, student advising, travel, programming, etc meant that I had limited moments to myself, slept like a log most nights, and came back home just wanting to sleep for weeks. Since I'm not good at just sleeping for weeks, I actually feel like I'm more tired now almost a month later than I was when I returned....

But on to the good stuff!!

The ten days in country before students arrived, my colleague and I traveled to the various locations where we would be taking students to ensure that lodging, program contacts, travel was all in place and to set up programming activities for students. Since this was my first time ever being in country, it was really great to get acquainted with the locations prior to the arrival of the students. I also discovered that Zanzibar is absolutely beautiful....and I relished the sunrises and watching the morning harvest of seaweed at low tide:

After those ten days, we traveled to Moshi (which is near the base of Mt Kilimanjaro) where our boss joined us and then the students arrived a day later. Moshi was not my favorite town ever. It's a major stop for tourists and climbers thus there are a lot of pushy salespeople and individuals that wander the town hoping to lure tourists. I did however find a great dress shop before the students came where I enjoyed an afternoon chatting with the local women, trying on dresses, and negotiating having a dress made for me. I also took a guy out for lunch who had just come off of Kili and it was great getting his story and seeing his pictures. 

Honestly, it was wonderful having the students finally arrive! We spent two days in a rural mountain village halfway up Mt Kilimanjaro. In the village, we toured the local market & clinic, chatted with individuals about health concerns, played with the kiddos, hiked to a gorgeous waterfall, did a herb walk where we learned about the immense amount of local plants that can be used to treat various ailments, and explored the various parts of the town/water sources/ways of living/etc. This was one of my favorite experiences.

From Moshi we went to Serengeti.....on LONG bumpy roads :) I'm not going to lie...I may have choked back tears from the back of the van watching sunset the first night in Serengeti. I just kept thinking to myself...I'm here...I'm in Africa...dreams truly happen...somehow life truly turned around and it keeps going....etc etc. In Serengeti, we went on three game drives. One in the early morning, mid-morning to mid-day, and then a sunset game drive. Truly words could never do the Serengeti justice. It's dusty as all get out and you're coated in it....but man, it's beautiful and you're looking at the most amazing creatures with your own eyes...truly seeing them in their own gorgeous natural habitat.

From Serengeti we drove all the way back over to the eastern seaboard to spend a few days at a different program site. Honestly the second day of driving there was one of my favorites also. We drove alongside this beautiful fog coated hillside for miles that just called to me to come hike it, the terrain changed drastically, we crossed a river on a tiny ferry, I helped one of the student groups brainstorm ideas for the next day's presentation, and we drove through a multitude of small Muslim towns and along dirt packed roads. 

We spent two days at this program site. One was a day of rest for students. The second was a programming day when they practiced wilderness first aid and held focus groups with local contacts about first aid practices in Tanzania. This site is BEAUTIFUL and we truly only have this contact due to the coordinator's connections. Interestingly the site coordinator/contact ALSO had malaria while we were there so we were unable to do everything we had planned at this particular location. 

From there we drove down to Dar Es Salaam (the capitol) in order to catch the ferry over to Zanzibar....which was an incredible cultural experience in its own right. In Tanzania people don't really line up, so it was a mess of individuals all trying to push through the security door to get into the waiting area to get onto the ferry....in hot, humid weather with sweat running down one's body and hauling our luggage with us...and a couple in our party having horrible flare-ups of traveler's diarrhea. Internally I thought it was an incredibly fun experience that was one of the best cultural exchanges of the trip...but my empathy for others in our group who were struggling was immense too.

Final ten days of the trip with students....Zanzibar...and I have to say....if I fell in love with anywhere on the trip, this was it. Our site location was an hour from Stonetown but we were able to take the group to Stonetown on two different occasions (once for dinner with a public health contact and second for a cultural experience day). Zanzibar is primarily Muslim with a large amount of astonishing poverty that is highly contrasted with the tourist industry that markets its culture, amazing beaches, and incredible water sports opportunities. There was so much in Zanzibar that I didn't get to experience and would have loved, and there were also a lot of amazing potential contacts there for additional programming options for our students. Our ten days there included three days working with a local NGO working with "mamas" (the women of the village) to turn seaweed cultivation & harvest into products to be marketed internationally. We held focus groups with them about particular health areas of concern and then the students developed culturally appropriate suggestions to improve quality of life, etc. We were able to tour and observe in two separate clinics (these students were medical students) and talk about health improvement projects with a NGO representative who is working with the government. We went on a spice tour, saw the Slave Museum, toured Stonetown, had multiple classes, and on our final night we had a traditional goat meal served on mats in the village.

Altogether the experience was pretty incredible and the students made it rewarding in so many ways. I don't know that I truly soaked up as much as I would have if I had been traveling solo nor did I have time to truly process any of what was happening. In so many ways it was just plain surreal though. I already look at pictures and think "I was there?!"

I'm sure there are many more thoughts, reflections, and suggestions, but altogether it was surreal and just plain incredible :)

Solo Backpacking Trip

Since I'm currently off backpacking, I figured I'd finally post about the solo backpacking trip I did earlier this month. I have to say that after finally conquering this item off the "bucket list," it's really pretty freeing in a lot of ways. To feel like you can just take off for a few days into the woods and be okay is a pretty amazing feeling, although I can't exactly say that I could totally live off the land for a few days just yet :)

This 28 mile Lucky Lake Loop was one I had discovered after I ran a search from returning from the Lucky Lake trip I did before. While the trail log and maps provided at Cascade Hiking Adventures definitely was a good reference, I did feel like the trail log could have used more detail at times. There were a couple of spots where I started to lose elevation gain or the trail split where I didn't expect it, as the changes weren't recorded on the website. Overall though their review definitely helped and I was able to screen shot the maps to pull them up on my phone en route. (I also had purchased an actual map from REI in Bend.) When I had hit the trail in April, there was minimal snow on the trail and the campsite that I had stayed at while car camping was completely empty. This time I planned to car camp at the same spot the first night and then spend two days completing the 28 mile trek. The original campsite I tried was packed with fisherman however so then I researched and drove over to another nearby camp area where I was able to find some open spots.

These are pictures from the camp location:

 Roxi taking over my spot in the car:

The next morning we were up and on trail by 8:30am. I'd had a solid breakfast with oatmeal and surprisingly both dogs actually ate. It's just over a mile up trail from the Senoj Trailhead to Lucky Lake. The total trail goes by MANY MANY lakes so I'm not including pictures of all of them :)

I would not be exaggerating if I stated that we climbed over, around or under over 100 downed logs on this trail. Apparently a pretty decent wind storm had come through the weekend before. 

There was one section near Corral Swamp where there were so many downed trees that I completely lost the trail. I wandered around for a bit exploring the area and was also able to get a slight cell signal to pull up GPS and be able to see what general direction to head in. A bit of additional gut instinct and I refound the trail...after crossing through the swamp :)

After turning onto the next trail, we hit an area of pure sunshine. There was a side jaunt to an additional lake that we could have taken but I decided we'd just keep on going as we were already going to see so many bodies of water along the way.

About mile 9 or 10 we came across Boyd with his pack llamas. He asked if we would sit for a spell and chat and I always love meeting new people on trail. He has been traveling this trail for over thirty years and had some great stories. The original trail log mentioned camping at around mile 13, but I was able to ask Boyd about other options and he encouraged us to go on. Although he did share his secret camping spot and gave permission to use some of his stowed away goods at his lake about 11 miles in :) 

He also told us about Muskrat Lodge. Years ago this was a great spot with mouse proof cabinets, an incredibly warming stove, and a sleeping loft. He talked about spending time in there warming and sleeping by the fire on snow shoe trips. It was sort of sad to see it in such disrepair now.

After his one pack llama started backing toward as as if he wanted to kick, Roxi almost got into it with his dog, AND Roxi almost sat on a snake, I decided it was time for us to move on. About two miles later, the dogs and I passed the lake where Boyd frequents and we took the side trail toward Snowshoe Lake.

This is a short pano of Snowshoe Lake, which is where the guide suggestions camping: 

I kept checking mileage on the maps and seeing how the dogs and I were doing. Since we were in pretty decent shape (and I didn't see the point in stopping hiking til evening), we continued on til we made the Pacific Crest Trail shelter off of Cliff Lake. 

This made a great little spot to set up camp: 

Both dogs were pretty beat after 18 miles and scarfed down all their food. I had plenty of daylight to change into fresh clothes, set up the tent and sleeping gear, prepare hot cider to keep my body temp up, make some dinner, and then soak my blistered feet in the icy lake. I spent a few moments in my camp hammock and then crawled into bed to read for a bit. Roxi got to spend a few hours sleeping inside the tent for the first time ever, but she decided she likes it outside much better. :)

On Day 2 we headed out back on the PCT:

We passed several more lakes before starting to run into snow, even as we were dropping elevation. Interestingly we came across the worst of the snow banks about 4700-5200ft and once the final trail split off, it was a struggle to find the trail. This is the start of where the trail split and headed into even more snow: 

There were a couple miles in here where I could hardly determine where the trail was and seriously had to start contemplating turning around in order to backtrack all 22 miles. (We only had six more to go.... but the trees on this trail aren't stamped nor marked like many other winter trails...) Eventually I was able to pick up a pair of slight footprints that you can see two pictures down. Someone had come through on this trail probably a couple days prior and knew where they were going. Thank the Lord....because backtracking 22 miles would have been horrible! This was also the moment when I realized that Reg D truly needs to teach me map & compass navigation. 

Senoj Lake was beautiful!

The footprints! Woohoo!

Besides the initial mountain behind Lucky Lake, this is the only other decent viewpoint from the trail. This is at the highest point of the hike which is about 6000 ft. 

From the viewpoint is a few more miles back to Lucky Lake. On the route from Lucky Lake back to the car we met another older gentleman who we chatted with for ten minutes. He advised that I just get a GPS rather than use the old map and compass system :) 

The dogs ran straight to the car and jumped inside. They were happy to have more food and some additional water. I changed clothes, used the actual bathroom at the trail head, shoved an apple in my mouth, and then headed back to our favorite camp site to check my work email, soak my angry feet, and take in some great views. I contemplated spending another night here as most the fishermen had headed out....but decided to head back to the valley and work instead.

Altogether I learned a few lessons but was also really glad at how well the trip went overall. General rule of thumb is start with highest elevation first. I also figured out that drinking a hot beverage right after stopping mileage granted me additional moments of finger usage. I have Raynauds so once I stop moving and my core body temp starts to drop, I tend to lose sensation in my fingers for quite a while. I've learned to work around this by doing everything that I need to do with my fingers (changing, setting up the tent, getting dinner ready, getting fresh water, etc) within 10 minutes of stopping. The hot beverage trick granted me more time and I also noticed that I didn't lose sensation in all of the fingers this time. It was great! Besides compass skills, I also probably need to be in the market for new hiking shoes.

But altogether a pretty successful first solo excursion! And I didn't even have that on my goal list for this year :) Glad to be on trail with Reg D this weekend however!

Things I'm Loving

1) Two new housemates arrived and are settled in. So far I really enjoy both of them and honestly each of us will only live with the other for a max of two months, so I'm hoping this really works out well.

2) It's a high of 80 today and a high of 85 tomorrow! One of my clients told me about local crawfishing. I bought a trap & some beer, found my old lawn chairs, and plan to head to the river later today after some grading to try to catch some dinner :) We'll also see if we can get a few hiking miles in! Oh and my Friday meetings were cancelled for both today and next Friday.

3) Yesterday was my last day at the massage job. I really enjoyed the diversity of clients that I was able to work with and it's incredible to spend an hour with someone and watch their tension, headache, ailments slowly disappear....but there were also things that I definitely learned from that job that I won't be looking for should I look for massage work in a clinic again. Everything is a learning experience. :)

4) The dogs and I went back to Central Oregon this last weekend and had a fun time soaking in the views at our favorite camp ground before heading out to complete our first solo backpacking trip! I plan to write about the trip on it's own later but it was a pretty awesome trip, and ironically I didn't even originally intend to check that bucket list item off the list this year. It's really sort of freeing though in a sense--to know that you can go into the woods and be comfortable overnight and alone.

5) The visit with my old friend last Saturday went really well, although I got a bit delayed starting on my trip out of town. I also stopped at my sister's to see her family and her (& my great niece who was visiting) and then swung by my parent's place to chat with Dad & Granny and drop my massage table off. Granny was in great form that day and it was great to spend a few moments with her. I also stopped by my parents place on my way home from the trip and had a great visit with all of them. It was really nice to see them so much in the last week. They'll be up here at my aunt's for mother's day on Sunday.

6) By the time I leave for the Tanzania trip, I think my credit card will already be at the 75% goal mark that I'd set at the beginning of the year (well minus, the extra from the plane ticket that will be reimbursed). I have the tendency of always striving for more...so there's the chance that the credit card will be paid in full by the end of the year. Since I'm planning on taking that road trip the end of this summer and probably only renting out just one room in the fall, repayment will definitely slow down but still exciting to be so close to the original goal for the year :)

7) Two more outdoor trips are in the plans. Reg D and I are planning a 5-6 day trip with the dogs to tire them out before they go to my parents in June and then we'll also do a shorter trip over part of Memorial Day weekend. If I can square all my grading away, I could also go somewhere next weekend but I haven't decided if we should head out or just hang out closer to home for a bit.

But lots of great things in the works. There's the occasional speed bump but I'm pretty stoked with where life is and where it seems to be heading....just trying to enjoy, live a life I love, and trust the process....

Lent Work-Outs

The Lent Workout Challenge that I did was seriously great motivation to keep me moving daily (although I did miss one day at the beach over spring break when I was too depleted recouping on the couch :)). The dogs loved the walks that we did and I truly feel like they're slowly transitioning to being walkers rather than distance runners. It also was fun to add a bit more diversity to work-outs and to explore more areas. I'm still not pushing it hard by any means, but a bit of physical activity every day also more or less kept my stress and waist line in check.....

So here they are:
1: 3.6m jog, pushups/situps, 3 minute plank
2: 2m walk with dogs, 2 minute plank
3: 3ish m jog with dog
4: walked to grocery store w dogs
5: 3.2m jog w dogs
6: ran w dogs to car dealership (about 4 miles)
7: 2m walk with dogs, 2.5m easy hike with a friend & her baby, 3 minute plank
8: sets of push-ups
9: Jillian Michael's yoga
10: Insanity Power Cardio
11: 2m walk with dogs
12: 2m walk with dogs, 6 hour deep tissue massage workshop
13: Insanity Power Cardio, 1/2m dog walk
14: 5m jog w dogs
15: 2m evening dog walk
16: summitted Kings Mtn (5 miles total, 2500 ft elevation gain)
17: 2.5m easy hike w Landon & dogs
18: 3m easy dog walk
19: 3.2m jog w dogs
20: Insanity Max Conditioning
21: 2 minute plank, 3 sun salutations
22: Insanity Plyo Cardio
23: 4.5 hours of massages, 3m run w dogs
24: 4.2m jog w dogs
25: sets of push-ups
26: Warrior Rock Kayak (6 miles?)
27: 4.2m jog w dogs
28: 3m jog w dogs
29: push-ups & planks
30: 3.5 hours of massages, 2m jog w dogs
31: 20 pushups, 20 squats, sun salutations
32: easy beach walk w dogs
33: nada
34: 2m beach walk, 40ish push ups
35: climbed cape, ran beach, 40 minute kayak
36: 4.5m jog w hill sets, push ups & abs, cleaned two houses
37: 6 hours of massages
38: Scappoose Bay Kayaking (3 miles?)
39: 1.5m dog walk
40: 12.2m Wilson River hike
41: 3m Sellwood Park/Oaks Bottom wandering
42: 6m Sauvie Island beach hike & trail run
43: squats
44: 8 hours of massages

Not bad....! Altogether two kayaking outings, one yoga session, about 89 miles hiked/walked/ran, 29 hours of massages, 4 Insanity DVDs...and a variety of push ups, ab work, planks, squats, and sun salutations.

Now....to figure out a new motivation to keep myself routinely moving :)

The Bi-Monthly Update

Ha--it's probably a good thing that I have that 5x monthly blog goal! :)

Here's the number one thing: I'm tired. I don't even 100% know why I'm staying so incredibly tired, but I am. I feel like I could just stay in bed for a week most the time, and so honestly, I actually have been granting some days to just rest and relax.

I definitely recognize that I just came off of a 15 month push of both going to school full time while still basically teaching a regular load of courses. I also continued to push myself to maintain the house and push myself physically (once my health restabilized). Christmas "break" I spent running around doing a variety of things, then January was literally a stress mess of studying and some housemate stress, and February involved working extra for Tanzania, carrying an extra course beyond normal, and arranging a variety of weekends...so I get why I've been tired. But you know when you're ready to be done being tired? So here's hoping that I'll get some old energy levels back sooner rather than later.

In good news though I've had some awesome stuff come to fruition from my goal list for this year ;)

1) I mentioned the snowboarding lesson. Check.

2) I passed massage boards, got my professional insurance, did a few massages on the side, and then started looking for jobs. I will start a part-time position once a week within walking distance of my house shortly. As much as I originally wanted 2-3x a week, based on the fact that I am so tired...I actually think this will be perfect. But pass exams...check. Secondary employment....check and check.

3) I filed taxes...and thank the dear Lord, I didn't owe anything :) Between that, the extra class I'm teaching this term, and the new part-time job, I should make the goal of 75% on the credit card by mid-summer...and hopefully/potentially pay it off by end of the year (dependent on what happens with housing issues....)

4) Trip to Africa in full motion. DREAM COME TRUE. Fully paid for..and with the potential to lead me into my dream career. So.incredibly.still.in.awe.

5) Still continuing to rent rooms to others. I've REALLY been wanting to live solo lately but I'm also mindful of the fact that it's such a benefit to having others share space with me also. My long term housemate was potentially going to move out sooner rather than later...but at this stage it looks like I'll have both rooms filled until mid-May to June.....

....which is also when I have to make some housing decisions. Rent is going up and I've been feeling the pull to move to a different area of Portland, but with the dogs and the already competitive rental market in Portland, I'm thinking this is not so likely. So that means if I stay, renting both rooms is a definite must through the end of the year....

...also thus far no dog sitters and I'm not thinking I'll be able to find any. It's rare I ever find someone to even be willing to take them for a weekend...so I'm canning my other exciting idea until farther down the road. :)

Other things as of late:

--I hosted a seven hour massage workshop at my house last weekend. A handful of us were not satisfied with one of the courses we had as we really didn't learn much of anything that should have been covered, so we hired our favorite instructor to come teach us solutions to upper body muscle problems.

--My car got an overhaul including a new battery, new tires, new alignment, and a power steering flush. Here's hoping all that work gets me through the next two years with minimal other fixes.

--I've been reading this book that my new boss loaned me on feng shui. I've read several others in the past but this one is pretty entertaining...and so I've been taking notes, cleaning out lots of stuff, and incorporating things as I can into the home.

--I've been doing a Lent Challenge of some sort of physical activity every day...and it's truly been great and has kept me doing something daily even if it's just a set of push-ups. It's also another example of how the dogs and I are slowing down...as we've taken to the evening neighborhood walk, which has never been part of our schedule. It's kind of nice to end the day though with a stroll around the neighborhood. The Challenge also has been diversifying work-outs again.

And I'm sure there are several things that I am missing, but that's been life in a nutshell. Here's hoping that energy starts coming back fully! :)

Week in Review

Woo...what a full, stressed but also incredible week it's been.

After my first Saturday class (which actually it isn't too bad to teach on a Saturday!), I ended up coming home for a nap and then studying for a bit. I'd been really wanting to see the movie Fury and best bud just ended his relationship, so I convinced him to hit up the cheap theatre with me for movie time and beers and convo after. It ended up being a really fun night and the movie was really well done....but it also made for lots of sleeping and hydration needs on Sunday.

Mom & Granny were supposed to come for lunch on Monday but in the end they didn't. After multiple days of studying for my written massage exam the stress was pretty high, so the dogs and I used the free Monday hours to head to one of our most traveled trails to get a hike in. Much needed and it was so restoring! I realized on trail how insignificant my stressors truly are in the bigger picture and I made myself take time to actually stop and breath deeply and touch the surrounding things in my environment--it was great.

Monday evening was the big National Championship football game and I think most of Oregon was watching to see how UO would do. (We didn't play well...at all.) I also attended the first in a three class series on Wine & Food with my buddy/colleague and his fiance. It was fun to try something different, learn SO much more about how wine is changed by food pairings, and spend time with one of my favorite couples.

I spent the rest of that night chatting with my housemate and offering thoughts and insights. I'd allowed myself the day to NOT study at all....much needed and so well taken! ;)

Tuesday morning held the next Africa meeting....more incredible news and open doors...and as of right now, I'll be joining a group to Tanzania for three weeks in July. A few more things still need to fall into place and I need to apply for the actual slot...but this whole opportunity continues to be just.so.incredible. Dreams in motion...with the potential for it to be even more!

Tuesday & Wednesday evenings I taught, and much of Wednesday afternoon held a mix of studying and grading...and attempting to distract my returning stress.

Today I spent some time researching various options for travel and uh, PhD programs. Yep, don't ask...I don't want to think about it yet....but the potential need for that day might be on the horizon... I'm pretty tired of being a student at this point and really need a break to just enjoy/stabilize/focus.....but if I want to continue in academia and potentially transition to a 4 year institution...then I will eventually need a PhD....and this came to my attention earlier this week...

And then this evening.....I took the worst written exam I have ever had the distinct pleasure of taking...walked out of the test unsure of how I did and finally looked at the results to see that amazingly and thankfully I had passed the needed written exam. Thank God! Woohoo! One of two exams down....two weeks to study and re-memorize all the muscles for the practical exam. I cannot wait for this to be over. :) And I also have a new business idea for once I'm actually licensed that I've been running by people.

Post-exam this evening I headed to dinner & vino time with my nearby aunt and uncle. We haven't had the opportunity to really catch up since late Nov/early Dec, so it was great to check in with them and update them on all the new developments that have been occurring. It was the perfect way to destress after the exam tonight :)

Tomorrow holds a morning date and followed up with a running outing with friends. Dependent on how the day goes, there might be more grading and studying. Saturday morning will be the end of the teaching week with my morning class and I might hit up the gym on campus post-class. There's more grading to be had and more muscles to review over the long weekend, but Sunday night also holds a birthday party for an acquaintance at a wine bar and Monday has a coffee date with a friend and potentially an outdoor outing.

Besides the hike and the awesomeness of the Africa meeting, there were quite a few other moments of joy and excitement this week:

I made it through a Target trip in which I literally walked out empty handed...and with no desire to buy any clothes/shoes/accessories that were on display....pretty amazing.

Newest short term housemate is en route. She will arrive on Monday and should be here as long as all goes well until the beginning of May. She's also originally from Argentina...and I'm so hopeful she might help me brush up my Spanish! :)

Best buddy and I already had discussed a new snowshoe overnight trip for a weekend in February. I wanted to try snow camping but he suggested that we try an open shelter concept first. We're also planning on taking my gal T along and probably at least one other person also. AND THEN I found out the official wedding date for my buddy who is getting married in Alberta this summer and it's looking like I should probably be able to make it, which T and Reg D are wanting in on the trip too. If all worked out like a dream take 2 for the summer, then we'd be able to take a couple week trip to hit Glacier NP in Montana, Jasper NP & Banff NP in Alberta, and perhaps just perhaps swing a couple days in Yellowstone. Still in the dreaming stages BUT dreaming makes me oh.so.happy, even if it doesn't always pan out. AND THEN to add onto the dreaming, Reg D asked if I might be interested in a kayak camping trip to an amazing destination over Spring Break....uh yep, dude, I most.definitely.am. IF all of these amazing dreams work out for this spring/summer then I would literally cross six life goals off the list. Lots of research/planning to do regarding logistics, but the nice thing is that we at least already have most the gear. Here's hoping that the trips can truly work out! Especially since they give me so much to look forward to :)

Beyond all of the various camps of this week, it also dawned on me that I also need to start putting those snowboard lessons on the calendar with my gal and her husband. We're in a weird warm spell so who knows what the rest of "winter" is going to be like this year. I'm also in the process of scheduling a massage workshop at my place for a handful of my classmates and myself with one of our favorite instructors. It's always pretty crazy when the calendar already starts filling up months in advance!

With all that already has been revealing there is a good chance that this year is going to be more full and life re-directing than I ever could have possibly imagined. I never feel like I truly choose the 'word' for the year but rather that the word chooses me. The words already coming to mind for this year are EMBRACE and ACCEPT. We'll see how the rest of the year continues to evolve, but I'm hoping to focus on doing both of those very actions throughout the months ahead.

What's been going on in your neck of the woods?! Hoping you have a restorative weekend ahead!

Snowshoeing at Lower Twin Lakes

One of my friends from my freshman year of college just moved back to Portland with her husband. We wanted to the opportunity to spend some time together and since he had to work on Friday, I asked if she would be interested in trying out snowshoeing. She'd never been but is eager to see more of Oregon's beauty, and truthfully it was a great way to spend a day together. 

Since it was during the busy long weekend between New Years and when everyone would be heading back to work, I decided to take her to one of my usual routes of Lower Twin Lake, which tends to be less crowded and easier with the dogs.

We stopped at my old standby rental store (Mountain Tracks in Government Camp) to pick up snowshoes, boots, & poles for Sarah to use. Still love that place, even if their prices have increased in the last two years. They also have a great map that is viewable in the bathroom (and available for purchase) that shows many of the snowshoeing paths around Mt Hood.

I remembered what it was like on my first snowshoeing excursion so I made sure to help Sarah with getting her snowshoes on and then we just went at a slow, even pace along the trail. The first time can be a bit of an adjustment, but she did great and I think she truly enjoyed it.

The temps were warmer on this particular day so while the wooded trail looked like it was out of a movie scene, we also had to dodge snow falling on our heads from dripping trees :) 

Standing on a corner of the frozen Lower Lake with Roxi:

Anna was running around so she makes two appearances in this pano of the lake :) 

At the lake, we ended up chatting with a group of retired couples that had hiked up to the lake for a quick outing. They were great to talk with and it sounds like they routinely set out on adventures ranging from wintering in Arizona, to once a year cabin adventures with old friends, to long hikes in the national parks.

On the way back to Government Camp to return the rentals, we hit some of the worst traffic I've ever been in when coming off the mountain. It took us an hour to make the five miles back to the rental store. Luckily Sarah had snacks and we just enjoyed the opportunity to continue to chit chat together. Also luckily by the time we made it out of the store (and attempted to get dinner at the packed local brewery--no go), some of the traffic had cleared and we were able to make it down to the towns at the base of the mountain without too much additional trouble.

We stopped at a restaurant in one of the small local communities that had great reviews online...and after Sarah and I were willing to move our table twice in order to accommodate an ever-growing group of friends that was dining in the middle of the restaurant...we ended up with a free dinner and an extra round of drinks! AWESOME! I'll give up my table any time for that :) The people were fun to chat with on our way out and truthfully the entire day of introducing Sarah to snowshoeing, catching up over dinner, and chatting with fun strangers was a pretty remarkable day!

The dogs had fun and the day presented the opportunity to work on goals 11 and 9 for the year. I introduced Sarah to a new outdoor activity AND I had the opportunity to EMBRACE the experience and ENJOY time with a wonderful friend, friendly strangers, and happy dog faces. :)

2015 Goals: Already in Progress

2015 Goals:
1) Blog 5x monthly in 2015
2) Find a spiritual community
3) Truly attempt snowboarding (ie lessons)
4) SERVICE TRIP TO AFRICA
5) Pass massage licensure process & secure secondary employment
6) Reduce (&maintain) credit card balance by 75%
7) Reduce car loan to less than $4000
8) Maintain health & work on regaining balance
9) ENJOY & EMBRACE who & what I already have
10) Continue renting rooms to others
11) Take 2 other people on new outdoor adventures
12) Try hot yoga
13) Take dogs on 2 backpacking trips
14) If possible, road trip to Matt & Haley's wedding

Well the 2015 Goal list has been on the blog for about a month now and there are thoughts for the 2015-2017 goal window also. I decided to focus on some realistic things this year while streamlining back in other areas. My key things for this year are Africa and finances and in this first week of the year there have already been lots of steps taken toward goal achievement.  

The finances will start to come together as I pass massage boards and then secure additional employment. The nice thing about the massage piece is that even if for some reason I don't get a job in a clinic or a desired environment right away, there are a handful of people who have already asked to receive regular massages once I'm licensed. Thus there is a way to make a little extra regardless of secured employment. Today, I registered to take my written licensing exam late next week and then mailed in my application for the practical exam I have to take. I'm hoping to take the practical the first week of February. If I pass both on the first go (which I desperately need to study!!), then I hope to be licensed and seeking employment by the middle of February. 

This term I'm also "overloading" by teaching five courses instead of my usual four (I'm only allowed to do this once an academic year) so I have a slightly higher paycheck Jan-March. I'm set to teach my four regular courses in spring, so let's hope they all fill and are a go. Hopefully by continuing to rent out both rooms in the house (new potential short term housemate is set to arrive on the 19th of this month and stay until May 1st & long term housemate plans to stay through the summer) I might enter the summer hiatus doing okay financially. Hoping! 

I have a follow-up meeting regarding Africa programming in a week. In that meeting I should find out more details regarding expectations and costs. From there I can start to fundraise to help foot the bill of going and I can also begin to make other potential contacts to add on an additional one to two week direct service component in a different way. Today I also mailed in my passport update app in order to have my name legally changed on it. 

The snowboarding lessons were purchased with an amazing deal before Christmas. Mt Hood Meadows was offering a package of three days of rentals, lift tickets (for the easier lifts), and lessons for a total of $99. It would cost that much or more for just one rental and lift ticket, so to get three days of everything at that price was pretty amazing overall. I feel like three days will be enough to make me decide what I really think of it and be enough for this winter anyway. I also had two friends decide to buy the deal also, so the three of us will be making the treks up to the mtn together. 

Physically I'm working on slowing down some actually. I've been super tired lately and so I've been trying to spend more time in bed and just resting in general. I have made several physical jaunts out, but I've kept the runs and hikes short (seriously....2.5 mile max on runs and 4 miles on the hikes). It's important to me to keep in shape this year still and be healthy, but to also be serious about being kinder to my body. Goal number 11 is technically already met though....so maybe instead I should see just how many people I can get out on new adventures?! ;) I also was originally intending to try to maintain higher mileage until I ran in the Shamrock 15k again, but when I went to register I realized that I'm already registered for a new kayaking tour on that day....so I'm trying to figure out which one is calling me the most....probably kayaking.

With my primary focus being on Africa, I know that lots will have to fall into place. I need to secure dog sitters, someone to live in the house & manage it the month I'm gone, pre-pay all the utilities, fundraise funds to cover the flight and program costs, lots of prayer, and I'm hoping that I'll still be able to teach one class when I return in August. Since I'd be gone in the middle of summer, I also know that means that I won't be able to do the type of food preserving or gardening I did last summer and that other summer outdoor adventures will be a minimum. I'm more than open and willing to trading those things in, in order to finally get the opportunity to go to Africa and assist in some way. I'm still also focusing on being open to how all this might evolve for the summer though, while trusting that it will all come together as it should.

Finding spiritual community might take a while, as I need to be willing to branch out to different venues or truly invest in the church where I have been going on occasion. Perhaps I also need to be open to a different idea of what this could look like?

Honestly beyond finding a spiritual community, I think one of the most challenging goals to follow through with is going to be to actually stick to blogging 5x a month. Since I fall off the rocker so to speak (even though I always have so much I want to write about), it's a good goal to have however in order to keep me documenting. Even if all I end up doing is documenting various outdoor excursions, at least I'll have a running record of all sorts of outdoor fun :)

The wedding of my buddy and his fiance is in Alberta, Canada in August. I've been wanting to visit them for years and a road trip up there would have the opportunity for tons of outdoor options, but if I do end up teaching in August then it might not be feasible. I'm also unsure what my financial situation will be when I get back at the end of July. This is something that probably will end up off the table but I'm trying to be open/flexible to what could present. (My other buddy is also getting married in Antigua in April...as beautiful and inviting as a destination wedding to a tropical island sounds...it's just unfortunately not in the financial cards at all this year :()

The one thing that IS readily accessible though is to EMBRACE & ENJOY who & what I already have....because man, if there's one thing that 2013 and 2014 taught me...it's that I have so much. Even when I was as close as I ever hope to be to rock bottom, I had the greatest gifts of all in my life...the people that surrounded me. I have some of the most amazing individuals in my life that remained supportive and lifted me up (sometimes repeatedly and patiently) until I eventually regained some sort of solid ground...including many of you who have read here. As cheesy as it sounds my dogs have also been amazing sources of love & joy while also forcing me to carry on and to sweat life out via running and outdoor pursuits. I'm still so grateful for a functioning vehicle, an education, a job that makes me feel fulfilled, a home with clean water & heat, & the freedoms that do exist in this nation.....but if all that was taken from me....the relationships would continue to matter the most. Thus this year is about continuing to embrace the people and what I do have...and trusting that the big picture will sort itself out in the long run....I've already got the best gifts.

The Year of Grace: 2014 Wrap-Up

Woo, alright y'all here's 2014 in review :)

2014 Goals
Regain financial independence
Pay off credit card--not happening but it's down some
Pay car loan to below $8k (close!)
Altered clothes challenge
Run 15 miler for fun (close enough 14.5 trail jog on Oct 31)
Finally try surfing (Aug 30)
Go kayaking again (April 26, May 17, May 24, July 9, July 13, Oct 25)
Backpack in Olympic Forest (Hiked Sept 14)
Hike/trail run entire Wildwood Trail (1 day) (Mar 1st)
Roadtrip somewhere out of Oregon (ONP--Sept 14)
Potential:Run in official half marathon race (Dec 14) Sprint tri in summer

What a year it was...full of ups and downs, but truthfully if I had to put a "word" to last year...it was GRACE. Grace for myself, grace for others, recognizing grace all around, and doing my best to give more grace.

The year itself ended with about 922 miles covered via hiking, running, snowshoeing, and backpacking. I did only 6 Insanity DVDs and 5.5 yoga you-tube sessions to cross-train, but I covered about 20 miles via kayaking, tried surfing & snowboarding, and went on one SUP outing.

Of the miles via my own feet:
I met my goal to walk/hike the entire 30 miles of the Wildwood Trail in one day:

I ran in the Shamrock Run 15k and averaged 8:46 min miles:

I met my extra goal of running in a half-marathon race:

I had an epic back-to-back outdoor weekend early in the year that included a 16 mile hike in Tillamook Forest with an evening trip to the beach and followed up with a 8 mile snowshoe trip on the mountain the next day:

Tall D & I did some epic day hikes for mileage this summer, including completing as much of the Wilson River trail in one day as was possible at the time, partially fulfilling my goal of exploring Olympic National Park by driving & hiking around part of it, and backpacking in the Wallowas:

I made my longest solo day mileage by completing an epic 22 mile hike/trail run on Eagle Creek Trail this fall...and I smiled in the rain the whole way:

And I more or less made my goal of completing a 15 miler by defeating my personal challenge of making it around Hagg Lake:

I continued to be in love with kayaking and am looking forward to eventual future kayak/camping excursions:

I learned via completing my life goal of trying surfing that while it's fun to explore new options, sometimes it's satisfying to recognize that we already have so many good things going:

I accomplished my goal of a road trip out of Oregon in a round about way by taking the day trip to Olympic National Park in September and by the recent day trip to Seattle. While I think I originally meant for that goal to be farther distance.....it's all about grace :) and both day trips were rewarding!

This year I also spent the period of Lent in a social media time-out & allowed myself to finish processing and grieving my divorce and the loss that occurred to my world view in the years prior. It was a much-needed and well-received experience and I came out of Lent renewed and ready to move forward. In June, I finally "let go" on a trail in Tillamook Forest and headed into a new future. 

Ironically I also was involved with my ex twice this last year for short periods of time, but I re-learned hard lessons in the process...and eventually shut the door hard & firm. I was reminded that the core concept of self-respect needs to be forefront on my heart & mind...and I ended the year with my maiden name fully re-engraved in my heart and legally changed for good.

I participated in online dating on two different occasions. Spent the first part of the summer with a great guy. Continued to develop ideas for what I truly need in a partner and to be aware of whether or not I'm really ready to focus on a relationship. I completed the dating challenge my girlfriends gave me and truly enjoyed the process and the learning that came from it.

I had some random and scary health flukes in March & April that made me realize that my body was truly exhausted. It took 2-3 months to truly re-stabilize and I spent the rest of the year focusing on grace for my physical health & listening more to what my body actually needed. The fact that I ended with 922 miles out of the original 1000 mile goal that I had for the year, makes me incredibly happy that I was even able to come back this far. I've learned to not take my physical health for granted.

I made it through massage school. While it had to be slowed down and pushed back (grace!) and at times was a total test of my patience, on Christmas Eve my certificate of completion, final transcript, and alumni card were all delivered to my front door. Thank God it's over :) but I truly learned so much in the process.

In total the year had five housemates plus M's lil guy & visiting grandma. A recurring theme this year was also learning to put my foot down and learning to say no. Removing Housemate M from the home was a hard experience but proved to have incredibly positive outcomes. My current long-term housemate has been here for seven months now and we had two great short-term gals share space with us also. 

My financial goals are still in process but this is where grace comes into play once again. I don't doubt that those financial goals WILL be met in years to come...and I'm continuing to make headway...just not as fast as I already wanted. My car loan was almost paid to the goal and I have no doubts that I'll make the goal for this year ahead. The credit card is less than it was at the start of 2014 but there's still plenty of progress to be had. And while I'm not financially independent...I'm feeling a bit more "financially stable" than I have in a long, long time...and I can see that independence is on the 2 year horizon. 

I did however also more or less make it through 2014 completing my no buy clothing challenge. I stumbled with one unexpected Target trip but those two clearance items have been worn multiple times. I feel pretty good coming out of 2014 having only bought two new regular items of clothing.

The year also included more food preservation than ever before, wonderful moments of U-Picks, backyard growing, & kitchen canning. The suburban farm also grew to include a hodge podge of 4 chickens, the rebuilt arbor & coop, and a completed pallet-to-compost bin project. In terms of increasing sustainability, 2014 saw many advancements.

In the fall I emotionally fell on my butt for one primary reason, I had a near life-altering accident from which I walked away with no damage or injuries, and I hired my cousin to be my life coach to help hold me accountable toward refinding joy in my life and moving me toward goals. In less time than I could have ever imagined, I ended 2014 with an offer to get to Africa, fundraising ideas, steps for short-term professional development, the potential for a new dream career evolving...and a general sense of fulfillment.

So there we have it. I hiked, I ran, I finished school, kept kayaking. I made payments and continued sharing housing. I spent time with family and reconnect with my siblings. I enjoyed so many moments with the many amazing friends that I have in my social circle. I continued to teach. I changed my name and started chasing my dreams. I grieved, I exhausted, I rebuilt, and I ended the year.... happy, content, and satisfied.

I spent yesterday the final day of 2014 sleeping in, interviewing a new potential short-term housemate, and then I took an old college friend on a day hike to Tillamook Forest. This is someone I haven't seen in 12 years, who was given my number to reconnect, and who is in the process of a finalizing divorce that he isn't sure he actually wanted. To spend the final day of the year on trail with an old friend, seeing nature & exercise bring happiness to his face, and asking hard questions while offering advice....was probably the most perfect way to celebrate a year of growth, of grace, and of learning. 

The evening included a hot shower, a phone call to Granny, a Lara Croft movie marathon surround by the dogs & my cat, one glass of wine, and an early bed time just after midnight curled up cuddling my firework scared dog. Even though I had many other NYE offers, this low key night was the most appealing thing to end a pretty amazingly full year.

Hoping that your end to 2014 left you feeling just as solid. While I'm looking forward to this new year that we've entered into, I do so not with unrealistic expectations or hope, but with trust that the right and true opportunities will reveal...and that life will be enjoyed in all the many satisfying moments offered when we're not looking. Heading into this new year, I have no "word" for what the year might bring, but I hope it's one of restoration, trust, happiness, and many moments of slowing down. Africa is my focus, but I'm open to whatever God decides to reveal in the days, weeks, and months ahead....I mean come on He works and reveals in the most interesting of ways...so here's to just enjoying the ride ahead. :) Onward into 2015--love, peace, and joy to all of you!