National Parks

Biking in the Bavarian Alps, Exploring Neuschwanstein Castle, and Epic Food and Beer

June 3, 2016 by Shelli

Hi! We were so excited for today! For it is a day we’ve been looking forward to since we started planning our itinerary 7 months ago. The day would include riding bikes in the countryside of the Bavarian Alps, and we’d get to see two famous and spectacular castles – Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau.

(By the way, this is my 4th blog post published so far during our 29-day “Epic Europe Family Adventure.” If you’re interested, all previous trip reports from this Epic Family Adventure include are listed and linked to at the bottom of this blog post.)

We set up the tour via Viator with Mike’s Bike Tours. We walked 20 minutes from our flat to Mike’s Bike Tours office, which is conveniently located near Hofbrauhaus and Marienplatz. Along with about 25 other people, we boarded a spacious, air-conditioned bus. By the way, also check out Bus Bavaria. This is a partnership with Mike’s Bike Tours that makes for an even more awesome overall day tour experience.) The bus has a bathroom in it, and we were treated to a DVD and much “insider information” from our guide, Ryan, Mike’s Bike Tour. In addition, we could buy a water, beer or pop during the 2-hour road trip. Don’t fret about the time on the bus during this full day activity. It allowed for us to catch views of so much more beautiful country that we would have missed otherwise. Also, we ordered our food for the lunch we’d have later, which meant our food would be ready for us as soon as we finished our bike tour, and just in time to refuel and enjoy before starting the hike to the castle. And, like I said, the bus ride was pure comfort!

We did have one brief traffic jam, that made me think, juts for a split second, that we were still at home on the frontier of Wyoming:

Ha! A Bavarian traffic jam. Our Wyoming traffic jams often have cows in them, too.

After enjoying sights out of the bus’s huge windows of the green hillsides and the snow-covered Bavarian Alps, we got off of the bus and quickly selected bikes and hit the trail with our wonderful and fabulous guides from Mike’s Bike Tours, Brad, Mica and Ryan.

We LOVED riding bikes in the Bavarian countryside!

As we biked, there were wildflowers everywhere, and often, we could spy the spectacular fairylandish Neuschwanstein Castle, which we would hike to and tour after lunch, and also we could see the Hohenschwangau Castle.

Check out this video — it sums up how awesome the biking and the tour was more than any words I can use:

Group photo during the bike ride. That’s Neuschwanstein Castle in the background.

After biking for 2 hours in beautiful weather and few people, we went to the restaurant where our lunch was served immediately to us. Oh. My. God. Lunch. About that. Our meals were to die for. Absolutely delicious. And, the setting was unbeatable. Bavarian Alps with a view of Neuschwanstein Castle in sight. To get a better idea of the epic food, check out the photos I captured:

Hayden, about to eat his pork roast and dumplings and cabbage.

Jerry's German sausages meal. — Jerry’s German sausages meal.

Fin's rump steak and "chips." (He was off climbing on a homemade wooden jungle gym.) — Fin’s rump steak and “chips.” (He was off climbing on a homemade wooden jungle gym.)

Jerry and I, enjoying the local braumaster's private, small batch of beer. — Jerry and I, enjoying the local braumaster’s private, small batch of beer.

Jerry, getting a tour from the restaurant owner and brew master.

Another thing we loved about this particular tour provided by Mike’s Bike Tours, is that they gave us plenty of time to enjoy our delicious meal and relax and enjoy the scenery before hauling us off to hike to and tour the castle. There was plenty of time to really immerse ourselves in the scenery, the biking experience, the delicious meal, and still have plenty of time to hike and enjoy the castle, too.

After getting our fill of great food and beer (and for the boys, Orange Fantas — which were described as “orange juice with gas in it”), we rode the bus for a few minutes and then started hiking a short steep hill so we could enjoy a guided tour of Neuschwanstein Castle.

We are from Wyoming, and we hike a lot, so the short hike to the castle, although steep, was nothing for us. Here’s a short video. It was a beautiful hike up through a lush forest of trees:

At the start of our hike, we could spy Hohenschwangau Castle, which was a treat since we had chosen to do a bike tour rather than also explore that castle. Hohenschwangau Castle (High Swan County Palace) is a 19th-century palace that was the childhood residence of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, and was built by his father, King Maximilian II of Bavaria.

As we were almost to Neuschwanstein Castle, we were rewarded with one of the best views of the trip. Check it out:

Neuschwanstein Castle (“New Swanstone Castle”) is a nineteenth-century Romanesque Revival palace on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau near Füssen in southwest Bavaria, Germany. According to Wikipedia, the palace was commissioned by King Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and as a homage to Richard Wagner. Ludwig paid for the palace out of his personal fortune, and by means of extensive borrowing, rather than Bavarian public funds.

The palace was intended as a personal refuge for the reclusive king, but it was opened to the paying public immediately after his death in 1886. The palace has appeared prominently in several movies such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Great Escape and serves as the inspiration for Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle.

The tour of the castle lasted about a half hour. The castle did not disappoint. It was beautiful and magnificent. The murals were out of this world amazing. We felt privileged to be inside of such a magnificent palace that is situated in such an awe-striking setting.

We returned to Munch by 7:30pm, and couldn’t believe how fulfilling and exhilarating – and perfect – the day was for us. As a family, we’re keeping a journal of our trip. Every night we each contribute to the journal, and record our individual thoughts and highlights of the day. As we all took turns writing in the journal, we shared out loud that this was one of our best and most unforgettable days yet.

We all give Mike’s Bike Tours a 10 out of 10. It was worth every euro and then some… We’ll never forget the day, and all that came with it.

Next up: Switzerland!

Thanks for reading, and please stay tuned for more posts here as we head next to Lauterbrunnen and Zermatt, Switzerland, Italy’s Cinque Terre National Park, Pisa, Florence and Rome, and Lisbon and Lagos, Portugal.

If you’re interested, here are all of my previous blog posts about this Epic Europe Family Adventure so far:
• From Wyoming to the British Museum and Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew in 24 hours
• Big Ben, River Thames, Tower of London and Ice Cream
• Munich Day 1: Glockenspiel, Deutsches Museum, Englischer Garten and Beirgarten
•

Big Ben, River Thames, Tower of London, Beers at a 401-Year-Old Pub and Ice Cream

June 3, 2016 by Shelli

Hello again! As I mentioned in the last post, my husband, Jerry, and I and our three sons, Wolf, 16, Hayden, 14 and Finis, 9, are on a 28-day dream-come-true “Epic Europe Family Adventure.” Our itinerary includes London, Munich, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Portugal.

After a full first day in London, we slept in on Day 2. We enjoyed a breakfast provided by our hotel, Regency House. Given we were in England, Jerry and I did what any wise visitor would do and ordered the “Full English Breakfast.” Oh. My. God. Absolutely delicious. Bacon lovers, our sons each opted for the “bacon sandwich,” which was a piece of thick toast on which a huge heap of cottage bacon was piled. Epic to say the least.

Yum. "Full English Breakfast." — Yum. “Full English Breakfast.”

We were well rested and fueled for the day’s adventure, which would include a tour on the River Thames, and an afternoon at the Tower of London.

We set out to practice our public transportation skills by using our “oyster cards” and the Underground to get to the Westminster Pier. As soon as we walked up the stairs out of the subway station, we were surprised when we looked up and right in front of us were Big Ben, and the spectacular Westminster Abbey palace. We also saw the Eye of London as we found our way to the pier and onto our City Cruises boat.

Big Ben, at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London.

With the boys in front of the Eye of London.

The River Thames is a river that flows through southern England. It is the longest river that is entirely in England, and it is the second longest river in the United Kingdom. (the longest is the River Severn.) According to Wikipedia, the River Thames gets its name from three sources: the Thames Valley, a region of England around the river between Oxford and West London; the Thames Gateway; and the greatly overlapping Thames Estuary around the tidal Thames to the east of London and including the waterway itself.

Our river cruise’s guide was informational and also very funny, making our tour a wonderful experience. In a short ride, we learned all about London’s major attractions, including some of the most prominent buildings, old and new, the London Bridge(s), the Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, the Eye of London, Big Ben, Westminster Palace, and much more.

Jerry and the boys on our River Thames Tour.

We disembarked the boat at the Tower Pier, and headed, eagerly, to start our exploration of the Tower of London. We were mainly excited about exploring the White Tower.

The boys and I in front of the White Tower.

Located in the center of the Inner Ward, the White Tower – so named due to the white stone it was built from – was begun in 1078 and completed about 1100. It is four stories tall with walls up to 15 ft thick. The boys loved looking at the armour. By the way, King Henry VIII’s armour weighed up to 90 pounds at times! Can you imagine riding a horse, or going to battle with armour that weighed that much? According to a guide that we talked to at the exhibit, only one knight was known to ever die while in such armour, and it wasn’t from a weapon but rather from a heart attack, probably from being unfit and out of shape, and trying to move around in such heavy attire…

We enjoyed the Line of Kings, which displayed armour of all kinds. Here is King Henry VIII's armour. (At times, the king's armour weighed 90 pounds!) — We enjoyed the Line of Kings, which displayed armour of all kinds. Here is King Henry VIII’s armour (At times, the king’s armour weighed 90 pounds!)

The boys also loved seeing the assortment of ancient weaponry, including mace pistols and swords and spears and mortars and cannons. Some of the cannons reportedly weight 36,000 pounds.

MacePistols

Of course, the torture exhibit also intrigued us, particularly our sons. We all got a kick out of an ancient torture advice called the “Scold’s Bridle” Here’s the description for it: “The Scold’s Bridle was a popular local punishment throughout Europe, the scold’s bridle publicly humiliated women accused of gossiping. Locked around the woman’s head, the spring mounted bell alerted everyone to her approach.”

A "Scold's Bridle." — A “Scold’s Bridle.”

Next, we headed to The Jewel House to spy the Crown Jewels. I quickly embarrassed the family, and was embarrassed and humiliated when I tried to take a photo of a jeweled crown. I was so enamored by the jewels, I didn’t notice all of the signs saying photos are not allowed. Oops. So I didn’t get any photos, and of course I understand and support why photographs are not allowed. We were mesmerized by all of the jewels on display.

As we left the Jewel House, we watched the guards in front of the Jewel House. Guarding the Jewel House is serious business. The guards are not there for visitors’ display and delight, but rather to keep the order and seriously protect the jewels, and access to the jewels. Some rowdy, misbehaving youth were antagonizing one guard and we saw him come unglued, and rightly so. At any rate, seeing the guards was also thrilling for us. We are not accustomed to seeing such sights on the frontier of Wyoming!

A guard in front of the Jewel House, at the Tower of London.

We then left the Tower and enjoyed a walk over the beautiful Tower Bridge, and then along the walking path along the south bank of the River Thames.

We stopped to enjoy sights like Hay’s Galleria, which includes offices, restaurants, shops and flats. Next we marveled at the replica of Frances Drake’s sailing ship that circumnavigated the globe two times, and is set to do it a third time.

The boys, at Hay's Galleria. — The boys, at Hay’s Galleria.

Jerry and the boys at the Golden Hinde II, a replica of Sir Francis Drake's ship. — Jerry and the boys at the Golden Hinde II, a replica of Sir Francis Drake’s ship.

Jerry and I got particularly excited when we arrived at a place called the Anchor, a pub that is 401 years old – Europe’s oldest pub. We all sat and enjoyed cold ones – Jerry and I had pints of 1730 and London Glory, respectively, and the boys had Fantas. It was a wonderful day of immersing ourselves in some of London’s culture.

Jerry and I, in front of the Anchor Bankside, a pub in the London that is 401 years old!

We met up with Antonia for dinner, and then finished with an ice cream treat. We are ice cream eating fanatics. Our family has enjoyed a tradition of eating ice cream every Friday after school for years now. Since we’re on vacation, it doesn’t matter what day it is, and we may even eat ice cream every day, and in Italy we hope to eat gelato on a daily basis. But I digress.

What I want to emphasize is we fell in love with Jude’s ice cream. The founder of the ice cream company wanted to create the world’s tastiest ice cream with milk from local cows. In his barn at home he set to work and soon the whole family joined in. In the winter of 2002 he carried the first tubs across the field to the village pub and Jude’s Ice Cream was born. The ice cream is named it after his wife.

Our youngest son, Fin, upon tasting the ice cream, remarked: “This is the best ice cream I’ve ever tasted in my whole life.” We all concurred.

Thanks for reading. Please stay tuned for more reports from our Epic Europe Family Adventure. Next up: Munich, Germany!

Europe or Bust!

May 21, 2016 by Shelli

Hi there! I’m sorry it’s been so long since I’ve written. I have not forgotten about you, or this blog. It’s just that a lot of my attention has been on developing my work and mission at Epic Life Inc.

This post is an effort to revive this blog. And I’m going big. It has been a dream for our family of five to take a big international trip. I am ecstatic to report that we’re making the dream come true. As of today, these country bumpkins are en route to Europe. For a month! (Gulp.)

Rich. Passports in hand... — Rich. Passports in hand…

We will explore 7 countries, and our itinerary includes world-class cities, cultural and historical attractions, awe-inspiring hikes and scenery, some ocean and beach leisure, and of course lots of epically delicious foods.

Our itinerary includes London, Paris, Munich, Switzerland, Cinque Terre, Florence, Rome, Vatican City and Portugal. The trip planning process is a meaningful part of this journey we’re about to take. Many of our dinner and hiking conversations these days are centered on the destinations we plan to visit. The boys have researched activities and attractions, as well as populations for all of the cities, and countries we’ll be visiting. It’s been a great, “new” conversation we’re all enjoying.

Fin, our 8-year-old, was tasked with researching the number of people in the cities and countries we will visit. This research is a little mind-blowing for our family, since Wyoming has only 500,000 people in all of it.

Following are some the highlights of our upcoming Epic Itinerary. (We have 28 days for all of this, so there is a lot of space and downtime built in for each of the destinations. We plan to immerse ourselves in each of the places we visit, at a pretty slow pace, before moving on to the next…)

LONDON, UK: The Taming of the Shrew at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, the British Museum, Thames River Boat Cruise, Tower of London, and the British Museum. We also may check out one of London’s escape room experiences on the tail end of our trip.
MUNICH, GERMANY: Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles, Dachau Concentration Camp, Beer Gardens, Marienplatz, and Deutsches Museum.

SWITZERLAND: We have 4 days of epic hiking planned – 2 in the Lauterbrunnen area and 2 in the Zermatt area – that will provide views of the Matterhorn, the Eiger, several waterfalls, and more. We are really looking forward to hiking in the Swiss Alps!
CINQUE TERRE, ITALY: We will enjoy one day on the beach and exploring this coast, and another day hiking the famous, 13-mile hike through the five villages that make up Cinque Terre, which since 1999 has been designated as a national park. The boys hike 13 miles every now and again in Wyoming, and there are no villages offering gelato and genuine Italian foods every few miles! For once we probably won’t have to pack our pockets with treats to spur the boys along. 🙂

ROME, ITALY: We are so excited for Rome! We’ll tour the Colosseum, including the arena and underground areas and the Forum. On another day, we’ll have a private guide to tour the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, etc., and on another day, we’ll take a small group tour of the Crypts and Catacombs. We plan to eat lots of epic pasta while in Rome, too.
PORTUGAL: We’ll spend time in Lisbon, and Lagos, where we’ll get some rest and relaxation on the beautiful, low-key beaches and go kayaking through caves, heading back to London and returning to the U.S.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you’ll check back now and again. I will be blogging and posting photos from our Europe Epic Adventure over the course of the next 30 days.

By the way, if you’d like to read some other posts I’ve written in the last several months, here are some of the best ones:

To Discover and Know Yourself, Go Hiking

Mother-Son Rite of Passage Expedition — One of My Best Ideas, Ever

My Most Spectacular Failure Was A Gift

Daring To Climb Mountains

Whew! We Survived Our Epic Wellness Week!

When Plan A – And B, C & D – Don’t Pan Out

Muir Beach Bliss

May 10, 2012 by Shelli

I was in the San Francisco area all last week for meetings and a presentation. It was a treat to return to the Marin Headlands, and area I fell in love with during my frequent trips to the area in the past for mycoaching courses.

Last week I was headed to the hotel gym when I remembered where I was. Why would I spend time on an elliptical trainer when Muir Beach is 20 minutes away? Duh.
I enjoyed a 6-mile trail run to start the day. I love being in the presence of the ocean.

Here’s a short clip:

Epic Adventure – and Longing

November 10, 2011 by Shelli

Hi. My name is Shelli. I’m 43 years old. I have been married to Jerry for almost 20 years and we have three young sons, Wolf, 11, Hayden, 9, and Finis, 4.

P8170502 2 — Sending a message to my husband and sons from Alaska's Brooks Range.

This is a post about a wife and mother’s longing. It is also a post about a once-in-a-lifetime “epic” experience that I will never forget. It is also a post about gratitude. To be a wife and mother who was supported and encouraged to have an experience like the one recalled in this post is a gift for which I’ll be forever grateful. (With Thanksgiving approaching, now is a good time for me to thank most of all my husband, Jerry, who is my biggest champion, and who encouraged me to embark on this adventure while “holding down the fort.” Also, a big thank you to my parents, who helped with the boys while I was away, and to all who provide friendship and support to me.)

It was taking seemingly forever to get our expedition started. I was in The Last Frontier, headed to The Far North, to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, in Alaska’s Brooks Range. I had looked forward to this adventure for months and was ready to get the party started. But as I was finding out, it takes a long time to get away from civilization.

After a night in a Fairbanks campground, we boarded a small airplane and spent a couple of hours flying to Coldfoot. After landing, we loaded into a van and spent three more hours traveling north before, finally, we were dropped off along the side of the road.

I was on my way to spending 12 days backpacking and exploring, while learning wilderness travel, outdoor skills and leadership from the world’s premier teacher, the National Outdoor Leadership School.

The experience I was about to embark upon was a dream come true. Actually it was two dreams come true.

Up until my departure for this trip, I had just one regret in my life, and that was that I had never taken a NOLS course. I was raised in Lander, Wyoming, where NOLS is headquartered. During my formative years, my parents would have supported my enrollment in a NOLS course and had offered as much. Unfortunately, I was more interested in my social life and basketball. But that was then. Now, I am an outdoor enthusiast. I love everything NOLS stands for, and I take pride in the fact that my town is home to the organization.

In recent years, when my regret for having never enrolled in a NOLS course would surface, friends who work at NOLS would tell me, “You know, it’s never too late.” But I wasn’t quick to agree. After all, I am a mother of young children. It felt selfish to think of embarking on a 2-week adventure. So, enrolling in a NOLS course was no small deal for me. It was a dream that had been hard for me to “justify.”

The other reason the NOLS course would be a dream come true for me is because of its location. I travel the country in search of the most epic scenery. In my mind, no place embodied epic better than Alaska’s Brooks Range. It would be a dream come true for me to get to intimately explore such an epic place.

Alaska is huge. Situated in the northwest extremity of the North America, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, Alaska has a larger coastline that all U. S. states combined. Occupying 586,000 square miles, it is the largest U. S. state. And yet, it is the least populated. To put it in perspective, there is one person per square mile.

It’s vast, unpopulated and extremely wild, complete with grizzly bears. For all of these reasons, the NOLS Brooks Range Hiking course was perfect. Like I said, the things dreams are made of.

Except for one problem. It would come with some longing –– some serious longing.

Here is a clip of photos I captured and printed to be included in letters and cards a neighbor mailed to Jerry and boys for me every day while I was away:

Due to one of NOLS’ policies, which I understand, appreciate and support, I would have no communication with anyone outside of our course. That’s right, two weeks of no communication with my family.

The farther north we traveled on the Dalton Highway, the more excited I became. And yet at the same time, the farther north we traveled, the more heart sick I became as I realized the scale of this region and its distance from my family.

I should mention that traveling and being away from my family is not unusual for me. I travel frequently. When I am away, I miss them very much and, as a result I limit and select travel with great care. Typically I’m away for no longer than 1-3 days, and I can start and end each day in conversation with all of my sons. In a way, I can be there for them even though I’m geographically not there.

During my NOLS course, I would not be there for them. And, they would not be there for me.

I have many friends who are terrific role models as parents, who travel much more than I do. In the weeks leading up to my NOLS course, I looked to them for support. Their input was helpful. They told me things like, “This is good modeling for your sons. You want them to choose girls/women who are adventurous and brave.” And: “Think of the special gift you’re providing by leaving them to have these two weeks of special time with their father.” And: “Think of the country you will see and the tales of adventure you will get to share with your family upon your return.” And: “This is a dream of yours. It’s not a vacation, but an expedition. It will grow you. The knowledge and experience you gain from it will enable you to have a greater impact on the lives of your children, and future clients.” It all made perfect sense.

But. Still.

“Video Love Notes” I captured for Jerry and our sons during my NOLS Brooks Range Hiking course:

I worried aloud about not being here for my boys for two whole weeks. To this, some of closest friends reminded me that children are resilient and that although my sons love me, they probably wouldn’t miss me as much as I think they would, or as much as I would miss them. While hearing this was not exactly comforting, it was honest, and therefore helpful as I prepared to long for my boys.

Being away from my boys, with no ability to hear their voices and know how their lives and days were going, would – hands down – be the most difficult part of my NOLS experience. This much I knew.

The rain and intermittent snow, hiking through spongy tundra, and tussocks and through alders and across rivers and up steep, loose, exposed mountain ridges with a heavy pack on my back was easy compared to enduring the longing I had for my boys. The longing for my boys was at its worst at the end of each day when we all retreated to our tents. I would lie there and yearn to hear their voices, to smell their hair, to hold their hands, to “dog-pile” with them, and just to be in their presence. I was emotionally tender during these times. I literally had a heart ache.

PB080901 — Letter from our 4-year-old son, Fin.

PB080902 — Letter from our 9-year-old son, Hayden.

PB080900 — Letter from our 11-year-old son, Wolf.

PB080899 — The boys often roll their eyes at me, the only girl in our home. Here is a photo they included with their notes to me where there are glued on plastic rolling eyes glued onto their eyes.

When I sign up for something that is hard, I grow. My NOLS Brooks Range course was hard, all right. But, it was also, truly, an experience of a lifetime.

Despite the longing, I made life-long friends with my eight course-mates and our two wonderful instructors. I was blown away and inspired to new levels by the sights and scale of Alaska’s Brooks Range. I experienced the best leadership training, ever. I grew. I returned more, and better, than I was before. Part of this is due to the longing I experienced. Because my NOLS course meant sacrificing time and contact with my family, I participated in the course and experienced the Alaska tundra to the absolute fullest. As a result of all of these things, I cannot imagine a richer experience. And, I am quite certain that I returned a better mother and wife.

Photos I captured during my NOLS Brooks Range Hiking course for Jerry and our sons:

For all of you considering a NOLS course, I cannot recommend it enough. Please feel free to contact me to ask more personal or extensive questions about my experience.

This “self interview” captured on my final day in the Brooks Range says it better than my written words:

In closing, here are some things I did before my departure to ensure my boys would be touched, and reminded of my love, on a daily basis, despite no real-time communication with them, as well as some things I did for them during my absence.

1.) I snapped photos of me holding an “I Love You” poster from various points around Lander where my family I often frequent. I had prints made of each of these photos and then included them in a letter or card I wrote (in advance) for Jerry and our sons. I arranged for our neighbors, Terry and Gene, to drop one in the mail each day I was away. This way the boys received mail from me every day while I was hiking in the Alaska tundra. (In some of the mail I included gift certificates to the local ice cream shop, or pizza gift cards, or for my husband, coffee gift certificates.) It made for a lot of work in the days leading up to my NOLS course, but it was well worth it because I took comfort in the ability to “touch” my boys while I was out of communication.

2.) I recorded a video message for them. It is too personal for me to post here, but suffice it to say it was hard for me to do, but important for me to do. I loaded it onto Jerry’s laptop the morning I departed and instructed them to open and view it once I was officially out of touch.

3.) The first night in the tent in the Alaska tundra, when I dug my journal out to record the events of the day, I discovered an envelope of items from Jerry and the boys. They had each written me a letter and included some photos. I was so moved and touched to read letters from my boys. Instead of dwelling on missing me, their words cheered me and told me how much they loved me. (With my sons’ permission, I’ve included photos of their notes to me in this post. I didn’t include a photo of the one from Jerry, which will forever remain very special to me.)

4.) At home, I’m quite outnumbered, the only girl in a house of four males, plus a male puppy. For various reasons, the boys are always rolling their eyes at me. One of the things included in the envelope from them was a photo of the three boys with plastic googly-rolling eyes glued to them. (See photo).

5.) Before I departed for Alaska, it was decided the boys would have their own expedition — a project we termed, “Expedition Basement.” Basically, while their mommy was away they would have full rein in creating a “Boy Cave” downstairs. This gave them something exciting to look forward to, while facilitating a project for them to focus their creative energies on without my interference. 🙂 You should see it. Paint thrown on the walls, a big screen television, skull and cross bone flags, and even a mini-fridge (for their juice pops I guess?) It’s a riot.

6.) While I was away, backpacking in Alaska’s Brooks Range, I enlisted my course-mates to capture photos of me holding an “I Love You” note. (By the way, my course-mates were a terrific family-away-from-family.)

7.) I also captured a few “video love notes” for Jerry and the boys from various points during the NOLS course.

RELATED LINKS:
NOLS Brooks Range Hiking course — Not a Vacation
My Brooks Range People Made Me Better

I am a life/leadership coach. Services include on-demand coaching and consulting, with an option that includes an epic outdoor adventure. I also provide nutrition and personal branding consulting. Please email me if you’re interested in learning more about this.