Welcome to 2020! It’s a new year, a new decade, a new chapter of life! I know this sounds like a lead in to possibly changing the course of this blog, but only slightly. I still plan to share my international adventures, and hopefully more frequently than the last few years (I make no promises…
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You may remember that one of my New Year’s Resolutions for 2018, or goals, if resolutions aren’t your thing, was to see whales in Puget Sound. My mother pointed out that I have actually seen them before, on a trip to Canada aboard the Victoria Clipper when I was 11. But I have no recollection….
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Yes, you read that right. Helicopter flying lessons. I did it. Well, only one to be precise. And it only lasted 15 minutes. But it was definitely one of the exciting 15 minutes of my life. But let me back up a bit. About a week before my birthday back in May, my dad called…
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A few weeks ago my photography class had it’s third location shoot (I was in Boston for the second) at Seattle’s Chinese Gardens. I’ll admit, until my class, I had never heard of this place. It’s located on the South Seattle Community College campus in West Seattle, and while small, it’s still quite pretty. Admission…
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One of Emma’s favorite activities to do all summer is float on the Santian River. Nearly every weekend, she and her friends head out for a few hours of watery fun. It’s a great way to beat the heat and just relax. Since her aunt and I are both visiting from out of town, she…
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After our morning exploring Silver Falls State Park, Emma and I have some free time to explore. So what do you do when you find yourself with nothing to do in wine country? Visit wineries, of course! Fortunately for us, the Willamette Valley is filled with them. Our first stop is Bethel Heights Vineyard. While…
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I remember way back in 2007 when I got my open water dive certification, looking at the hierarchy of dive courses and thinking, “I have absolutely zero interest in becoming a rescue diver. I just want to dive for fun.” Flash forward ten years and here I am, a newly certified rescue diver. In a…
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Back in August, I had a chance to spend some time in Salem, Oregon visiting my friend Emma for the weekend. When I would mention this to friends and coworkers, I was universally greeted with the same response – “Why would you want to go there?” It’s an understandable reaction. Salem isn’t known for being…
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These last couple months have been excellent and extremely busy. I’ve been knocking out life goals left and right, and things show no sign of slowing down. I spent the month of September in the Balkans, exploring a part of the world I’ve long been interested in seeing (posts coming soon!). Last weekend I completed…
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A few weeks ago, my friend Marissa over at Postcards to Seattle and I got Nitrox certified. It’s something I’ve been interested in doing for awhile since being able to use Enriched Air allows you to dive for longer and you’re less likely to feel fatigued when you’re done. Plus, the course only takes a…
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Once again we’re up at 4am to get ready for day 2 of the STP. Despite our early night, I have little interest in getting out of bed. Everything hurts and I am so tired from cycling 100 miles yesterday. But I’m not going to get back to my own bed by staying here, so…
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If you grew up in the Pacific Northwest, chances are good you’ve heard of the Seattle to Portland bike ride, or STP. Every year, 10,000 people hop on their bikes and ride the 200+ miles to Portland, Oregon over one or two days. If you had asked me a year ago if I would ever…
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