10 things to look forward to on ice

In 16 days I hope to be headed to Antarctica again and there are plenty of things to look forward to. Here are 10 of those items I anticipate with great delight:

1. Seeing Laura when she comes off the South Pole.

2. Seeing the good friends I met last year again (and making some new ones, too).

3. Sunday morning brunch.

4. The mountains.

5. Quiet.

6. Traveling there and back.

7. The lack of American consumerism (especially at Christmas).

8. Working in support of the National Science Foundation.

9. Sending mail from Antarctica and receiving the packages I sent to myself (or finding I have mail from you).

10. Hopefully, some good wildlife again this season.

8.2 miles

Yesterday, my friend from work, Jennifer, her dog, Sydney, and I took a "little" day-hike to Lake Ann. The season up in this area of the mountains is very short. In fact, the road was not open to the top of the Mount Baker Highway until August 10th, and by October, snow will likely begin to fall again. So, with a good forecast, we arranged to drive up there to take a hike. While the skies were a bit cloudier than we had hoped for, the trail conditions were great and the temperatures felt good for hiking. Over-packed, and somewhat mentally prepared for a long afternoon, we set out for the lake.

I had been there about 20 years ago with my family for a camping trip and remember Lake Ann as a crystal clear alpine pool with a magnificent view of Mount Shuksan. Matt and I made boats out of sticks and leaves and floated them on the stream that trickled from the lake. I cautiously played on the rocks and grass around the lake hoping I wouldn't fall in the icy water. Even though we could see the bottom, Dad insisted it was quite deep.

This time around, the lake wasn't so big as I thought as a little kid, but the clarity was still intact and I could still see the deep bottom. Had we thought to stay overnight, we would have spent a spectacular evening taking in the cloud-spotted views in every direction! Instead, we enjoyed our late lunch and fresh, quiet air.

Mount Shuksan virtually swallowed us as we looked up at it. The mountain displays a few low-hanging glaciers that were spitting out ribbons of water. I call this mountain "God's Cathedral." It is the most photographed mountain in North America and looks like the very definition of a mountain. While at the lake, a steady stream of clouds shrouded the higher pinnacles; adding a surreal feeling to it's powerful presence.

The trip to the lake was much more difficult than we had thought. About a quarter of the trail is rocky and not entirely pleasant to climb up. Neither was it particularly easy to walk down as every step has to be placed deliberately to avoid a twisted ankle. But, we were rewarded with a glimpse of the snowfields and glaciers of Mount Baker. We almost missed our view as the mountain melted into the clouds, but, rather stopped a few seconds to take in the sun rays through the clouds.

Arriving at the car, 8.2 miles later, we were pretty beat; but glad we accomplished something! I am impressed by so much: The glaciers carving out mountains and valleys, the variety of colors, shapes, and sizes of mushrooms we encountered, our ability to eat huckleberries and wild blueberries as we hiked, and the forest ecosystem life cycle thrives so brilliantly! And, of course, I found a fun hiking friend in Jennifer, too. I had a fantastic long day getting to know her better and finding out that we can both admire the outdoors together!

On our drive back down from the trail head, Shuksan showed us it's crown. The clouds cleared and we saw it's grandeur right in front of us! That view was an exceptional way to end our exhausting day!

We stopped in Maple Falls for hot chocolate and a stretch of our achy muscles before driving back to Bellingham. My sore muscles and a couple of oddly swollen, painful mosquito bites were a small price paid for the gorgeous hike and an amazing night of sleep!

life in the northern town

I took a trip across the border today. I visited my "motherland." I went to British Columbia; Vancouver to be exact. Strangely, I received more questions going into Canada this time than I did coming back to the States. I still want to use my dual citizenship; but they keep track (and take a picture) of you and your car when you cross the border, so today, I continued my use of the US passport. I tried stopping at Peace Arch Park, but missed the turnoff for it. I was stuck in enough border traffic that I was able to take a couple pictures: The Peace Arch reads "Children of a Common Mother" on one side and "Brethren dwelling together in unity" on the other. I hope our countries continue to share such common ground.

I can see myself living in Vancouver someday. Despite the traffic, it's a gorgeous city (although, I did remember that, though the sun was shining on this particular day, there are plenty of rainy days as well). The city reminded me a bit of being in Sydney this spring; though, I don't feel as strongly about living in Australia! I spent a marvelous afternoon taking in sights, sounds, and smells of Stanley Park by bicycle, and then a couple hours of the early evening admiring the modern architecture of Coal Harbour on foot.

And, of course, I got a Vancouver Starbucks mug, too. My corporate discount works up there, so it was also the cheapest mug in my collection! The city-scapes have change styles now, recently. It's a bit disappointing, but things change, and I continue my collection with the new designs (previous sentence goes a lot deeper than the 20oz coffee mug).

Stanley Park is a huge park nearly entirely surrounded by harbour, lake, and waterway. There are unique sculptures throughout and totem poles to view, too. There are trails and roads for pedestrians, bicyclists, drivers, skateboarders, and roller bladers to get lost on and plenty of scenery to view of the city, mountains, hills, and beaches surrounding the shores of the park. Lots of late-summer plants were blooming; including this magnificent lily.

I'm really happy I took this fabulous-weather day away. I needed a break from the cell phone, the mess of organization, and Antarctica packing (27 days, and countind down) I've been doing. And, I still have another day off before I'm back to work on Saturday.

running with stick

Within the first 10 meters up the arboretum hill this evening, I took two spiderwebs to the face. Now, running up this hill is not easy in itself (a mile all uphill), but after gagging on a bug and taking two webs to the cheeks, the task becomes nearly impossible. So, I picked up a stick, and I ran with it pointed to the sky about 8 inches in front of my face so that it would catch the webs. I made 3/4 of the hill and walked the rest.

I love walking through the woods like that. So many free thoughts run through my head and I feel childlike. Sometimes I feel like a business professional, sometimes like an older sister, sometimes like a barista, and sometimes like a child. It's my time to swing a stick around and hear it slice through the air, to hum a tune, dance down the road, walk like a princess, pick a flower, think, pray, or just simply smile.

When I was in Sydney, walking down the sidewalk to explore the city, I stopped a a deli to pick up a sandwich for lunch. I chatted with the folks working at this shop when the woman behind the counter said, "you just have a presence of peace about you." It was true; I was so light-hearted, confident with where I was and who I was that I found a small bit of life's pleasure; a joy of simply "being." I have that when I'm out on my runs and walks, too. I just exist as a child of God.

Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.

- unknown -

a tribute to the common cow

I was thinking yesterday, while I was making my famous (to me) cheese and tomato sandwich that I eat a lot of cheese. I do love cheese quite a lot, and in my estimation, I've had at least 12 pounds of the stuff since arriving in Washington; not that I eat a terrible amount, but I usually have a few slices a day. Can you imagine that put in front of you? Twelve pounds of cheese. That is utterly terrifying.

So, this is my tribute to cows for the work they do. I can't begin to think of a life as a female cow; getting shoved in line looking at Nanny's fanny twice a day for an hour, or more, waiting to get hooked up to a pump that sucks the milk right out of her so that a typical grocery shopper will take it for granted that milk, yogurt, sour cream, ice cream, hundreds of varieties of cheese products, and other unassuming milk-fortified goods are at arms length on any given food store shelf. Not only does she give up her milk, but she is a surrogate mother to future milk-production and our beef cattle industry. (Incidentally, the cow pictured is named Andrea).

So, "thank you" to the common cow.

In blackberry picking news, I had my first casualties; a few thorns to the fingers while I was pulling out a branch that was prohibiting my reach to the very best berries. Was it worth it? Absolutely; there is nothing like going where no other blackberry picker has gone this summer!

I will soon be black-berried out, though. In addition to the 12 pounds of cheese, I estimate I've eaten three pounds of free blackberries so far this summer (and that has been in the last five days). They are great fresh, over vanilla yogurt, or in the cobbler that I'm still grazing off of. Today I made blackberry pancakes for lunch.

life's fair

I went to the Northwest Washington State Fair today. I used to go as a kid and had a fabulous time seeing the animals, eating fair food, and trying to ride the rides. This time I observed more, and watched my cousin's children excitedly stray towards the bright colors and fanciful rides.

We had a nice evening watching the scenes, smelling fair food, walking around a few barns and weaving between people. I enjoyed seeing the goats, sheep, pigs, cows, and horses

It's certainly a different level of involvement now than when I was younger. Back then I was scared to walk through the animal barns in case a cow or horse bucked their legs up, or I stepped in any sort of animal-doo. Then the fair was about the rides and the social drama that transpired there. Now, I look at the rides and think I must have been very taken by the colors and novelty of such attractions, or they weren't nearly so rustic and decrepit as they looked to me today (not to say they are not still a lot of fun). I took a ride on the classic ferris wheel. I had a fantastic evening out.

saturday afternoon roadtrip

On Saturday, relatives who remained in Washington after the reunion took a trip up to Artist Point; a scenic point at the end of the Mount Baker Highway. Mom, Dad, Uncles Bob, Denny, and Aunt Marilyn (pictured in front of Mount Shuksan) drove the hour to the last parking lot and took a short hike while we enjoyed the amazing day.

This point is sandwiched between two mountains; Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan. The view of Baker came in and out between the clouds, but Shuksan was out in all it's glory the entire time we visited. This is a mountain's mountain. Actually, it is one of the most photographed peak around. With binoculars, we even saw a party of four people descending one of the mountain's glaciers.

The area we were ascended through on our drive is appropriately named Heather Meadows. The road to this area just opened last week and will be accessible until the snow starts falling again in a month, or maybe two, but the short-season wildflowers are small and beautiful. This mountain heather was in many places along our path; adding brilliant pinks to white patches of snow and the green grasses and trees. As we walked, we also took a look at a few mountain goats climbing down a ravine across from our perch. With the naked eye we would have never found these creatures, but other people had binoculars out and were more than happy to point out their discovery.

If you want to feel small, spend some time up at Artist Point. It's a good place to remember that the world is much bigger than one person. God's got amazing creative power to let his human audience view up there. We saw the towering powerful mountains, and tiny flower detailing the edges of our trail. It's also a place to remind us what we are protecting by taking care of the earth! There are still many pristine places that escape the skyscrapers, the congestion, and most of the smog.

heading down

After a particularly poor night of sleep, due to a) wondering if a boulder would flatten the tent (see image of our camp in my last post), b) noisy high winds whipping at the unsecured rain fly, and c) wondering if we left the water bottles and ice axes out in wind and how far they had flown if we had, we "woke up" at 4am to begin the ascent further up the mountain. It didn't take long until we reach a snowy patch where we would have to strap on crampons and rope up. In light of knowing we would not make it to the top (besides our lack of sufficient water, we saw crevasses that were likely avoidable flanked by dangerous steep loose rock), we (un-unanimously) determined rather than spend the energy on continuing, we should start down.

Reaching our top height around 9300 feet, I pulled out a treat from Australia, Kangaroo Jerky. It's a hiking tradition in our family that we try and bring some exotic meat or food on our trips, so I was happy to hold onto this delicacy all summer! It tastes like jerky; only a slight variation on the old protein-packed favorite.

We began hiking down. Dawn appeared in the east and we saw a spectacular sunrise from dry, Eastern Oregon to the greener west. Portland saw low clouds in the morning which made for good contrast with the pale pink sky and blue-green trees underneath the mountain. The feeling of standing on the side of a mountain with God's great earth stretched out in front of you is quite amazing. He's created such a brilliant earth; especially as the sun shows it's face to liven up the world's atmosphere every morning!

Perhaps the most surprising and peculiar sight from our perch on the world was seeing the shadow of Mount Hood on the landscape below. At first, it appears to be another mountain in the distance, but at a closer look, the blue cast on the clouds below trace back to the formation we are standing on!

On our descent, my knee tightened up and gave me so much trouble that for a moment, I thought ski patrol was going to have to take me down the mountain in one of their red sleds. However, it held out until we reached the last ski lift down and made it to the car.

Stopping in Government Camp (a town down the mountain a few miles), we at a late breakfast together (I had huckleberry pancakes) before parting ways again. Matt and I switched off driving responsibilities all the way back up to Bellingham. Most of the trip I was not able to keep my eyes open for more than five minutes, I was so exhausted!

I am glad I made the effort to be on this trip. Even though I did not get the true (crampons and roping up) mountaineering experience, I had a fantastic time getting outside, seeing new territory for the summer, being with my family, witnessing God's creativity firsthand from an amazing lookout, and trying something challenging.

ascending mount hood

The last two days I spent with Mount Hood. My dad, brother, and uncle hoped to find this a favorable opportunity to arrive on the summit of this volcano, even though the climbing season is over. This peak in the Northern Oregon Cascades "rises 11,249 ft (3,429 meters) and is home to twelve glaciers. It is the highest mountain in Oregon and the fourth-highest in the Cascade Range. Mount Hood is considered the Oregon volcano most likely to erupt, though based on its history, an explosive eruption is unlikely. Still, the odds of an eruption in the next 30 years are estimated at between 3 and 7 percent, so the USGS characterizes it as "potentially active." The mountain is sometimes informally described as "dormant." (from Wikipedia)

We began our ascent around 2pm; just barely making the last chairlift to our starting point. This mountain is also boasts the only year-round ski area in North America. As backpackers we were only allowed to take the first lift and we hiked past snowboarders and skiers finishing their day on the slopes. After the slopes close, a rigorous and aggressive campaign begins to refurbish and rebuild the slopes for the next day.

Our hiking entailed a good deal of tromping through dirt and boulders. This is difficult, particularly in climbing boots, but we slowly inched our way up the side of the mountain.

My first inclination about the terrain we negotiated was how similar it is to McMurdo Station; plenty of volcanic rock and ash covered in places by snowfields and glaciers. The stunning part was watching the birds, small bugs and butterflies surround us; even so far above the tree line. We also saw sporadic alpine flowers along the way.

A few hours of upward movement brought us to our camp for the evening. We cooked a bit of food and boiled a bit of water, but lost a fuel bottle which set us back in terms of the water we would need the next day.

The winds picked up during the night and created a loud sleep environment. The temperature dropped below freezing, but I stayed plenty warm (even hot) during the night. Beneath us were lights from the ski resort and to the west, a glow of lights from Portland. The stars decorated the sky in amazing numbers!

fruit of the trail

For quite some time now I have been picking thimble berries (what I formerly classified as salmon berries). They are a very sweet, soft berry that grow wild around this area of Northwest Washington. The last two days, I have also had the pleasure of picking wild blackberries which are beyond plentiful here; particularly in my neighborhood!

Besides nature's berries, I have been taking advantage of the trails around my apartment for my running and leisurely hikes. It is great to run up and down the hills here with nothing in my path but wispy overgrown branches, a couple of toppled tree trunks, and the occasional little-robin-redbreast. The air is much quieter and I can hear my lungs working as I chug up the forest hills. Today, I found, on my favorite track, that if I push to the top of one particularly difficult section and head around the next turn, there is a nice gentle downward straight-stretch beyond! I had a quiet sense of accomplishment when I finally reach the top of the hill. On my walk back down, I saw the white top of Mount Baker in the sun. I smiled because I'm in Washington again. I like it.

Next week, I'll be hitting the trails for some serious mountain climbing fun. I, with my dad, brother, and uncle, will be attempting to summit Mt. Hood in Oregon. It's the first mountain I'll be climbing since Mt. Pugh in high school and I'm looking forward to the challenging climb up the volcano.

daisy picking

In Antarctica, "daisy picking" is the task we did when we ran out of pertinent work to do for our department or found responsibility to clean up an area; picking up any non-native material to the continent wherever we saw it laying around. It's not too difficult to find since pretty much anything (wood, glass, plastic, fabric, metal, etc) but the snow, rock, and ash on the island is "non-native." Once, I discovered and recovered a 1/2 buried 3 foot fake Christmas tree (I actually had to wait until the ground thawed a bit in January before I could chip it out of the icy permafrost).

A week ago, I did some daisy picking of my own. These white flowers have been beautiful for a full week; long after my purple and white sweet peas and other petaled plants wilted. I think I'll have to enjoy some more daisy picking before I head super-south again!

working on the tan

Today was my second day outside in the beautiful Western Washington sunshine. The day was absolutely perfect for a lovely lunchtime outing at Birch Bay. So, Uncle Jerry, Aunt Faye, Jen, Aaron, and the boys all packed up coolers, toys, and towels, and headed for the beach.

Those old memories of setting foot in sinking muddy sand came back quite quickly as we walked over the flat mud at low tide. I remember being quite scared of the seaweed and what might be hiding underneath those green feathery ribbons of sea grass. I found it still a bit disconcerting to have it wrapped around my toes and ankles.

My favorite line of the day came when I told Jorren his boat was floating away. His answer over his shoulder, as he ran towards the (apparently much more exciting) rising tide and waves was, "Don't worry! You'll be able to catch it!"

After slopping through the tide flat back towards the cars, we drove into the State Park at Birch Bay and set up sandwiches and such for lunch. Though, crab may have sounded somewhat enticing, we did not catch and cook this guy.

I've had great excuses to get out and enjoy the beautiful forest and ocean the last couple days. Tomorrow, I'm back to work.

talk of ice on a warm summer's day

Who knew four people could talk about so many things "McMurdo" in one afternoon! My friend, Elizabeth, who lives in Bellingham and also spent time in Antarctica last fall called me up to tell me that our mutual friends, Ben and Krista, were in town (from Massachusetts and Wisconsin, respectfully).

Within a few minutes, I was packed and ready for a big bike ride with them down to Larabee State Park. We took our picnic lunches and chatted nearly all the way. Much information was exchanged and stories were told about our 4 months down there.

I had a fantastic time catching up with the three under beautiful skies and kind temperatures. It was wonderful to chat with them and learn about what they intend to do next in life. I'm so glad I was able to spend the afternoon out with them!

To cap off our day, we had a picnic/potluck outside. We talked and talked until I knew I really had to get home to put away some of the 1/2 completed projects I abandoned to join them on the bike ride earlier! I love being around beautiful people accented by an amazing outdoor kind of day!

while on my walk i found

Tonight I discovered the Sehome Arboretum only short way from my apartment. There are many hiking, biking, and trail running tracks there and I spent a 1/2 hour exploring a single path.

A few people have asked me what I'm doing next in life. I found the perfect self-photo op to capture the essence of my answer. I'll be another season in Antarctica (as long as I can get qualified on time) and I hope the rest is self explanatory:

great day!

Today was a great day. It was perfect timing after my bad Thursday when I went to the dentist and found out there is a little (I mean a lot) of work to be done to my pearly whites.

I accomplished a few organizational tasks in the morning, talked to my parents for a bit, and called Phil for his birthday (Happy Birthday, again, Phil).

Then I remembered that there was a volunteer opportunity for Starbucks employees to help out with a salmon luncheon and dinner, so when the sun peaked through the clouds, I hustled on my bike down to Boundary Bay to assist in some setup and such for the luncheon. The organization, Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA), raises funds for salmon restoration, kids programs, and planing trees once a year at this event. I thought it was mildly ironic that an organization which tries to restore salmon to streams and rivers served up their prized fish for their fundraiser, but they do also promote healthy fishing practices.

After helping out for a couple hours, I ran up to the Farmer's Market for a bit, enjoyed 1/2 my bag of kettle corn, and then ran home for a break and to catch up on a few things.

I returned later in the afternoon and volunteered again to serve salmon for the big dinner. Not only did they sell out of tickets, but they kept selling dinners at a discount since we were running out of the side dishes. It was a record turnout. I spent such a fun evening with a few other Starbucks employees, serving up pasta salad, fresh (real fresh) White King Salmon Steaks, and super fresh strawberry/raspberry cobbler for dessert.

Perhaps the best part of the evening that each volunteer was allowed to indulge in the dinner as well. Amazing! Nothing quite so good as fresh food outdoors in the sun!

strawberries

Today I went to work at 4:30am. I had a horrible night of sleep, and finished my 5 hour shift incredibly sleepy. However, every customer who came in was in chipper spirits because, after a week long stretch of gray days, the sun popped out today! It's amazing weather outside.

So, rather than just quickly crawling under the covers for a morning of sleep, I drove up to Lynden, took in the mountains all the way, and stopped at the Bjornstad U-Pick Strawberry field on the Pole Road.

The novelty of picking strawberries as an adult is much more poignant than when mom dragged, us, four kids, out on a hot morning to "help" her. I picked three pounds for $1.10/lb. It doesn't get much better than that!

Hearing the gentle pop when I picked the perfect ripe ones off the plant was music to my ears. Although my hands are a slightly pinker hue, tossing a few berries in my mouth on the car ride home made it all worthwhile! There's something so refreshing about tasting the fruits of my labors--even if the strawberries were still a little dusty. It's part of the fun!

goodbye spring!

For my last day of spring, I enjoyed a day off from work. In the morning, I tried out my brand new coffee press (I get a very nice discount at Starbucks, you know) and later, couldn't resist pulling out my old Krups Espresso machine to whip up a mocha! I highly recommend this brand of coffee appliance. It's been 10 years since I made this purchase and it is still turning out great hot beverages!

Last weekend, I moved into an apartment I'll be sharing with Emily (a recent college grad) for the summer. I have spent the last few days trying to unpack, reorganize, and then repack boxes I won't need this summer; a tedious, but necessary task.

I had called up some friends earlier in the week, and so Aaron and Elise, with little Eva, who invited me out to Birch Bay for a cookout on the beach in the evening. I enjoyed meeting some new people and getting to know Aaron and Elise better, too.

The weather couldn't have been lovelier and even on the water, the temperatures stayed pretty warm most of the evening. There's something heartwarming about roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over an open fire near dusk on a beach; watching the tide slowly ebb up the shore.

slug slime and spitbugs

It's another rainy day in Washington; complete with an early morning opening shift at work (beginning at 4:30a)! The rain tends to bring out the best beautiful ever-green scenery in Western Washington, but also gives some interesting creatures a place to inhabit. Two such creature I regretted sticking my fingers into while gardening were and slugs and spit bugs.

Little green or brown spit bugs sit on grasses or green plants and protect themselves by creating a nice frothy foam around their tiny bodies all the while sucking juices from the plant. I just read that they are also better jumpers than a flea!

The slug is nearly as messy to step on as dog doodoo. This harmless creature usually scares me every time it appears in front of my feet. They have a nice set of feelers out front and a pretty jelly-like substance. If you "salt" them, they will slime out, die and leave a puddle of sticky ooze behind. They also enjoy beer. So, if you pick up a heavy beer can on the side of the road out this direction, it's likely full of prisoned slugs.

In other news, I've been observing a lot of hills around the Bellingham area on my runs and bike rides. On Monday, my Ice friend, Elizabeth and I went on a bike ride for 30 miles, or so. Some of the hills were quite painful, but I made it full circuit with her. Inspired, by that success, I decided to run the entire length of the Woburn/Yew Street hill where I've been living. This turned out to be a 25 minute entirely upward accomplishment. I have yet to measure the distance, but I'd guess it is nearly 2 miles. That make the challenge of Scott Base Hill in Antarctica look like an ant hill.

Well, it looks like I got 4th place in the snapfish photo contest. I haven't been contacted about my prize (a gift certificate). It was a pretty poorly run contest for the most part; very confusing, and uninformative for the contestants! But, thanks for your support and votes!

rainy day success

Lest you think I'm only reporting the beautiful Washington days, I don't mind sharing that it rained most of the weekend. Rain may not be the correct term; drizzled probably fits the conditions a bit better. The precipitation sure makes it difficult to get out of bed in the morning and motivate to do anything!

However, tonight, just as the sun was beginning to set, the sun peaked through the clouds in a warm glow. The wet asphalt made for a nice reflection down the street.

The drizzle continued while the sky cleared for a colorful evening in the neighborhood. And, now, as I'm writing this, the last of the warm colors has dipped below the hills and I'm left with a gray-blue evening sky at 9:25p.

Rainy indoor days should promote healthy indoor activity; like thinking, right? I've been thinking a lot about success lately. I have to admit, the thoughts have come to my head in light of my 10 year class reunion this summer. I am looking forward to it with some trepidation regarding how we will all calculate each other's success.

Wikipedia posts this: "Success has been defined by Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary as 'the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence."

I enjoy watching people find success in life. Every time I get exciting job news, or hear of some one's engagement I get giddy with excited for them and their new opportunities. I've seen my friends & siblings all graduate from colleges and universities, I have friends who have climbed into amazing sales and marketing careers, and others who have climbed to the top of humongous mountains. I've enjoyed seeing families grown by means of weddings and births, I have seen people win races, and create beautiful art in many forms.

But, I'm glad I was a shuttle driver in Antarctica, because I have a new and very different idea of what success is. Wikipedia goes on to say this on the topic: "True success in life, however, is not about what you have, but how you've lived."

I guess I used to have this image of success as an upward-one-way path in one's life or career; by one-way, I mean that it requires taking on more responsibility, or making more money, or buying a nicer car, a house, or starting a family. I'll label this "the worldly view of success;" trying to obtain a goal and escalate in society while doing so. While, I won't deny that this is one way some people can achieve success (and may be a pattern I follow all too soon), I found that doing something smaller and less mainstream can also be a way of finding success in life.

I went from working a solid job in the Chicago area to driving vehicles in Antarctica. While it's great to say I've been to a fairly uninhabited continent, visited by only a few, it certainly was not the career move or successful business-venture the world would hope I would take. But, it was the exact place I needed to be. It gave me more joy than I thought I would have in life as a grown-up.

This morning, at church, as if to reiterate my thoughts from the past month, we heard about success. We were challenged to think about what God's idea of success would be; if he had one. And, when we determined what some of those goals and hopes of God would be, we were challenged to make those objectives to success our own. So, I don't need to go chasing down the worldly view of success, or live a life that even I feel is successful for my selfish edification (although, that may happen along the way). I need to live my life so when it's over I can say I was used by God for the fulfillment of his purpose.

When I go to my class reunion, I look forward to seeing how people have achieved their version of a successful life; families, careers, leisure activities. After listening in church this morning, I'm also looking forward to seeing how God has been successful in their lives.

national trails day

A little-known fact: Today is National Trails Day. While I usually opt to ignore the numerous "National _____ Day" events that happen nearly every day around the country, I like this one, because, of course, I like to be outside and hike. It also offers an annual opportunity to volunteer in the area.

The past couple years, I have been a part of the REI trail day project cutting out brush for new trails, or collecting litter. Today, I went down to the park at Lake Padden, and followed the crowd of green t-shirts to "re-develop" short cut trails that people have created over time. We broke up the ground, and spread branches and wood over the areas to make them less negotiable for trail-cheaters.

After that we went after Smelly Bob. No, this wasn't a member of our group; it's a non-native species of plant that is quite invasive. Although, pretty; especially with its' purple flowers, it chemically kills other native plants and is difficult to eradicate. An hour of "weeding" out Smelly Bobs, we finished up our project and left with a new water bottle, fancy green t-shirt, and a pair of hiking socks.

The weather was gorgeous for the morning activity, but now I'm ready for a nap before heading off to work (more on Starbucks later).