Currently living/working in: We are in route to our next Leave No Trace outreach destination: Yosemite National Park. But actually, we have a few events before getting to there (e.g., Skagit, WA, and San Francisco). This route and these destinations are still part of the Subaru/Leave No Trace Zero Landfill Initiative and we will be in Yosemite until the beginning of October!
Current mood: Stoked on life! Feeling good about our recent decisions and feeling like we have a handle on our workload.
Currently worried about: Our Leave No Trace contract ends Oct. 15, and while we still have Backpacker assignments (loads of them, actually), I think we need to find other paying projects through the winter. The truth is, it’s probably time for me to work on some new writing pitches! Yet, pitching is my greatest weakness and gives me anxiety. I have ideas, but need major help dialing in the hook of a story and honing my pitch for the right media outlet. Ho-hum.
Currently thankful for: Justin was able to attend his Grandma’s memorial services earlier in August. It was a lot of travel in a 48-hr period and I stayed behind to manage our events, but we made it work because it was important for him to be there with his family.
Currently not excited about: We are enrolled in a new health insurance plan. Navigating the prior authorizations and new providers makes me want to poke my eyes out. I still don’t have it all figured out, and we’ll likely have to enroll in another new health care plan within the next 6 months, which means doing this all over again. #SuperFunAdulting
Current guilty pleasure: We ate out 3 times (on our dime) while in Alaska over 7 weeks. Not that the temptation wasn’t there, but we tried to be pretty strict with our spending. Now that we are in the lower 48 where some of our other cheaper eats and vices exist (In’n’Out / Chic Fil-a), I can already say we’ll probably be less conservative. Plus, it’s football season and we both enjoy watching … without a home or TV, this means at some kind of a bar!
Currently amazed by: The sounds of nature! It may sound cheesy, but one of my favorite parts of our outdoor life include these micro details. While camping our way through Canada these past few days, we heard wolves howling (!!!), loons calling and owls hooting. Not to mention seeing PLENTY of bear, caribou, stone & bighorn sheep and a porcupine!
Currently proud of: Here are a few of our current articles that I didn’t get a chance to share otherwise. One for Leave No Trace and one for Therm-a-Rest. And don’t forget our Backpacker “Gear of the Week” column!
Currently regretting: Friends and family that collect all our mail and packages. We receive a surprising amount of mail (random medical bills, vehicle registration) and of course packages (gear testing for Backpacker), and it falls on other people because of our nomadic ways. Chasing down mail is probably the bane of our existence, and we’re so lucky to have a helpful network.
Current confession: I’ve always talked often to my mom on the phone, but now I try to talk to her everyday. It’s a tad hard with lack of cell service here and there, but it’s worth the effort. After my dad passed (6 months now!! WOW), everything in my life felt a little more fragile. My sister, my mom and I are a tight-knit click who have to have each other’s backs (plus figuring out estate stuff takes as many brains as possible).
Currently reading: We’ve been wanting to read Alex Honnold’s book, Alone on the Wall, since it debuted in 2016. And we just finally listened to it via Audible! It was well worth the wait. We like to say Alex runs in the same circles as we do (mutual acquaintances and run-ins). He is a modest and straightforward—yet quirky—guy from our impressions, and his backstory really solidified those opinions.
We’ve now moved onto listening to Into the Raging Sea by Rachel Slade. It is quite intense and sad—about the sinking of El Faro container ship and 33 passengers in 2015—but really good. We still have several hours left.
Currently watching on Netflix: Season 1 of Typewriter. It’s only 5 episodes and was touted to be a scary show, but we say don’t bother!
Currently excited about: If you’ve made it this far … We are currently excited about your reactions to our next blog post … stay tuned.
Great story. Thank you.
Come on! I’m already waiting with baited breath and you just posted this entry today! First week at new job was great-I can’t believe how less-stressed I am!