Bandalier National Monument is not the only National Park Service property near us. In October 2015, the NPS purchased the bordering Valles Caldera, establishing it as a national preserve. This piece of real estate has a crazy history. Imagine the scene. Mountains. Valleys. HUGE crater. This very distinct bowl among the other land forms is…
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One of the first things we did after we accepting this job in New Mexico was map out our weekend adventures. We had grand plans of several backpacking trips. However, we didn’t account for the unpredictable spring synonymous with living in the mountains (case in point, I packed shorts and sandals. I will probably never…
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J & I are on a quest to hit all the national parks, but often times, we overlook the monuments. So we were elated when we realized Bandelier National Monument was just about an hour from our doorstep and last weekend, we made the trip to explore. Bandelier is most known for its prehistoric ruins…
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One of the great things about this job is that we have a solid 2 days off each weekend. This means every Saturday and Sunday, we become weekend warriors and explore the surrounding area! I’m behind on my updates, so here is a report from our first weekend here, when we got ourselves in hot…
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This is our dear friend, Vern. Vern died today of stupid cancer. We’d like to memorialize Vern not only because he had a huge impact on our lives, but because he is a perfect example of how things can change so drastically in our lives and you really need to hug your loved ones…
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Have you heard the rumor is that New Mexico is a desert? Living in the heart of the Jemez Mountains, that rumor couldn’t be further from the truth. Up at nearly 8,000 feet, the matrix of lush meadows and meandering streams guarded on all sides by aspen groves, conifer forests and jagged canyon walls tells…
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When we arrived in Denver on Dec. 10, we didn’t really know how long we’d stay. We knew we were getting our Wilderness First Responder cert and J would be getting his AIARE Level 1 (Avalanche) cert. We knew we’d be spending the holidays. We knew we had to tend to some affairs, including switching…
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Currently living/working in: One foot in Colorado and one foot in New Mexico. There has been a lot of adulting these last few weeks in Colorado, between tax preparation, car care and doctor’s appointments. That’s what our stable, stay-put periods are for. We will be diving into an actual regular work schedule in New Mexico starting…
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On March 28, J & I will add our 14th state to our growing list of places we’ve lived: New Mexico!! Though our permanent residency remains in Colorado (made really official by changing our driver’s license and plates this week), we are heading to New Mexico for a 6-week contract job. This time around, we…
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This week has been very status quo because we’ve been playing the role of adults in charge of a home–taking care of doctor’s and dentist’s appointments (I type as my mouth is numb), car registration/oil change, prepping taxes, freelance writing project deadlines, cat-sitting … This is what I call the opposite of fun and it…
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J & I went for round 2 of winter camping 101 by hitting up Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado this week. I should clarify that J is very much into this winter camping thing, while I am still easing in and convincing myself that I like it. To be safe, we car camped at Moraine…
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Currently living/working in: Still “unjobbing” in Colorado!! We are very thankful we have lots of choices for spring/summer jobs (yes, there have been rejections mixed in there; we are not that awesome). But, we are just about the most indecisive couple out there, so choices=hard decisions. Current mood: Living month to month like we do is equally…
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Last weekend, J & I went on our fourth Colorado backcountry hut trip–the second for this season–with J’s sister and wife. This time, we hit Point Breeze Cabin, which is actually privately owned, but still booked through the 10th Mountain Division Hut System. Jamie & Rachel booked the entire hut, which sleeps 8, for us…
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When I was researching writing retreats for my book on Te Araroa, I was completely overwhelmed by the quantity and variety of retreats offered. Some lasted just a weekend. Some lasted longer. Some were local. Some were international. Some included food. Some didn’t. Some included lodging. Some didn’t. Eventually I weeded through the mountain of…
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I have something a little different on the blog today … it is an interview with someone about their first-time trip to the good ol’ ’Merica. Can you imagine coming to America for the first time? What would be your first impressions? Our Kiwi friends Max & Lyn took a 6-week road trip around the…
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Sadly, I am bidding farewell to New Zealand today. I am extremely pleased with my book-writing accomplishments and plan to write a full post about the retreat, etc, but for the time being, I have a report on one more NZ excursion: Milford Sound! Even though J & I had been to Milford Sound last…
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Greetings from New Zealand! I am doing well … busy writing, practicing yoga, writing, writing, biking, hiking, writing, practicing yoga, writing … you get the picture. And if you don’t, this is what it looks like. In between the retreat, my fellow writers and I are enjoying grand adventures around Wanaka. I thought I’d give…
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Hello from New Zealand! I didn’t want to make any promises about posting, but I thought I’d chronicle my time so far. My retreat starts Monday in Wanaka, but I planned my first 2 days to stay in Queenstown. Queenstown is a little crazy and I don’t get involved with the real hoopla, but I…
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If you’ve been reading this blog for a long time, or if you are my “real-life” friend, you would know I am a writer. I have a degree in English and spent the better part of my traditional career as a medical writer. I do a lot of freelance writing, too, for magazines, blogs, and…
DetailsOur contest giveaway has ended and we have 2 winners!! The winner of the grand prize pack is … Sonya Bryer Sanderson!!! The winner of our second place prize pack is … Robert Debevoi!!! Sonya and Robert, we’ve sent you both e-mails, so please e-mail us back with your mailing address to receive your prize…
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