My adventures thus far

When I left New York I packed two boxes of books and a few bags of clothes into a rental car and drove down to see my sister in Maryland; everything else seemed an unnecessary encumbrance, and I gave most of it away.

I spent the next few weeks working as a combination sous chef/babysitter at my sister's bed & breakfast (The Blue Heron Inn, I highly recommend it if you're looking for a place to get away for a weekend), where I got to help cater a handful of events and taught my one-year old niece to climb down the stairs.

I would have stayed longer, but I'd had previous plans to visit Alaska with another of my sisters so headed off for parts unknown. The Kenai Peninsula was lovely; we stayed just outside of Seward, down the road from Exit Glacier, and got to do some good exploring while we were there.

My personal favorite was a short kayaking trip on Resurrection Bay; we left around 6 in the evening when most other boats had already come in, and paddled down the coastline for a couple of hours. The water was ice cold, but the sea otters didn't seem to mind and thankfully none of us fell in.

From Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

We also hiked about 1/3 of the way up the Harding Ice Field trail, climbing approx 1000' in the first mile before stopping to rest in Marmot Meadows. The views were extraordinary; we found a rock that looked right over the glacier and sat down to enjoy the view before heading back down. Another definite highlight of the trip.

After Alaska, I took a few kayaking lessons in Seattle where I learned some bracing strokes that I probably could have used on Resurrection Bay, and discovered that it's a little scarier being upside down and sealed into a kayak than I'd been led to believe. My instructor was fantastic; if anyone else wants to learn, you'll find that George Gronseth's course is well worth your time.

All told, it was nearly 2 months before I had a chance to unpack my bags, and it was a relief to arrive in Hawaii and stay awhile. I have done little of note since arriving; this is a quiet place, and I've mostly been spending my time near the water.