It’s raining today. Raining! Not snowing, well, sort of sleeting, but I’m calling it rain and that means spring!! So, as we near the end of winter, I figured I’d share a few of our favorite moments where we really made the best of this crazy cold, long, snoooooowy winter we’ve had. I took the photo above on the coldest day of the year (it was somewhere around -40 F), and I was fairly skeptical about why I was living here, rather than, say, Hawaii. So, here are some of the reasons why we love Minnesota. Just so we remember. Because sometimes it’s easy to forget. 
We went tubing for the first time this year and I can’t believe I’ve been missing out on this for the last 22 years that I’ve more or less lived here! So. Much. Fun. Like can’t wipe that ridiculously silly grin off your face kinda fun. Kinda like this other activity we did this winter. But, as you are laugh-screaming while your face is sprayed with snow as you speed down the slope, you can’t help but have an inkling that, at any moment, this could be a serious disaster if you were to let go. But no matter, you keep holding on for dear life, tethered to your friends tubes, and as you reach the bottom, you all collapse in a pile of laughter and relief that you are still alive. And alive is how you feel. And, as soon as you can stand again, you find yourself running back to do it all again. Continue Reading →
A new year, a new beginning
So here we are in a new year. Do you see the new year as a new beginning? I know there’s always tons of chatter about resolutions and starting fresh, and sometimes I don’t buy into it, but usually it does feel good to see the year as a whole new beginning. Yeah, it’s pretty arbitrary, but, there’s something about seeing it as a fresh start that makes going through another year feel possible. It gives you motivation to go forward without feeling destined to repeat the year before.
So every year we do try to come up with little things to keep in mind through the year ahead, maybe goals, maybe hopes or dreams, or maybe just little mantras to keep our focus on an aspect of personal growth that has risen to the surface. This year I’m repeating these four words:
It’s time for me to stop rushing around, missing all that’s happening around me. Time to drive slower, to walk slower, to see the world for what it is each day and to take it in with awe. And it’s time for me to lose control, not in the go crazy and have no inhibitions sense, but in the sense of letting go of my control over every situation, letting go of perfection, giving the reigns to others (at least sometimes) and trusting in the bigger plans out there for me, for us.
So in the spirit of losing control, one of our favorite things over the holiday was a trip we took to Sky Zone with a bunch of friends. It’s a huge gym full of trampolines. There are even trampolines angled upright, so you can literally bounce off the walls. We jumped, we played jumping dodgeball, we jumped and flipped into a giant pile of foam blocks, and we jumped some more. And we couldn’t wipe those giddy, silly, gigantic smiles off our faces all night. It was that. much. fun.
Continue Reading →
Leap of Faith
What do you fear most and when did you realize you had that fear? For me, one of my biggest fears (much more than flying, although perhaps the two are related) is heights. I can remember the exact moment when I realized I had a crippling fear of heights. And not just any fear….a lay down on the ground paralyzed kind of fear. Not kidding. If it hadn’t been for my amazing mom, my remains would probably still be laid out on one of the platforms below the bell at the top of the Torre del Mangia in Sienna, Italy. Have you ever climbed that tower?
photo from wherefivevalleysmeet.blogspot.com
- I was 9, and on vacation in Italy with my family. We were lazily driving from Naples to Torino (south to north) exploring many of the beautiful little towns along the way. We stopped in Sienna to climb the famous Terre del Mangia, the bell tower that rises 289 feet, the third tallest tower in Italy. It’s great for the first 470 steps or so because you are climbing stairs inside the tower. You feel all nice and safe and cozy…you’re just getting some exercise. Then all of a sudden you come out on top and then there’s a ladder going up through the middle of a platform above you. You climb the ladder, all, “sure I can do this” and then you realize you are above any last fragment of wall surrounding the top of the tower. And then there’s another ladder to another platform to reach the bell itself, which is suspended above the tower with only a rope railing separating you from imminent death. Bring on the terror. I made it up the ladder to that first platform and said oh heck no and laid down, completely content to never move again. Clearly I did make it back down, but only because my mom is incredible. She talked me through it and then backed me down the ladder practically in her arms. I often forget it these days now that I’m supposed to be all adult myself, but sometimes I am reminded how powerful my mother’s protection still is.
This summer I visited my mom who now lives in the mountains in North Carolina. Feeling in a mood for taking risks, we decided to go ziplining. If you are ever in the Asheville area, there are a ton of options, but we really enjoyed Navitat because throughout the tour they taught us about the flora and fauna of the canopy and forest floor. 
We learned about the Hemlock that are dying on the East Coast from the Woolly Adelgid insect infestation and what they are trying to do to save them. 
There were 10 ziplines, the longest of which was over 1000 feet, 200 feet above the ground, and took nearly 30 seconds to cross. Also, there a few rope bridges and two places where we rappelled to the ground to look at the plant life and take a break.
So seeing as how I have a fear of heights I wasn’t sure how I would do with the ziplines. I’ve been on a mission lately to challenge that fear and I’ve been doing pretty well….making it up a rickety old fire tower in northern Minnesota was one of my recent accomplishments. 
The first few ziplines at Navitat were easy. The platforms weren’t too high, I felt pretty safe with all the gear I had keeping me tethered to the lines and the rides weren’t too fast or long. 
But then we got to the biggest one…you couldn’t even see the end of it, just a rope going off into the great beyond….you crossed over a whole valley so when you were in the middle, the view was incredible out over the mountains, but it was high. I finally got that crippling feeling of fear and I asked my mom if she would go first, which of course as my protector (even at 30 years old!) she did. Only later did I realize she was dealing with intense fear of her own (which made me feel guilty and terrible for only considering my own fear in the moment), but she set that aside to make it easier for her child….I will forever be grateful that I have such a strong and caring mother. Thank you mom! 
In the moment when I finally had to take that leap, I remembered what Ta’u had told me before I went. We have been taking lots of metaphorical “leaps” into the unknown lately and so he reminded me of that and told me to trust that life (or the line in this case) would always catch me…all I needed to do was trust and take that leap of faith. And so I leapt.
Here’s a little video capturing some of our zips (what do you call a ride on a zipline?). The funniest thing about the video is that it makes the zipping seem so smooth and easy….it totally didn’t capture the height or much of our fear…we look pretty chill. Although if you look closely at our faces I think you can see some of our apprehension.
In the end we both made it and had a blast and are already talking about when we’ll do it again. Navitat told us they were building a new course with lines 2000 feet long and 400 feet high and you go much much faster…..a new challenge? We’ll see.
I always thought I’d have to go to Costa Rica to try ziplining, but apparently it’s getting very popular right here in the U.S. Next time we want to go in the fall….the leaf colors in North Carolina are supposed to be breathtaking. Have you ever gone ziplining? What have you done to challenge your fears lately?
Ready Steady Roll!
Back in May I took a log rolling class with two good friends (who have both since moved away…sniff). What is log rolling you ask? Have no fear, we will demonstrate for you in our epic log rolling video below. But before we get to that check out our instructor’s face in the bottom left of the photo above. Best photo capture of our experience (excuse the fact that the camera was wet, it just adds to the effect, right?).
Our log rolling instructor was a maniac on the log – he was even gone one of the weekends to compete in American Ninja Warrior. Hard core….we were in good hands. But as you will soon see, it’s not easy. Even with expert instruction, all we could do was try to stay on the log as long as possible. Which wasn’t very long at all….our best times were a whopping 10 seconds on the log. See our scores below in the lower right….Sarah and I both “rode the bull” (stayed on over 8 seconds) clocking in with record times of 8.25 and 10.63. Now don’t mind the 4 minute times in the upper left. Those were tiny tiny children, which obviously don’t count. Their tiny bodies don’t even make the log move. We watched the class before us, we saw how they roll. It’s like walking on land. Must be boring. 4 minutes, I mean I would have jumped off from boredom by then.
We weren’t satisfied just being crazy good log rollers ourselves, we had to bring our husbands in to experience this with us….describing it in words to them just wouldn’t suffice. And as Ta’u loves trying any local cultural or traditional activity, this was right up his alley. Log rolling is a true Minnesotan tradition.
Jim Herron’s ” Grandma Log Rolling ” show
It began during the logging days in the late 1800’s when lumberjacks would drive the logs down rivers to transport them to the growing cities of the north. They guided the logs, trying to prevent log jams as they went around curves and across shallow areas. It was critical for them to hone their skills of standing on floating tree trunks. After working hours they would hold competitions at the logging camps. Two or three men would stand on a log and try to knock the others off until only one was left standing. The sport has been kept alive in various circles and competitions are held around the country each year (check out the US logrolling association). It appears to be making a big comeback in Minnesota this year, as we saw classes offered at all the lakes this summer, and saw logs tied to the roofs of cars as they passed us on the freeways.
So who wants to see our mad log rolling skills? I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Paddle Boarding in Minnesota
I recently surprised Ellie with a stand-up paddle board (SUP) for her birthday. Besides it being something that we have both talked about getting, I realized it was a great way to bring an essence of Hawaii to the 10,000+ lakes here in Minnesota.
We also took a SUP tour when we were in the Turks and Caicos this summer. It’s a great way to see the water from a new angle.
We decided to get a board that would be good on lakes as well as the ocean, so that we could potentially bring it with us on trips to Hawaii or Easter Island. To my surprise, there are a bunch of different styles of boards (including ones that pack easy and inflate). They run between a big range of prices, sizes, and weights. I found the REI website to be the most useful in figuring out what style would work well for us. Another hurdle I had to overcome was how to transport the 10′ 6″ beast using our little Saturn without having to install roof racks. That’s when I remembered that beach-bumbs on the North Shore of Oahu would have some sort of simple contraption with tie-downs to secure their long boards onto their rusted out hondas. After a little digging in the Amazon of products online, I found Wrap Rax from Block Surf. It’s basically 2 sets of tie-downs with solid padding that holds your board in place on top of your car.
It only takes me about 5 minutes to get the straps tied down and the board on the car. I love the flexibility of this kit. And (!) the kit says it can hold up to two long boards. I guess I’ll just have to get another board for myself 🙂
The sport of Stand Up Paddling (or SUP) has become pretty big throughout the country. I always seem to run across interesting news articles about it, like this one: A musician recently paddled from Cuba to Florida. He stood up nearly the entire 28 hour journey! The feat was done to bring awareness to international relations between the US and Cuba. Maybe next year both presidents should settle their differences over a paddle on the Mississippi.
Here’s the article:
Musician Paddles from Cuba to Key West