It was going to be a big day! I didn’t know starting exactly how long that day would actually be though! We woke up at 4 am, and begin to hike around 5:15 am. We didn’t stop hiking until about 8:30pm..so 14 hours of hiking in the amazing wilderness of the ADK was simply perfection, exhausting, exhilarating, and a big self challenge, this one goes to 11! I knew Tela would not be suited for this journey, due to elevation gain (~7000ft) and length 18+ ADK miles.
We watched a bit of the sunrise on our walk in for my first time through the AMR. The hike up Colvin was slow to begin with, as I was really adjusting to my new pack and the extra weight. We made it to the windy summit, but hey, we therefore had no bugs or black flies abound, ate a sandwich, drank some electrolytes and took in the view we would get twice on this hike. Not a bad view to have to earn twice.
Next we began our way to Blake. Blake has a negative reputation as an ADK 46er. I found the trail to Blake nice as you can still have views around you. The summit however, compared with the other peaks we hiked this day offered no views.
The worst part of Blake, however is the fact you have to re-hike back up and over Colvin. What goes down, must go back up! Once we hit the summit of Colvin again, we refueled and took some Advil, and started our way to Nippletop.
Nippletop was one of the more technical peaks we did this date. It consisted of many steep rock scrambles, but we navigated the narrows and hit our (technically 4th summit of the day). We were at the summit eating and enjoy the amazing views, and heard a grandmother and her two grandchildren behind us. They had just came from Dial, where we were heading next. They were super kind, and we took each others photos, and we saw them again when we got to our cars at 830 that night!
After resting a bit on the summit, we made onward way to Dial. This was one of the easier hikes of the day, and I was happy we had chose the route we did to tackle these amazing peaks. We summited Dial with a victory selfie and started our descent out.
That indeed was a super long descent. It was a little up and down so just when you thought you should be lowering in elevation you would climb a bit. We finally hit Bear Den, but sadly saw no bears. Ahh the joy to our feet to arrive at Lake Rd no more rocks soft flat surfaces! Becky asked me if I had looked at the time lately, and I couldn’t believe when she told me it was 8pm. As we were heading out of the AMR gate and trail sign in, the ranger came out and talked with us, asking us basically what didn’t you hike today 😂. He commended us on a job well done, and we made it back to our cars. It was such a good feeling to be able to take my shoes off. When I arrived home, I was greeted with a meal at 10pm of steak, potatoes and brussels. Thank you to my dear husband!
14/46 complete. Our next adventure is on Sunday! Hike on! Opt outside, wilderness therapy for the win!
A few years ago, I was on an audit just outside of Barcelona. It was a big international trip and the logistics were so complex I had to keep a spreadsheet of cities, hotels, number of people and who was in my company vs. a joining company. Ten working days, six audits, six countries… good times.
One of the benefits of traveling for work is that you get glimpses of areas you would want to explore more or go back to one day. During that trip, we stayed at an Eco Resort, https://www.massalagros.com/ecoresort/. A part of our stay including an amazing tasting dinner at their restaurant, 1497. https://www.massalagros.com/gastronomia/. During this time, I had the most amazing lamb that I have ever had in my life. I half-joked that I would marry that lamb.
As we departed Girona; Chris and I both had a lot on our minds. We had learned that his grandmother had suffered a brain hemorrhage, and had surgery. At first the recovery process was looking positive. After talks with the family in the US, it was decided to wait a few days before making the flight back to the US.
We left Girona to reach the Mas Salagros resort in Vallromanes. Mentally tired from processing everything going on in the US, this resort was a blessing to return to for pleasure and not business. The Ecoresort has fantastic touches in the rooms such as a bathtub with a view, and intricate architecture and touches such as arches and stained glass. The last time I was in this beautiful place, I encountered a magnificent sunset, and this evening was no exception!
So, let’s talk about your memories of food for a moment. That lamb many years ago, really set the precedence for how I believe lamb should be prepared. My coworkers and I have spoken about it many times since eating there years ago. Would it be as amazing as I thought? Let’s break it down quite simply. When I eat food that I love or have a passion for, I typically try to take a photo. Although I managed to get photos of the rest of our meal, I was so excited for the lamb, my photo was blurred. However, I can tell you after speaking with the chef, understanding the 48 hour slow cooked lamb and preparation, it was so tender, juicy, and simply exquisite. I am married, but yes, I would still marry that lamb. ;).
Another hindsight 2020 moment was the lack of allowing enough time to fully enjoy Mas Salagros, as we stayed just one night and were off to the final destination of our holiday journey, one of my favorite places on Earth, the Gran Son Net Hotel in Puigpunyent, Mallorca.
We got a decent night’s sleep, checking in on the family in the US before deciding to continue on. We started our journey early in the morning, There aren’t many major airlines that fly from Barcelona to Mallorca. We flew Vueling and another it’s a small world reminder occurred. On our flight, were many of the musicians and the conductor/maestro from the Opera and ballet we saw in Barcelona. As we deplaned we had an opportunity to thank him for the performance which is always a good feeling. Artists and musicians always give so much to the world- it’s great to be able to personally thank them.
We collected our luggage, Chris’s bike, grabbed the rental car and off we went. We made a short pit stop at a grocery store to buy some water and snacks for the trip for hiking/ biking. Chris unpacked his bike and off he went for his first ride on the island. I drove to as I have mentioned one of my favorite hotels in the world… the Gran Son Net Hotel in Puigpunyent. There are a few places in this world where I immediately feel at home. This place is in the top five of my bliss zones. There is pure raw beauty of the landscape, the amazing hotel and staff, and the outdoor activities are endless. From hiking, biking, meditating, and relaxing, I can get my balance with euphoria.
“It’s filled with magic that’s how I know if something’s real.”
Nikki Rowe
There’s a lot to be said about staying in places where the staff treat you like family. That is the mind set of the feel since we first stepped on the grounds of the Gran Son Net hotel. Picture this- you feel as comfortable as you ever have with your family or friends, and you are treated like royalty. That’s the beauty and magic of the Gran Son Net. Mallorca is known to be an amazing cycling and hiking destination. In the busy season, we have heard it is very crowded. There’s something extra special about visiting during off-season meant easy opportunities to have a belated second anniversary dinner in the same amazing location of the first. So we spent our first days hiking, biking and exploring to our hearts content.
As we each explored to our hearts content, soaking up the beauty of this island,Unfortunately, back home the tides had changed. and things were looking quite different for Chris’s grandma. We were able to enjoy our belated 2nd anniversary dinner in our favorite treehouse in the world.
In a scurry of logistics arrangements, we worked to get Chris off the island of Mallorca back to Barcelona and onto Denver. The best route we could find put him in the US on the 6th Jan. He left the beautiful oasis of Mallorca on the 5th, flew that evening to Barcelona, and spent the next few hours in a crappy hotel before making the flight from Barcelona-Frankfurt-Denver.
Due to some wifi issues in our secluded part of the hotel, they kindly switched me to one of the most old world amazing suites in the main part of the hotel, as I would finish out our stay before traveling back. This was quite an experience, and I enjoyed having this unique time. I visited my favorite local restaurant in town, The Rose after dropping Chris off for his flight. This family run establishment is simply exquisite. There is nothing “fancy” about it- again they just want you to feel at home. The owner immediately asked where Chris was at when she saw I was dining alone, and gave me a free meal due to the circumstances. I guess comfort food includes potatoes made two ways! It was such an act of unexpected kindness and reminded me that:
Unexpected kindness is the most powerful, least costly, and most underrated agent of human change
Bob Kerrey
The flights were too expensive to change for both of us. My last days in Mallorca were spent arranging all my logistics, Airbnb, work situations, rental cars, flowers for the funeral, making sure Tela was taken care of, and rescheduling my infusion.
My last two days in this magical paradise, gave me time for reflection, grieving, meditation, and planning for logistics. The magic is undeniable. My undying love for this oasis, will live in me forever, and I hope to continue to be blessed to visit, explore, connect with the people and the culture of Puigpunyent, Mallorca.
And so that concludes the trilogy of our Spanish holiday; and the three part blog series of Hindsight is 2020. Although the year did not begin as we hoped, I am grateful for the time, flexibility, love and light in this world. Next stop up Colorado for family, friends, and celebrating the life of a wonderful grandma, mother, and woman. As the day I post this on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. day, I end the blog with a picture of my last sunrise at the Gran Son, and one of my favorite quotes.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Time flies, and life has been moving at its usual lightning fast pace. Since we have relocated to Switzerland, we have not been to the movies. I was a frequent movie goer in my younger years, and have always enjoyed a trip to the movies. We started last Saturday evening on a double date with an American colleague and his wife, driving just south of Bern to a huge theater complex.
The set-up was impressive, yet of course carrying the CHF price you must accept for living here. First off, there was the movie theater…so maybe in big cities in the USA this type of movie theater setup could be commonplace, and living in the small town of Steamboat Springs has left me a bit in the dark. With that being said, I was overwhelmed by the concessions, it was all there for the taking, from the usual wares of candy, real food offerings, beer and wine, complete with real wine glasses, and of course as Swiss culture would require it a place to recycle or return your wine glasses.
The theater had several floors including a bar/bowling alley, a birch tree filled restaurant which had a great valued meal, burgers, vegan burgers, or specialty burgers with your choice of bread, salad, or several different pomme frites. The birch tree eatery, also reminded me of just how small this world is, after all. When we entered this eatery, for a pre-movie snack, our waitress advised she was going to be studying next semester at my graduate school alma mater, Appalachian State University in Boone, NC! I gave a few exchanges about how special the place is, my love for the Blue Ridge Mountains, Boone and the Parkway, and left with a big smile and reservations later for a full dinner.
Because I am always a kid at heart one of my favorite bonuses of this theater was the tunnel slide to descend from the upper floor to the lower floor. Another huge plus to movies in Switzerland- there is a 10 minute intermission. So if you usually are holding your bladder, like me and don’t want to get up to miss a minute of what you have paid for, not a problem. Indeed this set-up made me very happy.
We had heard lots of chatter about the movie “Joker”, but also had been careful to avoid any spoilers. I must say I am thrilled we were able to experience seeing this film in IMAX. You may ask why I was hesitant to see a movie abroad? I worried I would be distracted due to the French and German subtitles. Not only did I find this completely non-distracting, I found myself reading the German and picking out phrases that we have been studying in our lessons. Double win!
So I won’t give any spoilers, about “Joker” but I will give my opinion. If Joaquin Phoenix doesn’t receive an Oscar for that performance, I’m certain that I will lose faith in that organization too. This film although very dark, and disturbing, exhibited some of the best cinematography, character development, and evoked a deep connection and perspective for the origin of the Joker. Anytime a movie is on my mind longer than a day post watching, that says something. I’m not sure I would ever need or want to watch it again, but it was truly a work of art.
Window view from the office
Otherwise, life is as good as you choose to make it, so much has happened, and so many exciting things are in front of me before the close of 2019: work trips to the Netherlands, Norway, and then a long Christmas and New Years holiday in Spain.
We have enjoyed a wonderful fall season and Halloween celebrating with friends and neighbors. I am super grateful that for the past few months I have been running quite religiously early in the mornings with Tela and averaging around 20 miles per week. Keep smiling and shining for the world!
It’s been almost a month since I last wrote! Terrible me! Life since returning to Switzerland has been ultra busy. When I returned sadly we were in the midst of the end of June European heatwave. Heat is kryptonite to almost eveyone with multiple sclerosis. Sensitivity to and intolerance of heat exacerbates the symptoms of MS. MS causes nerves to lose their myelin sheath, making them more vulnerable to heat and temperature changes. Heat exposure can cause or heighten fatigue, numbness, blurry vision, tremor, confusion, imbalance, and weakness. This is referred to as a pseudo-exacerbation as symptoms typically dissipate once the body is cooled, although this could take several hours, days or weeks to return to normal.
Heat is a major enemy of MS!
Therefore, I always feel like I’m a child being grounded now during summer heat. I can’t go outside with out risk, exercise the way I desire, or socialize how I want. Experiencing a heat wave here in Switzerland, is an extra layer of grounding vs. the USA, because in most places in the USA, even though it’s hot and humid, you can count on central Air Conditioning to cool you down. In Switzerland, I am extremely lucky that my workplace has an HVAC system, and that our semi-detached residence has two portable AC units, so it’s relatively cool in the main house, and in the bedroom allowing sleep. Thankfully, today at least is a much needed rainy cool Sunday with highs in the 60’s. Although we have had two heat waves this summer, I’m hoping we’ve seen the worst of it.
When I returned from the US, there was also a lot of understanding of how to help my husband post his cycling accident. It was really a blessing he was alive or not injured worse because of the accident. The Friday before I came home from the US, I exchanged texts with him and he told me he was in the hospital. My husband never goes to the doctor without being forced, so the hospital, what!?
Finally, I got the full picture that a truck with a trailer had turned left in front of him as he was finishing a ride. There was no opportunity to stop or avoid the inevitable crash in which his shoulder absorbed the 30mph sudden impact. The journey has been over a month of sorting out the exact damages to his body and most importantly the best treatment and recovery path. Luckily, the MRI finally was conducted and no tendons are torn. Although the scapula has a severe fracture, they do not think surgery is required, and physical therapy is helping regain the range of motion. So all signs point to hopeful positive recovery and getting back to baseline physical capabilities. Just as healthcare cases are difficult in the US when dealing with an accident, Switzerland has it’s own system with their insurance structure. So we continue to learn more about living and dealing with unique challenges while abroad.
I’ve been fortunate to take some small local hikes and enjoy this beautiful landscape locally, in the Jura mountain region. I’ve slowly been learning chess on our new board, but still am learning the strategies of the game. Chris will beat me until I study more strategic moves :), as long as he can keep his patience with me, I’ll be a novice for a while.
Chris’s garden has started slowly producing and we now have a small harvest. We’ve been blessed with fresh raspberries all summer- now time for my favorites squash and tomatoes, and a ton of Basil ;).
Pan fried squash and onions, and a caprese with our tomatoes and basil 🙂
In a few days, there will be some upcoming holidays, which are really much needed for a mental regroup. 01 August is Swiss National Day, similar to the 04 July, with many fireworks and celebrations.
I’m excited this year, as we will celebrate with two friends, their families and dogs, bbq time at a lake, enjoying fireworks, catching up and enjoying life. Hopefully the weather will lend itself to some hiking up in the mountains as well. I’m very much looking forward to a week of vacation beginning of 15 August “Assumption Day”. We will travel (finally!) to Zermatt and spend five days with beautiful nature and exploration in hopes of good weather and clear views of the grandiose Matterhorn.
A splendid time in the wonderland of Switzerland has been all the sunflowers in bloom! In the meantime- keep your chin up, embrace all the challenges and changes, and keep fighting, learning, experiencing, and keep L-I-V-I-N!
When I moved to Switzerland last April, people would often ask, do you think your family will travel to visit you? I would often pause, think about the long plane flight, the fact that no one had ever traveled internationally to date, and the hesitancy when I would ask them if they would take the opportunity…so the answer to that question was often, “I don’t think it will be possible”.
For those who know me, I am stubborn, determined and strong-willed. When I get an idea in my mind, I will try everything in my power to make it happen. Sometimes I am successful. Sometimes, not… This trait is not something that I just happened upon, it is something that was instilled in me from my Mama and Granny.
This time, my Mama decided it was time she showed her strong will. Over text message on 28 March, she asked if she and my niece could fly over and visit so we could spend Mother’s Day together. The catch was the dates were set for when my niece had a break in school, 07 May-14 May. My mind begin racing on how this could be achieved. They didn’t have passports yet, my Mama had never flown internationally, and only one trip domestically. My niece was afraid of flying and had not flown yet domestically, could we work with the dates and the tight timeline? My mind was a flutter with obstacles and concerns. After expedited passports were received, and several phone calls were made confirming logistics, it was set. There are no direct flights to Switzerland from NC, which is a pity, so they would travel through Washington Dulles to arrive in Zurich! It was all going to happen, something I never thought was a possibility.
“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.”
Rosa Parks
As the time drew closer, I thought about how we would maximize the short duration of this visit. The weather forecast was not looking great for most areas of Switzerland. Rain where we live, snow in the mountains, and then I found the one place where the weather looked most promising in the country, the Ticino region, near Lugano.
My husband and I had never taken the opportunity to venture to this area, so why not? A few hours of searching on Airbnb, I found a bit of an oasis that matched our dates. I didn’t know how they would respond to international travel or Jetlag, but decided to plan nothing the day they arrived, and leave for Ticino the next day, spending most of the time there. This would afford me to also have them experience a tiny part of Italy in addition to Switzerland, which was fantastic.
The views from the Airbnb
We arrived via “Snow White” my Subaru, to the very top of our Airbnb with panoramic views that were more idyllic than a camera lens can capture. We spent lots of quality time together, enjoying morning espressos on the terraces overlooking the lake, days adventuring to castles, cathedrals, markets and mountain tops, and played games to our hearts content.
Alpen Glow For the Win!
There’s no better medicine than laughter
We had the most wonderful covered terrace with a stone fireplace, patio table, and enjoyed sharing the Swiss tradition of raclette from the canton of Valais we purchased at the farmers market and drank local wine.
To close out the visit, we took the train back home and a boat ride across Lake Luzern. We finished up their last night with a light dinner and a game of Cards Against Humanity, which is always a hilarious time.
I was able to ensure they were all set at the Zurich airport and gave them a farewell sendoff back to the US! It was indeed a magical time to share the beauty of Switzerland and a small meal in Italy with two of my favorite people in the world! I look forward to doing it again, next time, to show them the beauty of the Vatican and Rome ;).
“Accept yourself, love yourself, and keep moving forward. If you want to fly, you have to give up what weighs you down.” -Roy T. Bennett
Although my home country, the USA went through Daylight Savings time a few weeks ago, today marks time change in Switzerland. Now that I have full clearance to physically to enjoy life in my own way, yesterday was indeed a true sunshine daydream. Physically and mentally challenging yourself to get back into what you love is uplifting bliss.
Two of my dear friends and colleagues are visiting Switzerland for the weekend, and we were quite blessed to amazing weather and the ability to truly enjoy the beauty of Switzerland’s great outdoors. Due to the funicular up to Harder Klum not yet being operational, we were forced to begin the hike from the bottom of the valley, adding quite a bit of elevation and hard work to our journey. Once we reached the top of Harder Klum, we realized why the funicular is not so operational, as the trail to Augstmatthorn still has snow fields, and dicey sections with washed out ridge trails. We used our “A team” skills with agility to navigate as far as we could, and ended the day with a respectable 10 mile hike with over 3,500 feet of elevation gain.
The first of many sketchy narrow crossings
Spring is often a time of re-birth, new beginnings and enhanced perspective. As I’m close to celebrating a new year of life and the anniversary of living one year abroad, yesterday was a reminder that although we have many challenges on our journey, it is indeed our responsbility in life to live the best life we can, spend more time with friends, and do the things you love. You cannot control what life throws your way with obstacles, but you must keep your mental and physical focus through the challenges. Stay positive, believe in yourself, and keep on moving!
A-team reunited overlooking the beautiful Brienzersee
So on this last day in March as we spring forward, I’m feeling quite happy. Keep living your best life! Inspiration song of the day- “Three Little Birds”… 🙂
In life’s journeys we are often challenged to make a conscious decision, whether it be to stop and smell the roses, the lavender, or to stop and appreciate the rainbows, even if they are the woman made ones! This video was sent to me from a dear friend and her beautiful daughter, bringing a big smile to my face early this morning.
After a particularly sleepness night, this small reminder of simplicity, and child-like wonder brings so much joy to my soul this morning. This is a reminder to me that no matter how old I grow, it’s important to your happiness to maintain perspective and appreciate the lucidity and beauty of even woman made rainbows :). Embrace and release your inner-child and unicorn daily, allow yourself to breathe in the small things, because even if your world can be clouded by ‘big’ things, it’s important to take in all the joys. The small pleasures surely can bring your heart more love, laughter and inspiration.
Adventures in this thing we call Life 