The first time I was in a canoe in the Boundary Waters wilderness was in 2000. I was 5 years old. My younger brother, Justin, only 3 years old, and I sat in the middle of the canoe while our parents paddled us to camp. We felt like marshmallows in our life jackets with baseball … Continue reading Looking Back and Paddling Forward: Rediscovering My Love for the Boundary Waters
Our monthly camping challenge continues! In February, we spent another long weekend in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. This time, we weren't alone. Our friends Isabelle and Charlie from Madison came along for their first winter camping trip, the team building and bonding experience of a lifetime. This trip, temperatures were forecasted to be … Continue reading What to Bring Winter Camping
By the time I graduate come August, my entire 15-month graduate program will have been eclipsed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Do I mourn for the experience that I dreamt of for two years leading up to the start of my program? Of course I do. Do I regret starting my program in June 2020, despite knowing that most of it would be virtual? Not for a second.
I can see my breath form wisps of moisture in the air even though I'm bundled head to toe inside of my 15-degree sleeping bag. The wood stove fills the tent with the slight scent of wood smoke, but our fire has long since burned out. Outside, snow falls and patters the walls of the … Continue reading Winter Camping in the BWCA Wilderness
For most of us, it's been 32 days. Thirty-two days since the real beginning of a coronavirus invading our neighborhoods and communities. I remember the night that everything changed—I was at work, stocking grocery shelves. Numerous news outlets would later say that three events in succession on March 11th made America wake up to the … Continue reading Working for a Grocery Co-op During COVID-19
You've done it! You graduated college, walked across the stage, and received your diploma. You're done with homework, lab practicals, papers, late nights studying fueled by coffee and cereal. You're on your own in the "real world" now, looking for jobs, a place to live, and someone to share it with. Or maybe you graduated … Continue reading A Guide to Transitions
“Why do you care about protecting wilderness?” I pose this question to visitors every week in one of my classes. After three or four days in Denali National Park, I know that they’ve heard about as many facts and stories as their brains can hold (and that they won’t remember most of them). I reserve … Continue reading Growing Alongside Nature: Life as a Field Educator in Denali National Park
Routine on the road comes easily. Wake up around 8am. Pack camp, eat breakfast. Boil water for tea. Drive 6-7 hours. Set up camp. Make dinner. Sleep early. Repeat. While the drive down from Alaska is one of my favorite road trips, trying to make it to the lower 48 quickly can be tiring. The … Continue reading Benefits of Backpacking: Our Trip into Olympic National Park
A year ago on September 8th, we were jumping into the Arctic Ocean in Utqiagvik, Alaska. To some, birthdays are just another day on the calendar. They say, "You're really just one day older", sometimes using it as an excuse not to celebrate. To me, birthdays are milestones. They are a chance to look back … Continue reading A Denali Backcountry Birthday
I've been home from New Zealand for 4 months already. In complete transparency, I found this post, finished and unpublished, and felt that it deserved to conclude my story in New Zealand. When I got back to Minnesota that first week, I slept a lot. I reflected a lot. I talked about our travels with … Continue reading What Ten Weeks of Travel Taught Me
