It has been a while since I have updated the blog. Lots of little adventures have happened in the last month, some noteworthy, others just day to day living.  Even though I pride myself on having avoided Facebook, I have to laugh that I am a blogger. What is the difference, really? 

Hopefully, though, our message is not about romanticising our life in an array of picture showcases, but of the honest path that we are on.  My hope is that as Ian and I continue to learn about our hearts desires, it may stir yours as well. 

However, I must explain the pictures, right? In September myself and 10 other teammates ran The Klondike, a 120 mile relay race from Skagway, Alaska to White Horse, Canada.

The entire race took us just over 24 hours to complete. I ran leg #4 which was 14.2 miles. Although I am not accustomed to waking up to run for two hours in the middle of the night (at 1:00 am), running in pitch darkness and rain was actually not too bad. I would even say therapeutic. Go figure.

Like a continuous game of hide and seek the drivers would meet us every 2-3 miles fueling us up with water or snacks (or a toast of champagne at mile 6) before heading on to the next check point.  Part of the fun was scouring the road in the darkness for headlamps and flashing lights.

Afterward we stayed at a beautiful bed and breakfast located on a hillside lake ( I cannot for the life of me remember the name!) As usual, the scenery during the race and on the drive / ferry ride home was gorgeous.

Not long after my race Ian took Miles, our little, zip lining.  Almost 7 months ago Ian and I joined the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.  Rock climbing, whale watching, hiking, and cooking has kept us pretty busy.

Ian is an absolute natural with children, admittedly, better than me.  Its fun to watch him and Miles imitate Top Gun / fighter pilot, the childlike play and innocence if refreshing.

Still, some of my favorite times are being alone in nature with Ian. Some of our best talks sping from the quite stillness that nature brings.

A few weeks ago we went on a hunt for hieroglyphics tucked away on the ocean coast. After a quick hike we found the giant bolder with what actually appeared to be ancient carvings. Unfortunately my camera did not get the best picture so you will just have to take our word for it.

So that pretty much sums our recent month of adventures. Most importantly a lot has been swirling around personally.  I have been absorbed (and I mean totally absorbed) in some humanitarian novels that I have recently read. My dear friend, Laurie, sent me a book for my birthday that I have been meaning to read for sometime but was too cheap to purchase, Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder.

It is the true story of Dr. Paul Farmer and his work in Haiti. Not only was this book timely as I will be heading to Haiti next May, but it sent waves into my slowly calming ocean. And, I am so thankful that it shook things up again.

One of my greatest fears is becoming comfortable, stagnant, and unaware. I love how Bernard Shaw, the Nobel Prize winning journalist and playwright puts it:

This is the true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one, being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish clod of ailments or grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.

Life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die  -  for the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake.

Life is no brief candle, it is a sort of splendid torch which I have a hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handling it over to future generations.

Those three paragraphs are a pillar in my life.

I just finished a story about the Lost Boys of Sudan, the thousands of presumably orphaned children age 3-10 who were displaced by the second Sudanese Civil war from 1983-2005. Somehow they traveled over a thousand miles through the deserts of Sudan amidst starvation, dehydration, sickness, disease and attacks by animals and soldiers to seek refuge Kenya and Ethiopia.

I wept through most of this book, this could have been me or my brothers, Jason or Blake.  We are (were) the same age during that time.  And,  this kind of life is not over for most of the world. We are now living in a world where 1/6 have too much for their own good and nearly 3/4 starve for basic necessities.  Daily, wars rage endemically and natural resources are both rapidly degraded and selfishly used up.

Why is this happening? What can I do?

St. Augustine, the 4th century saint, knew the answer even back then, it is better to need less than to have more.

As we prepare to enter this material smorgasbord holiday season, may those of us in the top 1/6 become more aware of the bottom billion around us, and be moved to do something about it.  May our conscious demand us to exchange our monthly Starbuck habit to sponsor a child.

And above all, may we strive to be thoroughly used up when we pass our torches on.

Blessings, peace, and above all love

- Sarah 

p.s. If you want to sponsor a child, I have a wonderful organization that I use. 90% of the proceeds go the children for food, clothing, education, etc. For only $25 per month you can change the life of a child and their generations to come.  Torch by torch we can! 

Honduras

You do not become good by trying to be good, but by finding the goodness that is already within you, and allowing that goodness to emerge - A word of wisdom learned in Honduras.

Our Medical Team

Earlier this month I went with 16 others to Honduras on a 10 day medical mission.  With only 4 medical providers and a physical therapist we were able to see over 1100 people. 

The providers and our interpreters

Even though the purpose of our trip to  Honduras was to help others, I received some soul medicine of my own.  Of course there is great joy in being with a beautiful group of many like minded people. But on this trip, my experience of truth was found in the quiet solace of inner reflection within my soul.  

Rarely have I ever come home from such trips feeling like I have accomplished nothing. Most of the time I come back sharing stories from the field of the large number of patients we treated, the rare diseases we diagnosed, and the extreme poverty that we see. Although all the above still occurred,  this time I walked away with a better understanding of others and myself.  

My first sense of this awareness came while listening to a patients heart beat. The make shift clinic that we set up was extremely noisy and somewhere in between the construction crew breaking up the road outside with a jackhammer and the constant bustle of a busy clinic I heard, for the first time, the song of a heart beat. 

As I closed my eyes to concentrate on the rhythm and rate I felt with absolute certainty  connectedness to life. The rhythmic chant of the beats was the same as the several thousand hearts I have heard throughout my career, but for the first time it completely dawned on me, the striking similarity of us all. 

My new Buddy,  Ishwar.

This was not an ephemeral or fleeting moment, but a true experience.  Across borders, cultures, languages, and religions, I understood that at our core we are the same.  

I admit that much of my life prior to the last 3 years I have felt indifferent and detached from the rest of the world.  When news of conflicts in the Middle East, famines across the world, or growing numbers of refugees would come up, it would frustrate and anger me for a few moments but quickly these fleeting thoughts would end.  Throughout my "busy" life I spent very little if any time reflecting on what I read and back to into my Stepford life I would be absorbed.  And through my continued ignorance to the rest of the world, further spreading injustice. 

However, it has become increasingly apparent to me that I can no longer sit here while my fellow brothers and sisters suffer. If this similarity exists, if we are all citizens of this world alike, then I have a responsibility to learn, understand, and respond. I not only believe that everyone has a story, but that all of them are intertwined into a larger whole. 

My medical mission sisters, Kim (Pharmacist) and Debbie (nurse)

Roommates, Ashley and Kim

In the last 3 years I have started to read the world news first, opting not to fixate on what Kim Kardashian is doing or the latest Hollywood trends. Rarely do those stories ever leave me feeling empowered or encouraged anyway. I cannot say that reading about the 1 million Syrian children refugees encourages me either, but it does give me something to pray about and someone to hope for.  

Beki, one of the sweetest nurses I know. 

 It holds me responsible when I consume more than I should or waste unnecessarily,  and it re-directs my thoughts off my not so significant problems to a much greater plan. 

So I can say my time in Honduras was a blessing,  it showed me a very important truth. I hope for the day when guns are laid down and hands are held instead, when our human experiences are enriched together as we recognize the similarity in us all. 

The Niecko's

The family fun continues! Last week we welcomed the Niecko / Jacoby family to Juneau via the Holland America Cruise line.  Their cruise ship departed from Seattle and headed to the great Alaskan southeast with a stop in Juneau. Although they only docked for a short 10 hours, we were able to squeeze in a lot (literally squeeeeeze) and show them the best of Juneau.  

Fortunately for them they had a personal tour guide waiting for their arrival. If you have really good eyes you will see that the very handsome tour guide is holding up "Niecko party of 6" signs....This same tour guide was able to convince the Niecko clan into taking an all day excursion with him.  As you can see below, Niecko himself stood by as a sign of approval. 

And, the matriarch of the Niecko clan, Dianne,  seemed to warm up to the tour guide immediately.  In viewing the picture, one would sense that they went together like peas and carrots.

The first stop on the adventure tour was up the Mt Roberts Tram. As always the view did not disappoint. 

Our next stop was to the Mendenhall Glacier. It is always fun to show people this natural wonder. Ian's niece, Evian, was particularly excited about all the nature and wildlife. She is quite the little scientist and author. At the tender age of 7 she has already authored and illustrated many non-fiction books.  My inner child completely related with hers and I found myself truly enjoying our time together. If I was about 26 years younger I am sure that she would be my best friend.  

Remember when I mentioned squeeze? Well, this is how we ride in style! Our little Subi did a wonderful job carrying all of its 6 adults and 2 children around. Way to go Subi Family Truckster! Part of the adventure for me was being able to 1) fit in the back and 2) survive the odd smells coming from a certain persons feet. 

Ian had a really great time reconnecting with his mini me, Niecko. There is a really special bond between them, something that no time or distance can change. And of course, no trio would be complete without the Polish Prince, Jon. 

Perhaps, though, the best surprise was coming upon a mother black bear and her two cubs. I am not sure who spotted this first, but we all gazed in wonder at this rare opportunity to see such an adorable sight.  As a side note, we did save a lady's life as well. Wearing her headphones and power walking around the bend straight unto the mother bears path, we alerted her just in time so she could turn back.   Click play to see and make sure to blow it up so you can see the bears. For those of you a little computer challenged, it is the broken square in the right corner of the youtube screen. 

I really enjoy watching wildlife behaviors. I think that there is so much we can learn from their patterns.    Be it a flock of sea birds all waiting their turn to lift off, the sea lions frolicking together in the gentle waves,  the snow geese flying in tandem and alternating leaders when they tire, or the mothers caring for their young, I see constant patterns of love, sharing, and community all over our world.   

Sometimes I think, though, that humans are completely missing the mark.  I imagine that we were once innately aware of community and fellowship,  but somehow the "we" of our lives was replaced with the "I and me"  that so often categorize our everyday decisions.  

Thankfully, though, I often see a tender moment such as the above.  It reminds me that something innate cannot be taken away, that Love still very much exists here.  Our world just needs more flames to go out and light the fires in others, one torch at a time. 

And what family vacation would be complete without food? As our time came to a close we splurged on non-vegan wheat filled pizza. And Uncle Ian and Aunt Sarah's bowels payed for it the next 2 days.

As always, I am so thankful for my family. It truly is a blessing to know that they are not starving, in the midst of a civil war, are well sheltered, healthy, and safe.  I think of all the other mothers, brothers and families of this world who cannot say the above and it does sadden my soul.  Loving them truly helps me love others and gives me courage to live a life for change.

So thank you Niecko / Jacoby family for sharing your lives with us, supporting us, and being a constant renewing foundation for us. We love you so much!

And so our adventure continues.....Mendenhall glacier is always one of the top attractions for both residents and tourists alike. Unfortunately, since the 1930's the glacier has receded almost 2.0 miles! 

Although a different experience from the time my mom came to the glacier in the winter, it is still an awesome site to behold.  And, I am glad that it is still there to behold!

 If I may climb unto my soap box for just a minute (and I assume that if you are reading this you are friends, family, or someone who may share the same views) living here in Alaska you cannot in all good conscious deny global warming. I know it is a hot political topic, but the reality is, our earth IS CHANGING.  With our population expected to reach over 9 billion by the year 2050, how can you argue that we are not impacting our world somehow? With those kinds of numbers, it is just not possible to not leave some kind of earth changing carbon and global footprint.

I live in one of the most beautiful places in the world and so yes, I am a "tree hugger",  a budding environmentalist, and people at work call me "granola"....what can I say? I want this to remain untouched and preserved.

Now I will climb back down from the soap box waving my Recycle/Consume Less / Grow and By Local flag!!!! And if I can also slip in my no drilling vote I will. Still friends?

This is a picture of Mendenhall Lake, which until the 1900's really didn't even exist.  It was formed from run off and the melting of  Mendenhall Glacier.  I actually had friends who came in on a cruise ship and went kayaking the same day that this picture was taken.  Unfortunately two of the kayaks tipped resulting in a trip to our local ER and a diagnosis of hypothermia. Thankfully both of them are ok, but treading water for 30 minutes in subzero water temperatures was not their idea of a fun excursion.

This is Nugget Falls to the right of the glacier. It is an extremely loud, powerful and I would even say boisterous waterfall.  A short 1 mile hike and you come right up to the lakes shore and falls.  Be prepared, though, you will get wet!

I believe that this floating iceberg was present when my mom and I came to Mendenhall this winter. It sure looks like one we walked up to (and possibly the one my mom tried to lick).  Often the glacier calves and so it is common to have many of these icebergs floating in the lake even during the heat of summer. Have you read that Alaska is having a heat wave? Global warming I tell ya!

As a father's day gift and early birthday gift for my mom we sent them on a day cruise to Tracy Arm Fjord and glacier.  They had already been there via plane (thanks again Dr. B!) to see it from an aerial view, but this took them much closer to the glacier's mouth. 

Living in a temperate rain forest of Alaska, glaciers are abundant. At one point I thought my parents might get "glaciered-out" but really, it that possible?  Like meeting members of the same family, each one has its own story, path, landscape and personality. I think that they fell in love like I have.

Apparently while on the cruise, this iceberg flipped over revealing a beautiful turquoise blue underside. I guess this isn't something that you get to see very often, so my parents were pretty excited.

And of course the wildlife! Little harbor seals call this area home. Since summer has come upon Alaska many seal mothers have given birth. My parents said that you could actually see blood and placenta on some of the floating ice.

As the perfect balance in the circle of life goes, the bald eagles (seen above and below) will swoop down and feed off the placental byproducts.  

Isn't this a great picture? My mom took this while on the cruise. She really does have an eye for all things creative and beautiful. 

And of course our favorite, humpback whales. There are a lot of whales in Juneau right now so I was not surprised that they saw some. I was surprised, though, that they were able to capture such great pictures!  The salmon and herring runs have started so most people have a good chance at spotting one.

This is a picture of a waterfall seen near the Tracy Arm glacier. The name is slipping my mind right now, but I think the word "hole" is in it somewhere.  You might be able to see the small dark holes in the bedrock from where it gets its name. 

Here is a picture of my mom and I heading out to Benjamin Island to see the sea lions. I didn't tell them that they were there. The surprise is so worth the wait.   Like I mentioned before, my mom and dad were such athletes on this trip. I think any 20 year old would have had trouble keeping up with them!

Here we are at the overlook. My buddies, Rebecca and Mary,  joined us on this wonderful trip. As customary, we hiked the short 30 minutes and had lunch while enjoying the wonders of nature.

 This guy, I think the leader of the pack, so reminds me of Jabba the Hut from Star Wars....

My mom really doesn't like this picture (sorry mom!) but it was the only one of the three of us. I think you look just fine, mom!

I am not sure why Ian is pretending to punch me in the stomach, but this is on our last day together.....not Ian and I, but before my parents left.  We thought we could squeeze in another short hike on the Flume near Perseverance Trail.

 This trail is fairly easy and most of it is along a boardwalk canopy above the rain forest.

While on our walk a local tourist (go figure) spotted this bear cub in the tree. It was still alive, but we didn't see mama anywhere.  For us that was a good thing, but for this little guy I am not so sure.

One of the reasons we chose The Flume Trail was so that my dad could try one last hand at panning for gold. He really enjoyed searching for this precious metal. As a matter of fact, he even found some to take home with him!  While he was panning, the rest of us were talking to a local who said that Alaska still has the largest gold reserve in the world, much still un-mined.  He likes to hike up into the mountains and pan for himself. Sometimes he even finds nuggets.

Although I know there is a lot of money to be made, I am still not sure how I feel about blowing up mountains to acquire it. For me, there is no price tag that could justify destroying or contaminating this area.

These are Alaskan Malamutes. Their owner brings them down for the tourists to pet. Being a huge dog lover, my mom definitely had to go give them kisses in addition to treats. 

My parents left after 11 days of adventure, leaving behind many new friends and memories. We had dinner with one of my colleagues, and he was so impressed with my parents that he gave my dad a Blue Artic Fox fur. It was a very tender gesture and really excited my dad.  It was fun to share Alaska with them, and even more meaningful to share them with Alaska.  

I love you mom and dad!

Sarah