Res-o-lutes

Res-o-lutes // ˈrezəˌlo͞ot // Admirably purposeful, determined, and unwavering

MAUI, Hawaii // My least favorite time of the year is January in the gym. All classes are impossible to get into. Treadmills have wait-lists and the people look too shiny in their new workout jazz. Then a miracle occurs, lets call it “February”, and everyone magically disappears (except for that one body builder who grunts when he does his one rep of 250 lbs whom we all wish would disappear but never does). Now I am not saying that I don’t like it when people resolute to lose weight, I just like it better when they follow it throughout the entire year.

Why? Why do we make resolutions that we never see to fruition. I think it’s because we go into it with the idea that we are going to change our bad habits. Habits by definition are especially hard to give up and are often unconscious patterns of behavior that evolve through years of frequent repitition, so I am not sure why we think we can overcome them at the drop of a NYE ball in Time Square. I think we should look at our resolutes as a way to enhance our lives, add new habits, find the opportunities that are available to learn and add new skills to our personal or professional resume. I also think making seasonal resolutes is extremely practical as well because you want to tackle different pieces throughout the year. An example would be: grow cucumbers (summer), take 3 ski lessons (winter), learn to play 5 songs on the ukulele (indoors when its rainy or cold), take one scuba advanced diving course (warmer weather and outdoors).

Below are our 2016 resolutes that are taped to the inside of our journal. (You may be asking why I call them resolutes, okay I am a bit off my rocker and call lots of things by funny names – ask my husband or friends – but resolutes sound more powerful in my mind since resolute (defined above, yes I did Google it) means determined and unwavering. 

Where We Joy 2016 Resolutes // 

• Journal and Meditate for 5 minutes each day
• Blog Weekly
• Create one Travel Video per Month
• Volunteer on 2 farms
• Take a permaculture class
• Master 10 go to dinner dishes / Recipe book
• Stick to the daily budget ($100/day)
• Climb Lord of the Thais 1st Pitch in Railay, Thailand
• Lead a 5.9 climb in Thailand
• Identify 100 birds on our life list
• Spear, clean, and cook fish
• Hula 4 times
• Learn to Surf and surf in 3 different countries 
• Learn 2 man beach volleyball
• Hike in Nepal
• Stay at an Ashram in India

The Next Phase

ATLANTA, Georgia // The first phase of our trip is over and arriving in Maui is finally here. We have divided our trip into 3 month blocks so that we can plan and analyze each adventure and reflect on what we accomplished. The past 3 months have focused us on leaving NYC, the road trip across the United States, and two months with family in Atlanta and Cleveland. 

When we were in our hometowns, it was so convenient not to be forced to rush and try to do everything in 2 or 3 days with our families, like we usually do when we fly home for a typical weekend. We had the chance to do things like go out to lunches and cook food with our parents, interview our grandparents about their lives, play tennis, play cards, play piano, go birdwatching, go bowling, and chat about the future.  

We woke up at 3:30 am on New Years Eve and boarded our long flight to Maui that had 2 layovers. We flew from Cleveland, to Atlanta, to Seattle, and arrived in Maui at 10 pm, just before the new years fireworks. 11 hours of flying and 5 hours of time changes. The next phase begins. 

What to Pack

SOLON, Ohio // What do you pack for 6 to 12 months of traveling? We had everything laid out on my parents basement floor and everything fit into our bags pretty easily. Between a 70 liter pack and a 40 liter pack, we fit all of our clothes, rock climbing gear, and trekking supplies.

It was difficult because although you can buy simple things like a toothbrush and deodorant abroad, there are certain things that if you forget to pack, you may not always find in rural Cambodia or on an island in Malaysia. Objects like a red scuba diving lens for a GoPro camera, 300 malaria pills (from a trusted pharmacy), extra batteries for a Canon Rebel T2i camera, a Petzl Grigri (for climbing), our scuba dive licenses, and a handful of other stuff would have been a pain to find abroad or be mailed to us. 

The alarm is set for 3:30 am and all the bags are by the front door. 

Packing List:

Passport, flip flops, walking shoes, keens shoes, pants, shorts, dry fit shirts, t-shirts, hoody, underwear, hat, smartwool socks, dive journal, diving license, scuba mask, snorkel, lock, travel towel, raincoat, Malaria medicine, deodorant, clif bars, swimsuit, neosporin, band aids, nail clippers, headlamp, sunscreen, aloe vera, travel journal, ukulele

Climbing Gear:

60 m rope, 2 pair climbing shoes, 2 harnesses, 10 quickdraws, 6 locking carabiners, 3 nylon slings, 2 prusiks, 2 ATCs, 4 bail biners, 1 chalk bag, 1 Grigri, Thailand Climbing Guide by Sam Lightner Jr.

Play // Liverpool Rummy Card Game

GARFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio // I am always looking for new card games to entertain myself with and Grandma is a wealth of knowledge. Below is a game she taught us while we were waiting for our "Lazy Man's Cabbage" to cook (separate blog post soon on how to make that yummy Polish dish) called Liverpool Rummy.

The game requires two full decks of cards including jokers. Jokers are wild cards. The object of the game is to get rid of all the cards in your hand and like golf, lowest score wins.

You play 7 different rounds:

1. Two Sets // 10 cards
2. One Set and One Run // 10 cards
3. Two Runs // 10 cards
4. Three Sets // 11 cards
5. Two sets and One Run // 11 Cards
6. Two runs and one Set // 11 cards
7. Three Runs // 12 cards

A Run: is four cards in a row of the same suit // 6-7-8-9 (hearts) or 10-J-Q-K (spades)

A Set: is three cards of the same type of any suit // 10-10-10 or K-K-K 

Jokers can be used anywhere in your run or set. You can pick up from the discard pile out of turn only if the person who’s turn it is does not want the discard. You can only pick up a card out of turn 3 times in one round and when you do take a card out of turn you must also pick up extra card from the deck. There is no digging back into the discard pile. You only have the one opportunity. You can only set down your cards when you have all your sets and runs ready to put down. (This is different from regular rummy). You end with a discard. The winner who discards would score zero. Any cards you are holding in your hand get scored:

1. 1-9 // 5 points
2. 10-K // 10 points
3. Ace // 15 points
4. Joker // 20 points

After 7 rounds whoever has the lowest score wins!

I feel like this is getting wordy, so google it, but its a great simple game that takes a few hours to play since it has so many different rounds. And don't let Grandma sweet charm fool you. She is one heck of a card shark. 

Family Roots

“Family // like branches on a tree, we all grow in different directions, yet our roots remain as one” 

NEWNAN, Georgia // I always pictured our family as a tree and my grandparents as the trunk. Each branch an aunt or uncle and my fellow cousins and I as leaves. Everyone reaching up and out in hopes of finding their face in the sun. All these years though I overlooked the root system that my grandparents grew from. I have never asked to learn about my ancestral roots until recently and for that I apologize to my family. I am listening now. 

We’ve recorded hours of interviews with a few of our grandparents. I’ve learned so much about them, the history of our nation, and the world.  I feel like I’m listening to an entire generation speak and they all echo one word // survival. They are a gritty and tenacious generation who overcame World Wars, Stock Market Crashes, and the poverty associated with immigrating to a new country. 

They survived the holocaust in ghettos of Shanghai. They went out on the ranch as teenagers for months at a time fending against wild animals. They lost everything in the stock market crash. They shared beds and always worked to help the family. They made gas masks for the war on assembly lines, worked as butchers, and on railroads. They got pregnant and married and served their countries before they were old enough drink. They flew helicopters in Vietnam and saved lives. They had big families and loved their children even though they didn’t vocalize it in words. There are roots as far back as a fur trapper in Montana, a plantation owner in Missouri, and 1722 Zurich, Switzerland. They didn’t celebrate birthdays and sometimes the greatest gift was an ounce of butter. But they retell their stories stoically without any outward signs of hardship or complaint. It was what it was and they survived. 

I feel ungrateful for all I have. The word spoiled comes to mind. What’s ironic is that I think they were happier than us. Perhaps happier is the wrong word. They were unbroken which in a sense makes them stronger characters than us. I think the greatest honor we can give to them is to remember their legacy and embrace our roots because we cannot change them and we can never forget them. We will hopefully be compiling our footage into full documentaries for our families to put in the time capsule to honor our roots. 

This post is dedicated to our Grandparents // Thanks for sitting down with us and telling your stories. We love you. Also dedicated to my Aunt Julie // Thanks for caring about where we came from and for doing all the hard work for me on the Shular side.

The Big Year

WEDOWEE, Alabama // Movie Plot // Three men are searching for something and find themselves on the same quest called // The Big Year. Its a prestigious competition among “birders” to find the most species of birds in North America in one calendar year completely on the honor system. Starring: Steve Martin, Owen Wilson, and Jack Black. 

Though its a comedy and satire of the “birding” community I found myself longing to be a birder. In fact I have started a Bird Life List to see how many I can see in my lifetime. Its not so much that I love birds but that these people have a passion that gives their life purpose. Birding also requires people to go out into the wild, travel, and as a result find adventure. Looking for birds reminds me of the saying "stop and smell the roses". You literally have to stop and listen and look around you.

Everyone is searching for something. I find that this is the same quest Adam and I are on // To go out into the world and see what we can see so we have affectionately been calling our year of travel // The Big Year. 

The Big Year winner spotted 755 different species in one year. We are well on our way to our 2016 resolution to see 100 birds by the end of the year.

1. Brown Thrasher // Wedowee, Alabama
2. Shriker // Wedowee, Alabama
3. Swallow // Wedowee, Alabama
4. Cardinal // Wedowee, Alabama
5. Great Blue Heron // Wedowee, Alabama
6. Warbler // Wedowee, Alabama
7. Finch // Wedowee, Alabama
8. Red Headed Wood Pecker // Wedowee, Alabama
9. Blue Jay // Wedowee, Alabama
10. Bald Eagle // Wedowee, Alabama
11. Ruby Throated Humming Bird // Newnan, Georgia
12. Canadian Goose // Solon, Ohio
13. Red Bellied Woodpecker // Solon, Ohio
14. Black-Capped Chickadee // Solon, Ohio
15. Northern Cardinal // Solon, Ohio
16. Coopers Hawk // Columbus, Ohio
17. Wild Turkey // Bentleyville, Ohio
18. Pigeon // Atlanta Airport, Georgia
19. Zebra Dove // Kahalui, Hawaii
20. Common Myna // Pukalani, Hawaii
21. Red-Crested Cardinal // Pukalani, Hawaii
22. Java Sparrow // Pukalani, Hawaii
23. House Sparrow // Haleakala, Hawaii
24. Japanese White-eye // Haleakala, Hawaii
25. Nene // Haleakala, Hawaii
26. House Finch // Kihei, Hawaii
27. Spotted Dove // Pukalani, Hawaii
28. Maui Rooster // Kula, Hawaii
29. Hen // Kula, Hawaii
30. Ring-necked Pheasant // Kula, Hawaii
31. Cattle Egret // Pu’unene, Hawaii
32. Hawaiian Coot // Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge
33. Hawaiian black necked stilt // Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge
34. Laysan Albatross // Pololu Valley lookout Big Island Hawaii
35. White-Tailed Tropicbird or Koa’e Kea // Volcanoes National Park Big Island Hawaii
36. Wedge-Tailed Shearwater // Kameole Beach Park III, Hawaii
37. Melodious Laughing Thrush // Kalalau Trail, Hawaii
38. Northern Cardinal Female // Kalalau Trail, Hawaii
39. White Rumped Shama // Kalalau Trail, Hawaii
40. Sandpiper // Kalalau Trail, Hawaii
41. Red Footed Booby // Kalalau Trail, Kauai
42. Barn Owl // Pukalani, Hawaii
43. Common Waxbill // Sandy Beach Park, Oahu, Hawaii
44. Red-Vented Bulbul // Manana Waterfall Trail, Oahu, Hawaii
45. Jungle Myna // Railay, Thailand
46. White-vented Myna // Railay, Thailand
47. Eurasian Tree Sparrow // Krabi, Thailand
48. Easter Cattle Egret // Krabi, Thailand
49. Pacific Cattle Egret // Railay, Thailand
50. Blue Whistling Thrush // Railay, Thailand
51. Mangrove Pitta // Railay, Thailand
52. Mangrove Blue Flycatcher // Tonsai, Thailand
53. Black-capped Kingfisher // Tonsai, Thailand
54. Buff-bellied Flowerpecker // Railay, Thailand

Learn and Play

NEWNAN, Georgia // A few years ago I started this tradition with my friends on their birthdays where I ask them to give me three words that they want to focus on for the upcoming year (rules are flexible). At first it was just a joke but over the years I’ve come to enjoy looking back to see what was important to everyone at a give point in time. My three words for my 30th year of life are // Learn and Play.

Learn // Learn about my past. Learn about my grandparents. Learn about what’s important to me, who I am, and what I stand for. Learn skills. Learn survival skills. Learn to farm. Learn to fly. Learn pottery. Learn to create.

Play // Play and laugh everyday. Don’t take life too seriously. Find play in all aspects of the day. Play corn hole, ping pong, tennis, cribbage, and poker. Play with Maddie and on playgrounds or at the gym. Play with fishing poles and card games. Find laughter that makes your cheeks and belly ache. The kind of laughter that runs down your leg while racing wheel chairs up and down your grandma’s driveway. Treat everyday like its your birthday filled with celebration.

Birthday words recorded over the past few years: 

• Confident life decisions // AH // 2013
• Travel + +, Learn, Build // KY // 2013
• Survive and Advance // JG // 1-17-14
• Weird, Unexpected, Exciting // KY // 1-31-14
• Year of yes // AS // 2014
• Work life balance // CA // 8-21-14
• Do more situps // MH // 11-20-14
• Courage and Confidence // MW // 1-17-15
• Learn some Chinese // KY // 1-17-15
• Create bold experiences // MW // 4-16-15
• Organized free time // AH // 5-3-15
• Do more stuff // PG // 5-3-15
• Simplify, Save, Go // AS // 5-16-15 
• Celebrate, Achieve, Relationships // CA // 5-16-15
• Diversify my portfolio // SE // 9-5-15
• Tremendous, Distinguished, Jubilant // MS // 9-24-15
• Similar but different // unknown 
• Learn and Play // JS // 11-27-2015

Home

Home is where the heart is but houses require maintenance.

WEDOWEE, Alabama // We have had the distinct privilege of spending the past few months at home // Interviewing grandparents, focusing on our health, playing, and helping our parents with their “to-do” lists.

Items checked off the “to-do” list thus far:

1. Cleaned gutters
2. Replaced ceiling fans
3. Assembled with power tools
4. Painted gazebos
5. Mended rock walls
6. Mounted cabinets
7. Chopped Firewood
8. Burned Brush
9. Blew Leaves
10. Painted birdhouses

All of the above sounds like work but to us it felt like play. We might as well be one of Tom Sawyer’s friends whitewashing the fence for him. I find immense pride in each of our finished tangible products. Every glimpse of a fan blade or cabinet brings a smile to my face. We also learned something from each task that we could only learn through experience.  

Let us know if there is anything we can help with!
 

MAR 1967

NEWNAN, Georgia // MAR 1967 // This is the inscription on the back of my grandpa's watch that was issued to him during the Vietnam War. I found it corroded and moldy in his old Air Force footlocker. I cleaned it with toothpicks, rubbing alcohol, dish soap, and Qtips. I bought a new pin for $3.50. I also tried to put a new battery in it, which my grandfather laughed about when I told him since it's a wind up watch. Now it sits on my wrist ticking the time away just as it had for my Grandpa over 45 years ago. Adam and I plan to visit Vietnam during our trip to Southeast Asia next year and I plan on taking this watch back for a second visit. 

Part of the reason we wanted to spend a month at home in both Georgia and Cleveland was so we could spend some quality time with our grandparents. Adam and I both went out of state for college, and NYC was also an airplane ride away from our families for the last 7 years. We came up with this idea to interview and video record our grandparents stories. This is why we went through my grandpa's old footlocker. I have always heard the stories, but as we sat down with Grandma and Grandpa Shular I realized that they were like icebergs, and I only had ever seen a small piece of a much bigger picture. Your stories inspire me and I'm so proud to be your granddaughter. 

Dedicated to our Grandparents - I'm sorry it took us so long to ask and truly listen to your life stories. Thank you for sharing your memories and photos with us. They will be cherished forever and will never be forgotten.

The Road Traveled

The road traveled:

1. NYC, NY // old apartment manhattan
2. Leesburg, VA // coddington family
3. Cleveland, OH // stanowick family
4. Atlanta, GA // shular family 
5. Selma, AL // civil rights movement
6. Demopolis, AL // coddington shrimp farm
7. Jackson, MS // sleep airbnb
8. Vicksburg, MS // breakfast by the mississippi
9. Dallas, TX // college friends
10. Plano, TX // uncle and cousin stanowicks
11. Hermleigh, TX // mid-america
12. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM // bat flight & camping
13. Guadalupe Mountains National Park, NM // sunrise drive
14. Las Cruces, NM // worlds largest chili pepper
15. Mesa, AZ // cousin albete
16. Joshua Tree National Park, CA // hiking
17. San Diego, CA // brother stanowick
18. Santa Barbara, CA // brother walbridge & frisbee golf
19. Los Angeles, CA // college friend
20. Big Bear Lake, CA // holcomb valley climbing & hostel
21. Mojave Desert, CA // hole-in-the-wall camping & hiking
22. Grand Canyon, AZ // mather campground & bright angel trail hiking
23. Santa Fe, NM // silver saddle motel & the willie nelson room
24. Taos, NM // climbing & snow mansion hostel
25. Edmund, OK // sleep airbnb
26. Jasper, AK // horseshoe canyon ranch climbing & little switzerland inn
27. Clarksdale, MS // shack up inn & marty's barber shop
28. Oxford, MS // ole miss
29. Birmingham, AL // lunch
30. Newnan, GA // home for the next month

Thanks to our hosts for all the time, love, and hospitality. This trip would not have been possible without all our family and friends support.