Be the change you wish to see in the world …

After my battle with aggressive breast cancer in 2020 during COVID, I’ve restarted my goal of experiencing the entire now 420+ National Park Service circuit to continue my healing in nature. During COVID, I started visiting Oregon State Parks as a connection to nature, so I added that circuit too. And when the world opened up again, I started to head out on many fun and adventures in nature abroad.

In my twenties, I had the goal of visiting all of the National Parks, which was 62 total at that time. Then my career, kids and life ( … and maybe a ton of tennis) took over and I lost sight of that passion. As I approached my 50th year, my sister sent me an article titled “St. Louis man visits 419 National Parks in 2019, ending at the Arch” and I was re-energized. I was in Hawaii on the Big Island at the time and I went to two NPS sites that day ... Pu'ukoholā Heiau, a symbol of unification and lasting peace, and Kaloko-Honokōhau, where “On the Lava Flows the People Discovered a Spirit...” After exploring them, I realized I wanted to learn more about the lands, the indigenous peoples, and find ways to honor them.

I have visited 183 NPS Units, including 39 National Parks.

And 6 Continents, 24 Countries, and 39 US States.

I just returned from Palm Springs to visit my parents in January 2024 for their 47th wedding anniversary. It was touch and go if the trip would happen as we once again got hit with an Arctic Blast storm that featured freezing rain several times. We were iced in for over a week, we lost power and are so thankful we invested in a generator a few years ago (Happy 20th Anniversary Bo!) and we lost internet … which turned out to be a gift as we played games as a family and spent quality time together. A memorable event was that Bo and Sam were able to hammer out a step by step path up our driveway to get Sam to his bowling tournament … that is one for the books! Alas, the water warmed up one day and the ice thawed, and I was able to fly. Mother Nature is always in charge!

“It’s the not the Destination, It’s the journey.” —- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Each day, I am so thankful to be alive and to be able to explore in nature with the ones I love. And when I am not traveling, I am on the Pickleball Court daily with my favorite friends.

After each park visit, I donate to The American Indian College Fund or the National Park Foundation, to preserve and restore our parks.

About me …

It’s the call you fear. “We need you to come back in for another scan.” Friends and family told me not to worry, but deep down I knew the outcome. I had been battling a mysterious illness that doctors couldn’t diagnose for awhile. During my scan, there was lots of clicking and then the technician moved the wand up to my armpit. A tear rolled down my cheek … they don’t search the lymph nodes if all is clear. Within a week, I was meeting with Dr. Nathalie Johnson and her team. I was diagnosed with HER2+ and Estrogen/Progesterone+ breast cancer, an aggressive and fast moving cancer that needed immediate action. She told me to clear my calendar for a year.

My team at Legacy Health navigated me through the entire process, taking all of the stress away from me regarding numerous insurance approvals and scheduling my endless appointments; MRI’s, CT scans, labs, tests, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, echocardiograms, radiation and physical therapy. After 6 rounds of chemo, 2 surgeries with a double-mastectomy, 1 trip to the ER, 5 weeks of radiation, and 11 immunotherapies, I am happy to report I am now cancer-free. I am still under the care of Legacy as I heal from lymphedema, a side effect from getting blood clots during treatment, and for my hormone regulation. I am beyond thankful to Dr. Nathalie Johnson, Dr. Eric Anderson, Legacy Good Sam’s Emergency Room, Dr. Misa Lee, my Phisical Therapist Alyssa and the entire Legacy team for shepherding my path back to health, all during a global pandemic.

UPDATE: My Basel Cell Carcinoma Skin Cancer surgery was a success and I am now once again CANCER-FREE!!! In early Summer 2022, I was diagnosed with the ever so common Basel Cell Carcinoma Skin Cancer on my forehead. So it is all hats all the time when outdoors for me and surgery scheduled on August 4, 2022. That all said, when I was first informed that I had grown a form of cancer again, it was a sucker punch to my soul. It took me a few days to accept and understand … How did I grow cancer after battling cancer for so long? Now I have moved on to the block and tackling phase. What do I need to do to get through this too? The doctor told me to live life, stay healthy, and get ready for surgery … AND wear a hat! So that is what I am doing everyday and this will not stop me from touring my beloved parks … but will for sure up my hat game!

Adventure + Advocate.

Explore + Evolve.

Our Mantra is You Can Make a Difference.

“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” — Jawaharlal Nehru.

I love this quote as it embraces my goal of merging adventure, awareness and advocacy. We can all make a difference by learning more about each other and our planet.

My goal is to visit as many places in the world as possible and to share my adventures with you … and ultimately to encourage you to choose to prioritize nature as your moral compass.

We are all students of life and I encourage everyone to educate themselves on the many ways we can all be better partners to our planet. Always remember … Curiosity leads to education, education leads to advocacy, advocacy leads to activism and activism leads to change.

The more we learn, the more powerful we can all become collectively. Being curious will open our eyes, our hearts, and our minds and collectively help us all be the change we want to see in the world.