A story worth sharing

I write here for a number of reasons. Sometimes, I write simply to document our lives or to share our stories with friends, family, and beyond. But other times, I write to capture a feeling I know I’ll need to revisit later.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stayed up an hour later than I should the night before a race, re-reading old running posts, looking for motivation, inspiration, or just a shove toward the start line.  Sometimes I go back and read my own words from a time when Colt was much younger and we were all getting much less sleep. The thoughts and feelings it brings back help me stay focused and patient — and remind me to go to bed earlier.

Some of my favorite stories to tell are of our travel adventures. Everyday life around here is certainly an adventure all its own, but when Jeff and I get on a plane bound for somewhere new, it’s always the beginning of a great story. And I find myself reading and re-reading them, even years later, to remember the feelings of adventure, excitement, and spontaneity.

A few weeks ago, our new friends from Ely, Minnesota called to say they’d like in on that. John, having read my posts from our trip to the Boundary Waters this summer, called to ask if he could share our story even further. He wanted to reprint my account of our trip in materials he sends to folks looking to plan their own trek into the Boundary Waters. I couldn’t say ‘yes’ fast enough. I immediately asked him how much editing he wanted done — and he said, “oh no. Don’t change a thing. I like it because it’s real – not because it’s an ad.” He ultimately had to edit it for space, but he didn’t change anything about our lack of experience, our complete canoeing ignorance, and our day of paddling into crazy, windy, anything-but-fun weather.

It’s all there — printed and mailed all over the world. Hopefully it will be the difference maker for someone somewhere, considering a trip to the BWCA — or any other adventure vacation destination! Maybe a couple not unlike us, unsure whether the BWCA is the right vacation or the right adventure — or whether they have the experience necessary to make it fun and productive.

And I’m sitting here smiling — having been reminded both to go back and read the story myself and that the story is one worth sharing in the first place.