Saving Time in a Bottle

relishing the life God has given us

2019 in Review

As I look back over the events of 2019, the word that comes to mind is Overcome. I see the trials that came in the form of being apart, and I think about how Curtis advanced in his career during that time and how I held down the fort at home and filled each day alone. I remember how we felt at the beginning of the year, looking ahead at yet another year isolated on a tiny island in the middle of the Pacific, and I reflect on how we have learned to be content with simple every day routines and not feeling pressured to have a grand adventure every week. And most of all, I see all the ways that we’ve grown closer together, and how we are in a much better place mentally than we were last year.

2019 Christmas letter

The year began with the last few months of shipyard, meaning the last few months where it was guaranteed that Curtis would be on island. We started out the year in the way we’ve always operated: working hard throughout the week so that we could enjoy exciting weekend adventures together. We hiked, visited museums and botanical gardens, learned to snorkel and swam to small islands off the coast of Windward Oahu. We hosted friends and Curtis’ family in March and had the joy of experiencing the island through the eyes of people who had never seen it before.

As the year progressed, we had less time together, and all of a sudden going out and filling every day we had together with a new adventure became less of a priority. We spent more time at home, or close to home. Most of the hikes that we did were repeats, and we spent far more time walking the nearby trail, into town, or to the closest beach. In that regard, this year doesn’t seem as exciting as years past, but we’re content with the routines we’ve created. Hopefully our next duty station will bring us to a new and exciting place that will inspire us to get out and explore more, but for now we’ve enjoyed a time of rest and simply enjoying quieter weekends together.

Photo Collage of Curtis and Jess in 2019

This spring, Curtis’ boat finally left the shipyard and we have officially experienced a real taste of active duty Navy life. It was about time, 6 years after signing his contract and a year and a half into being stationed here! While shipyard had the benefit of knowing that he would always be here on island, it was an incredibly stressful time for Curtis and it was hard for me to see him struggle every day. I dreaded the day that they would leave for the first time for months, but when it finally happened in April, I felt nothing but pride for him and how hard he’s worked. Since then, we’ve gotten to celebrate several other milestones in his career: earning his Submarine Warfare pin, being qualified engineer, and promoting to Lieutenant.

A highlight for me this spring was having a friend move to the island, just 5 minutes away from our home. I had met her a few times before when she came to visit her ‘friend’ who was also on Curtis’ boat, and when they became ‘official’ she made the big move. It was wonderful to have someone to both commiserate with as well as enjoy island life with, to be able to just text and then meet up 5 minutes later. Besides that, I also enjoyed spending time with the other wives/significant others from the boat. I’ve continued to work on NeverThirsty.org, and it’s been a joy to see the work pay off with this being the best year yet in the site’s traffic. Other hobbies this year have included finishing a major scrapbooking/photo book project, walking/jogging at least 5 miles every day, and playing PokemonGo. I’ve decided to own up to that last item because it really has been a blessing of sorts, as it not only motivates me to go out and walk, but I’ve also met and played with a lot of people locally. I prayed at the beginning of this year that God would bring people into my life so I wouldn’t be lonely while Curtis was gone, and He certainly provided in these ways I wasn’t expecting.

Photo collage of hikes we did in 2019

The lowest moment for me this year was the day I got the phone call that, just weeks after leaving the shipyard, the boat had a ‘change of plans’ and was going to be gone for an ‘undetermined amount of time.’ Navy life is unpredictable, and while I knew this was always a possibility, it came at a time when I least expected it. I remember Skyping my family in tears, having to break the news that we weren’t going to be able to go home when we had originally planned. But those days and weeks eventually passed, and by the end of May the boat returned and we had almost the entire summer together.

Curtis spent the summer studying for his PNEO exam, and together we spent the summer processing over 200 mangoes off of our tree. Our second biggest success in gardening here is our Okinawa sweet potato patch — to the point where it’s kind of out of control and we’ve basically introduced an invasive species to our back yard. At least they taste good! We also hosted my brother for a few days and swam with sea turtles for the first time. Charlotte turned 5 years old on July 14, and our marriage turned 6 on July 27.

Photo Collage of places we visited in 2019

After spending over the first half of the year at home — and spending almost 2 entire years in the state of Hawaii — we finally made a big trip back to the Mainland. We started the trip in Washington DC where Curtis passed his interview and qualified engineer. We then spent the next week and a half road tripping to see our families, exploring, hiking to some state high points, and eating all the fast food we’ve been missing for the past 2 years.

Less than 48 hours after returning home, Curtis left on what would be his longest ride of the year, exactly 50 days spent out at sea. The next 2 months that followed could have been long and lonely ones for me, but they instead ended up being the best months of the year. My sister Sarah flew out a week later and stayed with me for just over a month. Ever since getting married and moving away from home, I’ve always imagined what it’d be like to host a sibling for a longer period of time, and this was exactly the kind of bonding experience I had been craving. It was so fun to reconnect and live the island life together.

Not only did I have Sarah helping me pass the time at home, but I also was able to visit Curtis at his first two ‘port calls,’ first in Ketchikan, Alaska and later in San Diego, California. I had dreamed of visiting Alaska for years, but never would have imagined that my first visit would be only 3 days from start to finish. It was so worth it though! The entire trip was definitely a highlight of the year and we know it won’t be our only trip there! We also loved being able to catch up with friends from Arizona, hike in the desert, and eat In-N-Out while in California.

Basset Hound puppy photo collage

Once all my traveling was done for the year and I said goodbye to Sarah, the world seemed to become a dark and lonely place and I struggled to find motivation throughout the day. But not long after, I received word that Curtis would be home early, and we were able to spend the rest of October together. We easily fell back into our routine of walking together on a nearby walking trail or into town in the evenings and going to the beach or easy hikes on the weekends. We celebrated my 27th birthday and our 75th wedding monthiversary by getting tattoos — which we don’t regret yet two months later!

Curtis left at the beginning of November for what would be his last ride of the year, and the longest time we’ve been apart since 2015. It was only about three and a half weeks long — several weeks shorter than his ride earlier that fall — but felt so much longer. But once it was over, we were able to celebrate Thanksgiving together and have had a much lighter schedule and more time together since. We’ve enjoyed the cooler weather and are starting our first big home remodel project. If you’re hoping to buy the cutest little Hawaiian cottage close to world-renowned beaches and with stunning mountain views out your very own windows in 2020, you’re in luck — I know of one that may be available! Stay tuned. 😉

Looking back over 2019, I see a common theme here: most of the things that happened are somehow connected to the Navy. At first, it annoys me how much it can take over our lives. Every little thing seems like an obstacle that we need to overcome. But when I really think about it, I realize all the benefits, life lessons, and ways we’ve grown closer through it. Every day apart makes us miss each other more and causes us to make the most of the time we have together. This year, the Navy gave us three opportunities to take ‘half-priced trips’ together, whether that be them paying for Curtis to fly to and from the mainland for his DC interview or allowing me to go meet him in exciting locations. We may complain about living in Hawaii, but once this is all said and done, we’ll one day look back on these three years and remember the time we really experienced life on a beautiful island. Curtis’ job may give him a lot of stress, but over time he’s gotten to do more that he enjoys, and he really does enjoy the engineering aspects, and this experience will no doubt benefit him in the future. And at the end of the day, when we’re frustrated with whatever situation we’re in, we can always just blame all our problems on the Navy and work harder to find peace and joy together.

That’s the attitude we’re entering 2020 with: While this life has given us many challenges, we can overcome them together and know there is a positive side to all things, and know that God is using it all for good, for His glory. As we look ahead to the next year, we have no idea where we’ll be and what Curtis will be doing at this time next year. But being back in that mindset is so exciting to me, and I can’t wait to see what happens!

Map of USA with counties we visited in 2019 filled in

Last but not least, here’s our county map for the year, created with mob-rule.com. It’s extra colorful thanks to traveling separately and landing in different airports across the country. For a bigger image of the map, click here.

Happy New Year, friends! May God bless you all richly in 2020.

November 2019

Memories from November 2019

I read something online at the end of October that likened November to being the “Thursday of the year,” and that couldn’t have been more accurate for me this year. At the beginning of the month, it seemed like it was just one big last obstacle to get around before the end of this year and an “easier” December. Curtis was going to be gone for the majority of it, and I had no plans that month, nothing to look forward to besides his return. I dreaded waking up for 23 days straight without him, going to bed for 23 nights without being able to say goodnight, and worst of all trying to fill each of those days enough to make time go faster.

But now that it’s all over and done with, I’m thankful for such a laid-back month. I’m thankful to have had that time to reflect on what I’ve learned this year, and to pray about what’s to come in the next. I stayed close to home the entire time, and for the most part the month was easy on my stress level, easy on the budget, and by the end I had my husband home safe and sound — how could I ask for any more?

At the beginning of the month, Curtis’ departure date was delayed by 2 days, so we ended up having an unplanned extra weekend day to enjoy together. We wanted to go for a longer hike, but when we started getting ready Charlotte became excited. It had been too long since we’d taken her anywhere other than the park, so we altered our plans in order to bring her along. We ended up driving to Kawela Bay on the North shore, where we hiked the trails around Turtle Bay and found a secluded section of beach all to ourselves. We let Charlotte run around off leash and laughed as she chased after the small crabs and tried to figure out where they escaped to after each wave rolled up on the shore. Just watching her excitement was worth giving up our original plan.

The day after that, we said goodbye and Curtis left for what would be the longest we’ve been apart since OCS in 2015. 23 days isn’t long in comparison to typical deployments, but somehow it seemed so much longer than the almost 50 days he was gone from August-October. Not having my sister here or exciting trips to break up our time apart certainly didn’t help matters!

My time alone went by smoothly, for the most part. I made a goal to eat healthier while I was alone and succeeded at making healthy meals with veggies every day (snacks and desserts don’t count — they’re necessary for survival!) I also spent more time reading than watching things on Netflix — I read “Becoming” by Michelle Obama and really enjoyed it. I love reading biographies and autobiographies and learning from other people’s lives and perspectives and hers was very thoughtful and well-written. While reading about the complicated and hectic life of a politician’s wife, I kept thinking about how glad I was that Curtis is just in the military and that our lives are simpler and much more private than that. Then I read about her interactions with military wives and the work she and Jill Biden did to try to improve the job possibilities for military wives, and found it amusing when she wrote that she was grateful that her husband was in politics and that she thought military life would be much more challenging.

As for the small struggle I dealt with while alone, November is typically the month when the weather on the island changes from “sunny season” to “rainy season,” and with the rain comes more bugs inside the house. I hit my breaking point with that about 2 weeks in — I can’t confirm whether it’s worse than the last 2 years, but it IS worse when I don’t have my husband to kill the bugs for me! I sprung to action setting up baits and deep cleaning areas that I felt were more ‘at risk,’ which led to deep cleaning more parts of the house because I realized we’ve been here for 2 years now and it was time for a deep clean. (If you’re keeping track, 2 years is longer than we’ve ever lived in any one place, or even any one state!)

In more exciting news, one of our banana trees has begun to produce! It’s been a year and a half since we planted it, and after spending that time tripling in size and growing 1 new leaf every week, it finally grew a big purple blossom that has been rapidly changing and growing each week. All the bananas are still on the smaller side and still green, but there are at least 8 bunches producing about 10 bananas each — so someday soon we’re going to have a lot of bananas on our hands!

Curtis returned home at the end of the month, right on time for Thanksgiving. Just like last year, he had duty on Thanksgiving day, but I was able to go on the boat and have dinner with him. I suppose since we’ve done this 2 years in a row, that makes it our longest-running Thanksgiving tradition. In all seriousness, it was a good day: we enjoyed all the traditional Thanksgiving foods and I didn’t have to cook anything, then we played games and watched Detective Pikachu. But just the fact that we were able to be together made the day great!

We spent the rest of the weekend planning for a little December getaway, picking out some home improvement projects to do when Curtis has some time off, and saying goodbye to our dear friends who have left the island and moved on to the next thing. We’re sad to see them go, but I guess that’s the circle of Navy life — you meet the most wonderful people and know that you’ll eventually have to say goodbye. However, it’s also a reminder that this stage isn’t forever, our turn to leave will eventually come too. I don’t know if you can tell, but we are ready!

And here we are — we made it through this year’s “Thursday,” and December is flying by now that we’re together. We’re looking forward to having some down time at the end of the month, and starting to prepare for what’s to come in 2020. We’re also looking forward to the temperatures finally cooling off a bit because the whole “rainy season” has been such a tease…But I know better than to complain about Hawaii’s weather in December when I know most of my readers are from the Midwest, which started winter early this year. I suppose I’ll just go outside and enjoy what could potentially be my last warm winter … for a few years? Forever? I don’t know, next year as well as the rest of our lives feels kind of up in the air at this point. It’s stressful and thrilling all at the same time. I guess the best thing to do is just go sit in the shade, relax, and know that it will all play out exactly according to God’s will.

Happy December, friends!

October 2019

The Happenings of October 2019

Curtis returned home from his longest ride yet at the beginning of October, and we were so thankful to be able to spend the rest of the month together. October has always been one of my favorite months, so it was nice to be able to fill it with memories of being together rather than apart. The few days between my sister leaving and Curtis coming home were hard for me, but receiving news that he was coming home earlier than expected instantly improved my attitude on the world around me. Colors were brighter! The birds chirping outside my window sounded cheerier! And everything that we did together from hikes to grocery shopping to staying at home doing absolutely nothing felt extraordinary.

Here are some things that happened this month that I want to remember:

— October started with the last few days of Sarah’s visit, so we spent each day going hiking and to the beach and enjoying every last bit of sister time together.

— Once Curtis was home, we hiked to Makapu’u Lighthouse and the Old Pali Highway on the weekends. If you remember from February’s post, there was a major rockslide that closed the Pali highway for the majority of this year. They’ve slowly been extending the hours that it’s open, and now it’s open 7 days a week and only closed overnight. We’ve still been doing this hike even when the main highway was closed, it’s honestly one of our favorites here.

— We bottled all of our mango wine and ended up with 18 bottles! We have some tweaking to do to get the flavor and sweetness balanced just right next time, but the alcohol content is certainly there. Unfortunately it wasn’t until after we bottled it that I searched online for the best way to ship wine, only to discover that it’s illegal to mail alcohol…I guess our families won’t be getting any for Christmas. Sorry everyone, you’re going to have to visit us to get to try our first batch of mango wine. In other news, we decided that since our first round was mostly a success, we’re attempting to make guava wine with guava foraged from a hike.

— I turned 27 on the 27th! I feel…old. Thankfully Curtis had that day off, and on that day we attended a goodbye brunch for one of his fellow officers, hiked Koko Head at sunset, and got Poke and a delicious chocolate cake to eat at home. The 27th also happened to be our 75th wedding monthiversary, so we celebrated both of these events by putting a deposit down on something we’ve talked about doing for a long time, which brings me to the next notable event…

— We got matching tattoos! I know this may be a controversial subject to some, but it was something we’ve wanted to do ever since we got married. I guess after 75 months, we were finally committed enough to go for it. 😉 The image we chose was one that I designed way back in 2012 when we were in a long distance relationship. I would doodle it on the back of the cards I sent him, and all over my sketchbooks, and sometimes even draw it on my arm. It was a simple design that held a lot of meaning to us: a bottle with a pocket watch on the inside. Can you guess why? I’ll give you a hint, it’s based off of a Jim Croce song that we’ve claimed as “our song.” It’s also the name of this blog…haha. Anyway, we’ve always known we would do this someday, and after years of contemplation we were finally impulsive enough to go to a tattoo parlor and make it official. We had them done at Loyalty Tattoo in Kailua and are very happy with how they turned out. Mine is on my arm and Curtis’ is on his back. They are completely identical, and the time on the watch reads 7:27, our wedding anniversary.

— We ended the month the same way we do every October, where after a full year of coming up with creative couple’s costume ideas, we stayed home and did nothing but eat leftover birthday cake and scheme about buying half-priced candy the next day…which we didn’t do either. I guess we’re a little off our game this year. However, I’ll have you know that we did celebrate the holiday that matters more to us despite being apart on that day: on October 3rd, we both wore pink and watched Mean Girls. Curtis watched it wearing his pink hat on his boat somewhere out there, and I watched with Sarah and Celeste at home. Then we watched it again when we were together to make up for missing the actual holiday.

Which brings us to November. I’m alone again, but so far doing better than I was a month ago. I’m thankful for the cooler weather that’s finally arriving to the islands. I’m thankful that the end of the year is fast approaching, and while I know that the rest of this year and the next won’t be smooth sailing, I’m excited for the changes that will eventually arrive. This year has been challenging in so many ways, and I’ll reflect way more on that in our end of the year post, but we’re nearing the end and I couldn’t be more excited to have this all be behind us. For now, I’m going to try to spend this month reflecting more on what I’m thankful for and focus on how the trials we’ve faced and are facing have helped us grow, and how they’ve blessed us. Happy November, friends!

Torrey Pines

San Diego Port Call | September 2019 | Hiking in Torrey Pines

For our last day together in San Diego, we wanted to do some more hiking. We had only rented a car for one day when we hiked outside of the city, so today we planned to take the bus and hike somewhere closer. Mission Hills looked interesting, especially the “5 peaks challenge,” but since the bus route didn’t go close enough to that area we decided to go to Torrey Pines instead. The bus ride to get there from Old Town took about an hour and a half, which may sound long and not worth the time, but today we were satisfied to just sit and enjoy being together during that time.

We rode up through La Jolla and to the university campus, then got on our connecting bus that went up the Pacific coast. We got off just North of Torrey Pines State Reserve and began our journey heading South through the park on foot.

We started off by walking the beach, with the ocean to our right and the tall cliffs to our left. We eventually reached the stairs and the trail that led up the cliffs and enjoyed the many vantage points along the way. When we came to a fork in the trail, we chose the path leading to the South, which turned out to be the less busy of the two. We loved how this place reminded us of the Badlands. If you’re interested, you can see our trail recording here.

Once we made it to the end of the trail, we road walked to the nearest bus stop South of the park and took another long bus ride back to Old Town. Once in Old Town, we walked around some more and admired the Old San Diego Mission and the monuments to the Mormon Battalion. We wrapped up our last day with dinner at In-N-Out and walked back to our hotel.

The next morning, Curtis left around 5 to go back to the boat, and I took it easy at the hotel until it was time to check out. I met up with my friend Celeste again, and we got breakfast before heading to the airport. On our return trip, we flew through San Francisco — I’m very thankful she was so understanding with my need to fly through a different airport and get another county that Curtis doesn’t have. 😉

Our flights were on time and uneventful. However, I’m thankful that I have a few months before the next time I have to make the long trip between Hawaii and the mainland again! We arrived back on Oahu that evening and her roommates picked us up. Once again, I was glad to have Sarah and Charlotte waiting for me at home!

San Diego With Friends

San Diego Port Call | September 2019

When we found out there was a chance we’d visit San Diego this year, we told some of our friends in Tucson in case they’d be able to meet us there. The dates for the trip fluctuated a bit, as they always do with the military, but when I was sure enough to book tickets, I passed along the dates and some of them were able to make a weekend trip out of it. It had been 3 years since we’d been together, but we picked up right where we left off and had such a great day catching up and exploring the city together.

Here are some of the memories we have from our time together:

  • Starting off the day with Winchell’s donuts and Better Buzz coffee, followed by antiquing at San Diego’s Largest Vintage and Antique Mall
  • A trip to Cabrillo National Monument where the guys completed the Junior Ranger program. We just so happened to visit on the anniversary of Cabrillo’s landing at Point Loma so the area was busy with lots of festivities going on. I was excited to visit on such a clear day because we were able to see San Diego and the surrounding mountains so well — when Curtis and I visited 6 years ago, it was so foggy that we had next to no visibility.
  • We went to the Gaslamp district downtown for some lunch and ended up at the Gaslamp Tavern. Also while downtown, we were victorious in some PokemonGo battles, learned how to play Intelligent Qube, and underwent the controversy of Lot 28.
  • We walked around the busy but beautiful Balboa Gardens.
  • That evening, Curtis gave the guys a tour of his submarine while the girls had a girl’s night in the hotel room, complete with White Claw.
  • We ended the night at Denny’s, because every good day ends with delicious breakfast food.
  • The next morning for our final hours together, we walked around the area where our hotels were located and enjoyed Better Buzz coffee, Marvelous Muffins, and played PokemonGo. We said our goodbyes, as they were off to tour the Midway, which Curtis and I had visited on our last visit and, quite frankly, we’ve seen enough boats/Navy-related sites since then. 😉

Thank you to Alex, Kathy, Henry, Austin, and Seneca for making the trip out to see us! We are thankful for these friendships that have stayed strong despite the distance and time apart. Can’t wait to see when and where our next visit will be! And a special shout out to Mitchell, who planned the whole trip but then got scared and cancelled at the last minute. We were thinking of you the entire time. 🙂

Lawson and Gaskill Peaks

San Diego Port Call | September 2019 | Hiking Lawson and Gaskill Peaks

Less than 3 weeks after my trip to Alaska, I had yet another opportunity to go meet Curtis, just a little further South than before. This trip started similarly to Alaska with going to the airport in the evening for a red-eye flight, except this time I was traveling with my good friend Celeste, whose boyfriend is on the same boat as Curtis. We both lucked out with having window seats on the plane with empty middle seats — I still didn’t sleep well on the overnight flight, but always appreciate a little personal space!

We landed at LAX just before 6, and our connecting flight left about an hour after that. It was raining in LA, but as soon as the plane rose above the clouds it revealed a beautiful bright sunrise and mountain peaks in the distance. The ride was short, and soon enough we were in San Diego.

Feeling tired after our long flight and anxious to see our guys, our first few hours in the city were a bit of a struggle. We struck out at picking up her rental car and attempting to check in at our hotels early, but the day instantly turned around when we found a place for brunch and mimosas. We finally heard from the guys that they had arrived in port, and eventually our hotels called to let us know they had rooms ready for us, so we went our separate ways for the rest of the trip.

Curtis had to stay with the boat for a few hours, so I took a short nap while waiting. He was finally released and we were happily reunited once again. We took it easy that first day, and walked to In-N-Out for dinner that night, then got snacks and hiking food at Vons and drinks at Bev Mo.

For our second day in San Diego, Curtis had duty so I was on my own. There’s not much to report since we opted to not get a rental car until after Curtis’ duty day, but I did walk to In-N-Out again. I should mention that the closest In-N-Out was 2 miles away, so each time we walked there was a 4 mile trip.

On day 3, I woke up early and walked to the airport (a pleasant 1 ½ miles basically along the harbor) and took a shuttle to the rental car center and got us a car for the day. I then drove back to the hotel and loaded up everything we’d need for a hike, then drove to the base to pick up Curtis. This was going to be our one day specifically focused on hiking. Curtis’ wishes were to find a hike that made him fall in love with the desert again (which he told me right after hiking in Alaska…because we are both very much in love with Alaska now). My only request was for a hike where we could be alone for the most part. Thankfully it was a Friday so we would avoid the busier weekend days, but we knew we’d have to drive a bit to find something more remote.

We were pretty overwhelmed by all the options we found on AllTrails, but after some discussion, we narrowed it down to a hike in Cleveland National Forest that was nearby and looked similar to Texas Canyon in Arizona.

After I picked up Curtis from the boat, we took the I-8 out of San Diego. We joked about how Arizona was only 150 miles away if we were up to it, but still got off our exit in Alpine and drove out through the Southern end of the National Forest through the Pine Hills. We got to the trail head to see only two other cars there, packed our bags with a lunch and snacks and started heading up the trail to Lawson and Gaskill Mountains.

It was an overcast day and the peaks were all in the clouds, which gave us some concerns as well as questions as to where exactly we were going, how high, and whether or not to expect rain. We believed ourselves to be well prepared though and continued up following an old forest service road through the chaparral. We were immediately struck by how nice it smelled and soon found the source to be what we think was either California Buckwheat, chamise, or a type of sage. The trail grade was also very pleasant and easy enough.

Soon, the sun and wind shifted the clouds and we began to make out the boulder strewn ridges and summits of this range as well as the Northern end of a lake (Barrett Lake) to the South. Soon we were up among the granite boulders (one of the reasons we had picked the hike in the first place) wandering around in the mist and cloud. We saw/heard another group of guys in front of us and saw them go off to the left. And then we saw it; Lawson Peak coming out of the clouds. Massive, shear faced, boulders easily two stories high with bus sized boulders strewn about. And there among it the group of 4 guys. Guess that was the way we were going.

I of course make it out to be more than it really was. The trail was readily apparent and some cross between a steep incline and a scramble with the occasional squeeze or climb between some boulders. That was until the actual summit. We came out of the scrub oak to see the summit block; a couple of boulders topping off the peak. Two of the guys in front of us pointed up behind them and intimated that was the way to go but that it was ‘tricky’. I stayed behind, but allowed Curtis to go ahead. Peak-bagging and all that. The views from the peak looked down on both sides of the ridge and out to the East. One of the others at the peak claimed he could see ‘the city’ but Curtis couldn’t see anything on account of the clouds. We couldn’t even see the neighboring peak and our next stop.

After navigating our way off the summit we continued following our track until the AllTrails app indicated that we should make a left turn onto the taller, yet less steep Gaskill Peak. It’s a good thing we had the app, because I don’t think either of us would have noticed the rock arrow off to the side of the trail pointing our way.

It was clear as soon as we stepped off the main trail that we were the first ones to break this trail this morning. All the Manzanita and Scrub Oak trees were damp with ‘cloud dew’ and soon our pant legs were soaked from brushing against the thigh high plants.

We pushed our way through the brush and up towards the peak. To our pleasure, before and behind us, the clouds started to break and we were treated with a good look of Lawson Peak. Before we knew it, we were at the top. Although Gaskill had a less steep approach than Lawson, it still had big boulders as the actual summit and Curtis went on to scale them and get another peak. (Both Lawson and Gaskill are on the ‘San Diego 100’ Peak list. Only 98 to go!)

We enjoyed the view, ate some lunch, took some photos, talked about the Desert and the PNW, and then called it a hike and started back to the car. The hike back was uneventful. We got lost once and the clouds filled in behind us, quickly obscuring the places we had already been.

We drove back to our hotel, and went out for Mexican food that night. We noted later how sore our arms were from all the rock scrambling and bouldering. Overall this hike was just what we wanted, and though we would’ve loved to do more hiking like this we can be satisfied with these two peaks, until next time! Check out our AllTrails recording of this hike here.

September 2019

September may have been the best month I’ve had since moving to Oahu two years ago. It had everything I needed: time off of the island exploring two different cities with Curtis, and time enjoying my favorite part of the island with my sister. Both of these made what would have been a long month alone pass quickly, and has given me the hope and perseverance I needed to press on into our last year here!

Sarah arrived on the last night of August and stayed for just over a month. We’re 9 years apart in age, but ever since she was born people have always said we are so alike in looks and how we act. After spending an extended amount of time essentially alone together, I can see why people say this — our personalities mesh really well together and the transition to living together was seamless and honestly really fun right from the get-go.

We spent our time going between working at home — Sarah on online college courses and myself working on NeverThirsty.org — and going out for easy little adventures. We repeated her favorite hikes from her last visit and I showed her a few newer ones that I’ve found since then. We enjoyed a lot of beach days and sampled many of the best island treats. And we created our own little night time routine which consisted of eating mac & cheese and tater tots and watching Chopped. Oh, and Sarah did dishes for me every single night without asking, no matter how many times I said she didn’t have to! That’s right, I didn’t wash a single dish in the month of September. Did I mention that it was the best month ever? 😉

Sarah’s cheerful personality and beautiful smile light up a room as soon as she walks in. Her positive attitude kept us going when our adventures didn’t go as planned, and her courage and curiosity to try new things made every day exciting. I’m so grateful that she was willing to make the trip and give up a month of comfort and familiarity in her own home just to come and keep me company here in mine. Thanks for making my world a better place, Sarah, and just know you always have a second home with me, wherever that may be!

Two Days in Ketchikan

September has always been our favorite month for traveling. For three years in a row, we found ourselves in a time of transition during September, and we used that extra time to travel. Each of those trips ended up being our favorite adventures — going from the Northeast to Southwest via Colorado in 2015, exploring New England and Canada’s Atlantic provinces in 2016, and driving coast to coast while moving to Hawaii in 2017. Each of these trips lasted at least 3 weeks, and now whenever September rolls around we like to compare where we were each year every day.

Since Curtis is now stationed with an active boat, we don’t have the freedom to take that much time off anymore. We were blessed just to have 2 days together in Alaska. However, the two days we spent together in Ketchikan will forever be ranked as high in our minds as every other September adventure. With such little time to spend there, and with so few hours together, there was no time to grow tired of the area or for the excitement of being together to fade. There were so many occasions during that short period of time when we would exclaim, “I can’t believe we’re in Alaska!” That feeling just never got old!

We each had a little less than 48 hours there, with 38 of those hours overlapping. Curtis arrived before I did, and spent his time going out to lunch with some fellow officers from his boat, hiking the Rainbird Trail, and doing a quick grocery run to get snacks and lunch for our hike the next day. When my ferry arrived, we went to check in to our hotel. The hotel provided complimentary taxi rides to and from the ferry, and our driver was very friendly and gave us a warm welcome to Ketchikan. He stopped along the way to show us the river, completely packed with salmon!

I had chosen the Gilmore hotel just based on their low prices, but we were very pleased with our stay there. It’s run by Wyndham in a historic building right near where the cruise ships dock, with beautiful views of the bay and very walkable between many attractions and restaurants.

On our first afternoon/evening, we mostly just took it easy and walked around town in the rain, enjoying the totem poles and Creek street. It was the perfect weather to enjoy some warm chowder in a bread bowl from Annabelle’s Keg and Chowder House, a restaurant on the ground floor of our hotel. It had a warm, cozy atmosphere and delicious food.

The next morning began with our hike. Afterwards, we walked around town some more and Curtis attempted a few missing letterboxes. It seemed as though the only one close to us was in a graveyard about a mile down the main highway. Curtis debated whether to get it or not, but I convinced him to because who knows when he’d be able to find another Alaskan letterbox, much less in this county? We walked down the highway, found the box, then made our way back.

It had started to really warm up at this point, so we stopped back at our hotel room to shed some layers. We decided we wanted to do one more hike, so we took a bus a few miles North and made our way up to the Carlana Lake Trail. The path was wide and in good condition as it gained steady elevation up to the lake. After enjoying the initial lake views, we decided to continue following a more narrow trail around the lake. The trail eventually would go up the mountain to a ridge between two peaks, but we were just content to wander on the trail through the rain forest. We felt we could have gone all the way up if we wanted, but since the bus only operated for another 2 hours, we decided to play it safe and not attempt it.

We rode the bus back to our hotel, and walked around town some more. We enjoyed savory crepes for dinner at Alaska Crepe Co, then went back to Annabelle’s for drinks and dessert, which we enjoyed for free thanks to a gift card the hotel had given us. We walked along the dock, now quiet thanks to the cruise ships leaving, and enjoyed a beautiful sunset behind the mountains.

Curtis left the next morning at 4am, so I took it easy that morning and took my time getting packed and ready to go. I went for one last walk around town, soaking up the cool air and dreaming of when we could make a return visit. We’ve already talked about going back over Christmas break — are we crazy?! Obviously I would’ve been happy to visit Curtis anywhere, but I honestly can’t think of a better town to spend a few days in together.

I checked out of my hotel around 11 and took a taxi back to the ferry, and the ferry to the airport. I boarded my flight, the same one that goes between Anchorage and Seattle every day, and was able to claim the exact same seat I had enjoyed 2 days prior. While my last morning in Ketchikan had been overcast, the clouds cleared that afternoon giving me a perfect view of the little town that now holds so many fond memories.

Flying over British Columbia was breathtaking, and as we flew over Washington I was able to spot significant peaks in the Cascades and the Olympics. I wondered if I’d be able to see Mt. Rainier and started to squint to see out over the horizon, but then the plane started to turn and there it was — no squinting required! I had a 2 hour layover in Seattle, then boarded my last flight back to Hawaii. Returning home was much easier than I expected thanks to having my good friend pick me up from the airport, and my sister Sarah at home with dinner and freshly baked cookies ready for me!

And just like that, exactly 3 days after the trip began, it was over. The whole thing felt like a dream — a dream that I’ve relived over and over in my mind as I count down the days to when I can see Curtis again… and to the day that we can return to Alaska together.

Hiking Deer Mountain

Hiking Deer Mountain | Ketchikan, AK | September 2019

Before Curtis knew for sure that he’d be able to visit Ketchikan this year, we knew that we wanted to hike Deer Mountain. Perhaps it was a bit presumptuous seeing as Ketchikan is the rainiest city in the US and we had no idea what time of year we’d be there or for how long, but it was a dream of ours that we’ve held onto for so long. When packing his sea bag, Curtis brought his hiking clothes, boots, and rain jacket, and I did the same with my carry on, also including an umbrella and my camelback.

Our first day in Ketchikan was rainy and overcast and we were unable to see the mountain at all. We were content to just walk around and be together (a third post about everything else we did there is forthcoming!), but we agreed we wanted to at least give it a shot the next day, on our one full day there. We were up before 6, dressed in layers, and Curtis packed a few snacks and sandwich supplies he had picked up at a grocery store the day prior. We got some hot chocolate from the hotel and ate apples for breakfast.

We left the hotel on foot, walking a mile and a half to the trailhead which is found at the end of Deer Mountain Road. The elevation gain started early as we strolled up the pavement, but when we rounded a corner and saw the entire peak, we knew this would be worth it. While it was chilly and the sky was partly cloudy, it wasn’t raining and the visibility was decent, and we knew we had the perfect day for hiking.

Once at the trailhead, we looked over the map to get an idea of what we were about to do. Of course this wasn’t the first time we’d researched this trail — we knew what to expect, a steep 6.5 mile round trip climb up to Deer Mountain, which was around 3000 feet in elevation. However, our eyes drifted to the continuation of the trail — which continued another 11 miles over other peaks and ended on the Eastern side of the island. We had always just focused on Deer Mountain, knowing that it was a prominent peak overlooking Ketchikan, but it’s actually the shortest peak in this range. While it was tempting to think about how we could possibly arrange for a ride on the other side and attempt to do the full through hike, we just weren’t prepared for that…maybe next time. 😉 We noted the other highlights along the through trail, including other peaks and lakes. We agreed to stick with the plan, not knowing how strenuous the trail to Deer Mountain would be, and decide at the peak if we wanted to go any further.

We began our hike through the mossy forest, and were enchanted by everything from the big trees to the small waterfalls along the path. As we were walking, I kept waiting for the trail to get steeper, but there was never as much of an incline as I had imagined. That’s when I realized I had been imagining this trail to be more like the ridge trails to the Ko’olaus on Oahu which go straight up the mountain — this one reminded us of a wonderful feature on mainland trails called the “switchback.” Glorious switchbacking, where the elevation gain is reasonable and you have plenty of time to enjoy the view from both directions as you make your way up the mountain!

After about 2 miles, we reached the tundra. There were patchy clouds obstructing the view, but every now and then they’d break and we’d get a peek at Ketchikan, Ketchikan Lake, or the mountains in the distance. We decided the clouds were what really made this experience, and from now on the words “foggy tundra” will instantly transport our minds back to these perfect moments, all alone on a mountain in Alaska with not a care in the world.

Two and a half miles into the trail, we reached the trail junction for the peak. The next stretch switchbacked back and forth up the side of the mountain for a quarter-mile to the peak. We were the slowest going up this part, not because it was challenging or steep but because the views captivated us. Every time we rounded a corner going up the switchbacks, we would have to stop and stare at the the view in the new direction which we were heading.

We finally reached the peak, which was engulfed by a cloud, but it still wasn’t raining and we weren’t too cold! We found the waypoint marker and sat down to eat sandwiches and snacks. We lingered in case the cloud decided to pass, but eventually decided to move on — the continuing trail beckoned us, and while we knew we wouldn’t go too far, we just had to see what it was like.

We made our way back to the junction, then continued on the trail headed for a lake. The fog was thicker on this part so there wasn’t much of a view, but it made the trail seem mysterious and peaceful all at once. It reminded us a little of hiking Mount Washington in New Hampshire. We spotted little lakes off to the side, and kept our eyes out for wildlife.

While we physically felt like we were able to continue walking this trail for a while, we eventually decided to turn back because the visibility was so low, and we knew there were other trails that we could hike around Ketchikan that afternoon. Since our time there was so short, we wanted to make sure we saw as much as we could, while still taking time to enjoy being together. And so we turned around and started heading back, still loving every bit of this trail. It wasn’t until we were nearly back at the junction with the peak trail that we came across another hiker.

The clouds cleared more as we made our way down, but the closer we got back to the trailhead the more people we saw on their way up, and we didn’t regret our decision to rise early for a foggy hike. We made it back to the trailhead, then continued walking back into Ketchikan, feeling energized and enchanted from our first Alaskan hike…hopefully the first of many!

If you’re interested, here is our Alltrails recording for this hike beginning at our hotel, including some walking around Ketchikan afterwards.

My First Time in Alaska

After returning home from the mainland, Curtis unpacked his bags, then packed his sea bags and left a day later. Talk about a quick turnaround! This summer, we went from being apart, to having quite a bit more time together, to traveling and being together 24/7, and then right back to being separated. Such is this Navy life! However, it wasn’t quite so hard to say goodbye this time, as I already had several things to look forward to. First, my little sister was coming to stay with me, and second, there was a potential that I would be able to go meet Curtis somewhere exciting!

One week after he left, I got an email that said, “Buy the tickets.” I immediately did a quick search for flights, and bought tickets right then and there. Being a smart and responsible Navy wife who’s always prepared for last-minute changes, I decided to pay for refundable tickets. Until I realized the price more than doubled with that option…that’s when I knew it was really happening: I was going to Alaska no matter what! I emailed Curtis back and said “You better be there, or else I’m getting my 47th state without you!”

Now, this all may sound very spontaneous to you, but I’ll have you know that the only spontaneous part about this trip was the last-minute plane ticket purchase. Two years ago when we arrived on the island, Curtis had a friend that went on a ride up to Alaska on another boat. I specifically remember Curtis coming back to our hotel that night and telling me about it, and saying there’s a chance that his boat could make the same trip someday.

“Cool, I’ll meet you there!” I said.

“The boat doesn’t necessarily make port though, so it might not be worth it,” he replied.

“That’s okay, I’ll go anyway,” I said.

Not too long after, we had a whole plan devised ‘just in case’ this trip ever happened. Curtis even had a hike picked out. That’s just how we operate, we always like to have a few dozen trips planned, just in case. That way, we’re totally ready to go should the opportunity strike.

And oh boy, did it strike! One thing we love about Curtis’ boat is the emphasis they put on family time, and giving everyone a break whenever they can. The boat wasn’t making port, but they arranged it so most guys got a chance to get off and enjoy Alaska for a few days. While the plans seemed far off and uncertain at the beginning of this year, this summer they really seemed to come together, and eventually it became clear that there were 3 potential dates that Curtis could get off the boat and have 2 days of freedom. As soon as he figured out those days, he reported them to me, and I was ready at a moment’s notice to buy tickets.

It was unfortunate that it came so soon after my sister arrived so I didn’t have too much time to re-introduce her to the island, but I drove her around town showing her where everything was, we did a little exploring, and I stocked the fridge and told her everything she needed to know for 3 days alone. I was thankful to have her here to house-sit and watch Charlie for me for those 3 days, not to mention that having her here gave me a reason to be excited about coming home!

I packed everything I needed for those 3 days into my backpack, and my dear friend drove me to the airport on a Monday night for my red-eye flight. I tried to sleep as much as I could on the flight, but honestly it seemed to go by so fast, and soon enough I was wide awake as we landed in Anchorage. My first time in Alaska! I was beyond excited to be there!

I had 3 hours before my next flight was scheduled to depart, and I spent the entire time walking around the (very small) airport, marveling at the fact that I was here. A place that I had dreamed of for so long, and had wanted to visit so badly for years…it made even the airport seem extraordinary. I soaked in each little display, and lingered at every piece of artwork.

The magic wore off just a bit when I saw my flight was delayed 2 whole hours. Of all the flights to be delayed, why did it have to be this one, one that cut directly into my time with Curtis?! At least by this point, we were able to text, so I knew he was actually going to be on land as planned.

The redeeming moment was when, just 1 minute before boarding started, I refreshed the seat selection page on my phone and saw that a window seat opened up! I clicked on it quite literally at the last moment, but it was so close to the cut-off time that it didn’t change on my mobile boarding pass and I had to go get a printed one. I happily boarded my flight and settled in for what would be the most incredible flight of my life!

Oh, but let me tell you about my flight. This was an Alaskan Airlines flight that goes from Anchorage to Seattle, but makes 3 stops along the way in Juneau, Sitka, and — my final destination — Ketchikan. Maybe this would annoy some people since it has so many ups and downs, but I was thrilled: I would be getting an extra 2 counties along the way, making my total for Alaska 4 counties in this one trip!

I had wondered if I would be able to see Denali, but even if that were possible, there was such a thick cloud cover that I couldn’t see much over Anchorage. The cloud cover stuck around until about halfway through the flight. I’m pretty sure I was able to see Fairweather Peak, the highest point in British Columbia. There were a few other tall peaks that I snapped pictures of and pinned on Google maps to later identify.

The highlight of the entire day (besides being reunited with Curtis and…well just being in Alaska I guess!) was flying over Glacier Bay National Park. The clouds broke up at just the right point, and I was able to see all the jagged peaks, glaciers, and bright blue lakes below me. I was screaming internally the entire time, trying to take it all in and memorize every detail, and snapping phone pictures like crazy. It was unreal and I have no idea how everyone else on the flight appeared to be so calm.

We landed in Juneau and were there for about a half an hour before taking the short flight over to Sitka. Juneau was overcast but looked incredible beneath more jagged peaks and the incredible Mendenhall Glacier just sitting there in all its glory. Sitka was sunny and I loved flying over all the tiny islands and seeing the tall peaks standing right up next to the ocean. I wouldn’t mind coming back to either of these places and exploring them some more!

Finally, we flew to Ketchikan and I hurried over to the ferry that goes between the airport and the main island with the town. Ketchikan is known as the rainiest city in the US and it was definitely showing off for my first afternoon there. The ferry docked townside, and I hurried off and into Curtis’ arms, where we shared our first Alaskan kiss. 🙂 We made it! Our first time in Alaska, and our first ‘port call’ — with 38 full hours to spend together!

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