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Mount Lemmon in the Fall

Mount Lemmon in the Fall / Driving up the Catalina Highway / October 19, 2013

October is a beautiful time to visit Southern Arizona. The heat from the summer has finally started to fade away, the monsoon season is over, and there are plenty of sunny days to enjoy being outside. Despite the beautiful weather, I was starting to feel a little homesick whenever I thought about what I was missing back home in Iowa…not the cold temperatures, but the fall colors! Coffee shops were advertising pumpkin spice lattes and clothing stores were stocked with cute sweaters, hats, and mittens, and advertising all around said “Fall is here!” But the weather still felt much more like summer. However, we knew that all we needed to do was take a drive up to Mount Lemmon in the fall!

hiking on the top of mount lemmon in the fall

We decided to take a trip up the Catalina Highway, a 26-mile road that takes you from the Tucson foothills up to Mt. Lemmon, at 8000 feet above sea level. It’s like a road that takes you from summer to fall! We had done this twice together already: when I visited with my family in 2012, we spent Thanksgiving day on top of the mountain, hiking and having a picnic lunch, and at the beginning of September we drove part way up to do some short hikes for letterboxes.

It just so happened to be “International Letterboxing Week,” a week where boxers “compete” for finding the most letterboxes in one week. We put in a good effort between our trip to Albuquerque the past weekend and short hikes throughout the week. But sadly we couldn’t compete with people out East, where there’s so many letterboxes you could trip over them. Oh well, we still enjoyed the extra incentive to get out and explore!

Easy Hikes on the top of Mount Lemmon

We drove up to the top of Mt. Lemmon to start with a 3 mile hike. As we got higher in elevation, the saguaros started to disappear and the scenery turned from dry desert to pine and birch trees. The higher we got, the lower the temperature dropped. If we were to visit in the winter, we would probably see snow up here and even be able to go skiing — if that was our type of thing.

The views at the top were vast and stunning. I love being able to see Tucson from high above. The visibility was pretty good today so we were also able to see other mountain ranges surrounding us — like the Rincons and the Tucson mountains.

Letterboxing success

We were searching after one box that’s part of a series, and were able to find it without problem. Curtis had clues saved for another box that hadn’t been found in a long time, so he went looking for it not expecting to find anything. Lo and behold, after digging around, he was able to find it! We realized later that it had been missing for so long, the planter has it listed as “retired”, so we currently are holding onto the box until we receive word that we can replant it. It’s fun to think that Curtis was able to find a box that someone who we considered to be a “professional letterboxer” wasn’t able to find!

eating at the cookie cabin on mount lemmon in the fall

Summerhaven

No trip to Mt. Lemmon is complete without a visit to the Cookie Cabin! We rewarded ourselves with two giant cookies, one of them with ice cream and a massive tower of whipped cream on top. It’s safe to say we gained back any calories we may have lost from hiking! :p

the cookie cabin on mount lemmon in the fall

The Catalina Highway

We made a few other stops on the way back down the mountain, and enjoyed the views as well. Just another weekend in our own paradise! I hope this inspires you to go on an adventure in your own town, or convinces you to take a trip up to Mount Lemmon in the Fall!

Tucson Mountain Park

A mid-week adventure to Tucson Mountain Park / October 14, 2013

Being in a new city is so exciting. There’s so much that I have to learn about it – the streets, the size, the restaurants, the attractions, and the best place to go for sushi! After being here for almost 2 months, I have started to get accustomed to the little day to day things like the weather, traffic patterns, and what little exploring we’ve done together. But just when I thought I was “used to” being here, we went and visited the mountains to the West, and that just blew my mind all over again. I’m loving Tucson more and more every day, and am SO glad I get 2 more years here!!

view of tucson while hiking in tucson mountain park

Today’s mid-week adventure took us to Tucson Mountain Park. In this area, there is a scenic drive (Gates Pass and Kinney Roads) with many pull offs good for picnics, pictures, and taking a hike on the trails that are all over the place. It’s good to have a game plan for going into the desert (especially on a warm summer day!) and we planned out which trails we’d take by searching for letterboxes.

Letterboxing is similar to Geocaching, except instead of a log and box of trinkets, you’re looking for a tupperware container containing a usually-hand carved-original rubber stamp. Instead of following GPS coordinates, you access clues online and figure out where to go from there. Curtis has had some extra time on his hands, so he put together maps and lists of the boxes in Tucson Mountain Park in order to make boxing trips easier and more efficient.

the tucson mountains in tucson mountain park

Hiking in the desert is quite the experience. To be honest, I haven’t done a whole lot of hiking in my life so far, so I don’t have a lot to compare this to. In Tucson Mountain Park, most of the trails are narrow and rocky. They’re usually pretty easy to distinguish between the rest of the land, and if they come upon a wash then there will be a cairn pointing you in the right direction. Each different mountain range in Tucson varies on trail conditions and difficulty, but as far as TMP’s trails go, they are all pretty easy to walk on – not too rocky, no having to step up onto boulders, usually consisting of just a flat dirt path. The other mountain ranges surrounding Tucson – the Catalinas, Rincons, and Santa Ritas – are all much higher in elevation and are called “sky islands.” Here in Tucson Mountain Park, you’re really hiking through the heart of the Sonoran desert. Because of this, I’d say the best times to visit the area are between October and March, when it isn’t so hot. There is minimal shade and the sun just beats down on you.

Surrounding the trail, you will see almost every desert plant you can think of. Saguaro, prickly pear, cholla, ocotillo, palo verde trees, mesquite trees, and more! Thanks to letterboxing, I actually can identify most plants already. It’s almost like a culture shock coming from the Midwest and having absolutely no familiar plants, but I love that I am that much more familiar with the desert. I love looking up at the great Saguaro and wondering how many HUNDREDS of years old it is. I enjoy seeing little pops of color in the form of a cactus flower or prickly pear fruit. I even like knowing the little warnings, such as stay away from the cholla, because they’ll jump at you and cling to your clothing or skin – I personally haven’t experienced this, but Curtis has, and his reaction went something like this: “OWWWW!”

views while hiking in tucson mountain park

There are a few things I’m not crazy about in the desert. All of those have to do with creatures that inhabit this land. Some slither and rattle, others hunt and attack. Rattlesnakes, mountain lions, javelina, OH MY! One of our very first adventures in this city was going to the Desert Animal Museum (which is located here in Tucson Mountain park, off of Kinney Road North of Gates Pass!) While we had a great time wandering around and seeing all the different creatures that are out there, it also gave me a reality check of just how wild this place is. After learning about scorpions, tarantulas, snakes, gila monsters, and more, I was a little scared to even set foot on a trail. Curtis tried to reassure me, saying “I’ve hiked here for 2 years and have never seen ANY wildlife!” That night, we saw a pack of javelina AND a tarantula. I’d say I have a right to be a little scared.

All that to say, watch your step when wandering through the desert! I always feel safer wearing long pants and hiking boots with ankle support. Like, if I’m covered, the wild creatures won’t go after me.

2 months of wedded bliss 😉

If you’re headed to the West side of Tucson, there are several different attractions you should hit up in Tucson Mountain Park. I mentioned the Desert Animal Museum earlier – that’s a must see. It’s a little pricey, but totally worth it. It’s rated among the top of all museums in the WORLD! That’s probably because it’s less of a museum, and more like a zoo. There’s an indoor aquarium and reptile room, but everything else is outdoors – you walk along the paths and see animals the same way you would at a zoo! However, keep in mind that this is still the desert, so it wouldn’t hurt to bring water and wear sunscreen. Not only can you see animals, but also all different types of desert plants. They also offer 2 different free presentations: a Raptor Free Flight where you can watch different birds of prey put on a show, and the Rattlesnake and Gila Monster show, where you can watch these venomous creatures in action and hear safety tips.

Also in the Tucson Mountain Park area is Saguaro National Park West and the Old Tucson Studios. I can’t vouch for them yet, but I’m hoping we’ll make it there soon!

hiking up a steep trail in tucson mountain park

The more I see down here, the more I love the area, and it only makes me want to see MORE! I’m so thankful I have such an adventurous husband who wants to show me all these incredible places. Life in the Wild West is so good. 🙂

First Week in Tucson

First Week in Tucson | The Road to Nogales | August 24, 2013

Arriving in Arizona | First Week in Tucson

We arrived in Tucson in the late afternoon on Saturday, August 17, 2013. We were able to check in at our new apartment that evening, and started unpacking right away. Curtis had only seen it once before this day, but he did a great job at picking out our home for the next 2 years!

Curtis still had 1 week before school began, so for our first week in Tucson we took some time to settle in, and also go explore the area! We went for a sunset hike on A Mountain — a mountain with a giant A on it. We then walked around the Tucson Mall where we discovered that there is a Cheesecake Factory that is 10 minutes walking distance from our apartment. Boy are we in trouble!

Sonoran Desert Animal Museum

One morning, we drove to Tucson Mountain Park and went to tour the Sonoran Desert Animal Museum. It’s actually more like a zoo, with desert animal exhibits all along a walking path through the desert. As cool as it was, it also freaked me out realizing that all of these animals/reptiles are things we could encounter on the trails!

After walking through the whole museum, we went to a presentation on rattlesnakes and gila monsters. Ok, I’m really not crazy about coming across these on the trails, and was a bit nervous when we went letterboxing right after. Curtis tried to comfort me, telling me he’d never seen ANY wildlife on the trails in the 2 years he’s lived and hiked here.

Sabino Canyon

Well that very night, we went for a sunset walk at Sabino Canyon with Curtis’ friend Mitch. There, we saw a bunch of javelinas (scary hairy pigs) AND a tarantula. A first for both of us, which just goes to show that I can’t trust that I’ll never see anything just because Curtis hasn’t!

Road Trip to Nogales

On our first full weekend in Tucson, we went on a letterboxing adventure down I-19 with Mitch and his cousin, Alex. The day started with the guys trying to convince me that Nico’s is the best Mexican food. Finally, the real fun began when we got on the road. We stopped to hike and find letterboxes on the Anza Trail, at the Sahuarita Mine, and the San Xavier del Blanc Mission.

On the Border

Our final stop was to walk around Nogales and stand next to Mexico! We didn’t cross over today, but it was fun thinking about how just 2 weeks ago Curtis and I were crossing over the Rainbow Bridge from Ontario to New York on our honeymoon! I can’t believe how much we managed to do in our first week in Tucson. Married life is an exciting adventure so far, and I can’t wait to see where it takes us next!

Moving to Tucson // August 2013

Moving to Tucson, Arizona from Eastern Iowa | August 15-17, 2013

A mere 4 days after our Honeymoon, we packed up Curtis’ new/old truck Yeti, said goodbye to our families, and set off into the great horizon, ready to take our first steps as a brand new married couple, moving to Tucson, Arizona. What better way to grow as a married couple than put 1600 miles between you and your family, friends, and place you’ve called home for the past 20.5 years? While this day had been much-anticipated for several years (since saying goodbye to Curtis as he moved to college in AZ for the first time) all of a sudden, the bittersweet feeling that had been growing inside me became mostly bitter. This was the best yet hardest decision that I had made in my short life, and we had come to the hardest part of it all: saying goodbye. Just 2.5 weeks ago, we had said goodbye to our family in my parent’s driveway as we took off for our honeymoon, but that one had been such a happy memory. Lots of smiling, waving, and laughter accompanied that goodbye. This one was much different. Tears, tissues, hugs, and prayers were the theme of this departure. I hated to be so sad as we were starting out on this brand new adventure as a married couple, but the goodbye overshadowed this day and loomed around like the storm clouds around us as we drove West.

But just as the sun lit up the sky in a gorgeous sunlight, so also the sadness faded, and hope overcame us as we realized that the hardest part was over, and there was so much more that God had in store for us on this journey. We had each other, we had our faith, and an exciting future was standing in front of us – and with faith, we would make it through this together.

Driving across the plains

We knew from the beginning that I-80 wasn’t for us, so we took highway 30 West before heading South. We were planning to get to I-35, but somehow took a wrong turn and found ourselves in different towns in Iowa that we’d never heard of. We embraced the adventure and stuck with back highways for the rest of the day. The highlight of day 1 was when we were driving past Troy, Kansas, and saw a sign with a familiar name: Peter Toth. On our honeymoon, we had randomly come across another one of his creations: the Whispering Giant in Two Harbors, MN. What are the odds that we’d randomly find another that same month?! Of course we stopped to see the statue, standing in front of the cutest courthouse. I guess it’s worth mentioning that we also happened to pass by a replica of a Whispering Giant in Osceola, IA. We didn’t stop and get a picture of that one though because it isn’t Peter Toth’s work, and it has been painted over.

We eventually did get on the interstate, made it through Wichita, and stopped for the night in Oklahoma City. So besides our round-about way of traveling, we still got to where we wanted. We set off on I-40 bright and early the next morning and remained on the interstate for the entire day. Curtis had already driven this route on his way to Iowa three months prior, so he knew a few places to stop and grab letterboxes and souvenirs. We stopped at a roadside stand in Oklahoma and purchased a Pendleton blanket, saw bison, and ate at Cracker Barrel. I learned how much bigger the bugs were the farther West we went. Was I really ready for this?? Ready or not, there was nothing I could do about that now!

Besides heavy traffic in Albuquerque when we drove through during rush hour, the trip went smoothly – which we were very thankful for since the truck had problems with overheating in stop-and-go traffic. The clouds were just spectacular as we approached the AZ-NM state border that evening. It was such a weird feeling seeing the “Welcome to Arizona” sign as we entered the state, knowing I was here to stay…this was my new home. After years of dreaming of this day, I was finally moving to Tucson, Arizona. The land was so incredible – I was already falling in love with the big skies and the views across the horizon. But could this really be my new home?!

Home at Last

We stayed in Flagstaff that night, then finished the drive on Saturday. We were already looking forward to returning to Flagstaff as we drove away. We made one stop in Sun Tan City outside of Phoenix to visit some friends, then finished up the drive to Tucson taking highway 79. As we came nearer to my new home city, the mountains grew bigger, and our excitement grew.

Any worries or doubts about moving vanished in my mind as soon as we turned onto our new street. It sounds so silly to say, but seeing that we had a Plato’s Closet (my favorite consignment store) right on the corner of our street was just a gift from God, as if to say, “Don’t worry, I’m with you, you’re going to love living here.” That afternoon, we signed our first lease together, then moved what little belongings we had into our HUGE 2 bedroom apartment. Then in the evening we went for a sunset hike and letterboxed on A Mountain, then ate dinner at In-N-Out. These things seemed so new, so monumental, so “Arizonan” to me, and very soon they became our life.

The Catalina Mountains // Whispering Giant by Peter Wolf Toth // Newlyweds, right before moving to Tucson

Curtis Proposes to Jessica!

Curtis Proposes to Jessica | January 1, 2013 12:00:01 AM

Hey guys, guess what? WE ARE ENGAGED!!!!!

Since it’ll probably take me a while to get to this point in the “My Love Story” series, I guess I can share the story now. 😉 This was totally a surprise to me — I mean, I really wanted it to happen over Christmas break so that I could plan our wedding over the winter/spring, we could get married in the summer, and I could move with him to Arizona and finally put an end to our long distance relationship. However, I honestly didn’t believe it would happen. I didn’t think he had a ring or a chance to talk to my dad. He and I had just gotten back from visiting his relatives in Michigan over Christmas break with his family, then just like last year my family was having his family over for a New Year’s Eve party. I really did think that this would just be a fun 1 year “dating anniversary” and a fun way to ring in the New Year.

That morning, I ran errands with my dad for the party. As the evening approached and we were almost ready for the party, my dad announced he was running to Hy-Vee to pick up some things we had forgotten. I was about to offer to go with him, but I knew Curtis was on his way and wanted to wait and see him. I felt a little guilty for making dad go alone…but it was all for the better. 😉 Curtis and his siblings soon arrived, followed by his parents and my dad. We all ate, played games, and watched TV while waiting for the the hour to strike midnight.

Around 11:55, we all gathered in the living room to count down to 2013. This is more difficult than it sounds when you live in the Central time zone and the Rockin’ New Year’s show on TV doesn’t have a fun countdown or fancy ball drop! We all stared at our cell phones waiting for 12:00.

And well…I guess if you watched the above video, you know what happens next 🙂 The clock struck midnight, and as everyone cheered Curtis suddenly was holding a ring in front of me. “Will you marry me?” I was in shock! Again, in case you couldn’t tell from the video, I said yes. 😉 All the cheers around us went from “Happy New Year” to “Yay they’re engaged!” Pictures and videos were taken, hugs were shared all around, and excitement was in the air.

But of course, we still had a game to finish. For some reason, I just couldn’t focus and have no idea who won. 🙂 I soon learned that the ring had arrived just the day prior, and the reason that dad had suddenly left to “get something we forgot” was to go meet Curtis and give his permission to marry me. These moments were some of my favorite in my entire life and I’m so glad I got to share them with our families! Once the party died down, Curtis’ parents took his siblings home and my family went to bed. Curtis and I just sat together on the couch, holding hands and dreaming of the big exciting future we had to look forward to. Because WE’RE GETTING MARRIED!!!

Family Vacation to Arizona // Tucson

The day before Thanksgiving on our family vacation to Arizona was the day I had been eagerly anticipating all along. It was the day I would see Curtis, my boyfriend again! We checked out of our hotel in Tusayan and began the drive South to Tucson! After arriving and checking into our hotel, we drove over to Curtis’ apartment to pick him up. We were finally reunited after over 3 months apart!!

The first night, we drove to the University of Arizona to walk around the campus and have dinner. On Thanksgiving day, we decided to drive up Mt. Lemmon to have a picnic. We stopped at Safeway to pick up some turkey…deli meat for sandwiches! Once we made it to Summerhaven near the end of the Catalina Highway, we went for a short hike to enjoy the views of Tucson from high above.

After that, we found a picnic table for our big Thanksgiving meal. We traded in a turkey and mashed potatoes for sandwiches and potato chips…but these awesome memories are ones we’ll cherish forever! After lunch, Curtis showed us how he pans for gold in a nearby stream, and we climbed on big boulders and hiked around a bit more before the drive back down. On our way down, we stopped several more times at the overlooks to enjoy the Southwestern scenery and take family pictures.

The next day, Dad, Grant, Curtis and I went to the Pima Air & Space museum in the morning, then everyone went to the Reid Park Zoo in the afternoon. The highlight of the Air & Space Museum was the Super Guppy, pictured above! The biggest disappointment of the day was finding the polar bear exhibit empty, with a sign saying it had recently died…I guess polar bears don’t do well in the desert!

The next day, our quick vacation had come to an end, so we said goodbye to Curtis and began our long 2 day drive back to Iowa. I was sad to say goodbye, as always, but thankful for this time together, and glad that I would see him again in just 3 short weeks for Christmas!

Family Vacation to Arizona // Grand Canyon

This year for Thanksgiving, my awesome family decided to go on a family vacation to Arizona — which just so happen to be where Curtis (my boyfriend) lives! The trip started off with two 12 hour days on the road. Of course getting through Nebraska was long and boring, but the second day we finally made it to the Rockies! We spent our first night outside of Denver off of I-70.

On day 2, we entered Utah for our first time, and got pizza in Moab. As we began heading South, we decided to take some back country dirt road that was supposedly a short cut. It turned out to have beautiful desert views with plenty of red rocks, but it was also a rough road and made for some jokes about getting lost out here forever… But the fact that you’re reading this should tell you that didn’t happen! We pulled over at a random rest stop along the way to check out the scenery (and the out houses… 😉 ).

Because of our short cut, we had enough time to make a short stop at the Navajo National Monument in Northern AZ. We walked down the short trail to check out the canyon and monument in the rocks. We also got Sonic in Tuba City, and finally made it to our hotel in Tusayan, just South of the Grand Canyon!

Finally, on Day 3 we visited the Grand Canyon! It was our first time ever seeing it, and it was so surreal after hearing about it for so many years! After paying a visit to the Visitor’s Center, we started with a short walk on the rim checking out the views. You definitely don’t have to go very far to find incredible views here! After lunch, we took the shuttle to another trailhead and went for a short hike on the South Kaibab Trail.

Not going to lie, even a short walk had me totally winded! I blame the elevation difference here. Grant won the award for hiking the furthest into the canyon. Sarah was the one who “fell in the Grand Canyon…and scraped her knee” and used that joke many times. 😉 We had a great day here and I’m so glad we were able to enjoy this landmark as a family!

10 Month Anniversary – Oct. 31!

It doesn’t matter that we’re 1600 miles apart, we believe it’s important to celebrate the little things. So that means that today we are celebrating our 10 month anniversary! While our friendship began many years ago, and the actual date on when we truly reciprocated romantic feelings for each other is a little unclear, we’ve chosen December 31, 2011 as our official “Start of Relationship.” It was the day that Curtis officially asked my dad for his permission to date me, and we got the blessing of all 4 of our parents.

It’s hard to know where to even begin with all the special events, dates, and happenings in our relationship, I suppose that’s why I started writing our “Love Story” from the very beginning. But it’ll I remember this day very clearly. It was New Year’s Eve and Curtis and his family were returning from spending the holidays with his relatives in Michigan. With my parent’s permission, I invited them all over for a New Year’s party together. Our families obliged, as they were very understanding of our situation: Curtis is attending school in Arizona and had a limited time back for Christmas vacation, and I was eager to spend as much time with him as possible. So his family came over that night to hang out, play games, eat food, and ring in 2012.

After spending a semester apart, Curtis and I were closer than we ever had been and were becoming more and more confident that we wanted to spend our lives together. However, the first step in that was beginning an official relationship: being boyfriend/girlfriend, courting, whatever you want to call it. Curtis knew that having my dad’s permission was absolutely necessary, so that evening at 11:45, he finally gathered the courage to ask my dad. And what do you know, he said yes! Actually, I think the overall response from our parents was a very excited yes, because now they finally knew where we stood in our relationship, and they could finally tell people that yes, we were actually dating.

Us, on our 6 month anniversary, June 30, 2012. What a wonderful summer it was, and this date was one of the highlights. 🙂

Of course, just a week after we began dating, Curtis had to return to school. It hasn’t been easy missing him every day, but having Skype, social media, and constant texting has helped! I loved being able to visit him over his Spring Break last March, and having an entire summer together was amazing. We made the most of every day, which has given us plenty of happy memories to look back on while we long for the next time we’re together!

Hey Curtis, if you’re reading this, happy 10 month anniversary! I can’t wait to see you SO SOON! 🙂

My love story part 2: Before meeting him

In light of our 10 month anniversary yesterday, I decided to share a bit more of our story, from my perspective! [Read Part 1 Here]

My Love Story, Part 2: Before Meeting Him

After the talk with my dad, I started ignoring boys. I really had no need for them in my life, what can I say, I was in elementary school! Instead, this was a time when I was really outgoing and had lots of girl friends. I was involved in church, my home school program, and had lots of wonderful neighborhood friends, as well as an awesome family. I was content and really didn’t need anything else!

However, at this time in my life, boys were not so nice to me. I remember at church, they would pick on me endlessly. They’d take my toys, they’d pull chairs away from me, I have a very vivid memory of one boy even pulling up my dress! (He probably doesn’t remember, but I still hold a grudge on him to this day) Grown ups would say stupid things like “Oh sweetheart, he’s just doing it because he likes you!” Well that was the last thing I wanted to hear, after what my dad said, I didn’t want anyone to like me! I just wanted to be left alone. Besides, I was certain that none of those jerks liked me. Even if they did, they’d never have a chance. 😉

Just when I was at my wit’s end, one boy came along, and he actually DID like me. And he wasn’t a total jerk because of it! At first, when it was subtle and simple, I basked in the attention. I didn’t care for him at all, but if he wanted to flirt with me while I ignored him, then so be it. Unfortunately, life isn’t that simple! Things escalated quickly, for 4th grade that is. Right around this time, a new summer camp started at church, called Theatrical camp. TC was a 2 week camp that met for 3 hours every morning, we rehearsed and at the end performed a Christian musical. It was for kids 3-8 grade, so as 4th graders, my class didn’t have huge roles. But it was still so much fun overall, and it continued to be the highlight of my summer until my last one in 8th grade!

Anyway, back to this boy. In one of the songs in the play, I was picked to dance with him. I mean, he picked me to be his dance partner. It was a fun little swing dance, I thought nothing of it. He however took it very seriously. Even after the play was done, he just wouldn’t drop it! For the next several months, every time he saw me in the church hallway, he would yell “HI SWEETIE!” I tried everything. I told him to stop, I ignored him, acted like it was no big deal, even started getting angry and exclaiming “leave me alone!” but nothing worked! I even got brave enough to use the line Dad gave me: “Go talk to my dad!” but not even that stopped him!

At the beginning of 5th grade, I was done. I was just done with boys. I came to the conclusion that they either hated me and were jerks, or they liked me too much and were annoying. I decided that they just weren’t for me and I wouldn’t ever like a boy.

That was the month when the Christmas play practice started. Along with that came a boy who was so different than everyone else, he completely changed my mind, and my life, to this very day.

RNR – A New Chapter Beginning in my Massage Therapy Journey

When I tell people that I’m a massage therapist that has Rheumatoid Arthritis, they are usually shocked and a little doubtful. It’s a known fact that massage therapists tend to not be in practice for their entire lives because frankly, giving massage wears your body out. So going into the business, already having problems with my hands, not many people expect that it will last long for me. However, as I learned while attending massage school, arthritis really has no affect on my joints, in fact for the 6 months I attended school, I was almost completely pain free!

Even though it isn’t an issue right now, I am always looking for ways that I can save my body and elongate my career. I was looking for a continuing education class to take this fall, and I came across a flyer for one that taught a modality called RNR – Reconnecting Neuromuscular Responses. One of the first things that caught my eye was that it said it was “Very easy on the therapist, especially their hands!” It had me sold right there, but when I continued reading, I became very impressed with all the benefits of RNR. To list a few, RNR is very beneficial for shoulder and neck pain, low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, bunions, TMJ, headaches and migraines, sprained ankles, and much more! I knew that this had to be the class for me!

About the technique: RNR is a neuromuscular massage technique that supports the relationship between the nerves and the muscles through the golgi tendon organs. Golgi tendon organs are nerve endings located in soft tissue fibers throughout the body. When a person experiences pain, the pain signal may cause splinting, which is a contraction of one group of muscles around another to immobilize them. Splinting is a wonderful mechanism; however when this signal is turned off, the healing process may be hindered. RNR helps the body remember to turn off the signal, so healing may be facilitated at a faster rate.

I was very impressed with all the new information I gained from taking this course. I now offer a 45 minute full body RNR session. For the session, the client remains clothed, and there is no oil or lotion used. The goal is not to provide a relaxing environment but rather an environment where the client is able to heal. Anyone can benefit from RNR; it is especially beneficial for athletes or any person who is physically active!

RNR is intended to heal aches and pains that you’ve carried around for years. I recently discovered this technique through a class, and it has changed the way I massage for the better! I am not yet certified in this modality but am hoping to continue learning and practicing until I am able to be. RNR is not a new technique, but there are very few practitioners in the country. To learn more about it and read testimonials from people who have been receiving it for years, visit RNRmassagetherapy.com.