The Adventures of Kym & Dustin

On The Road Again

2012-10-10T08:50:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the hiatus.....

Ill be back on here soon but for now check out my Instagram

Kymanddustinadventures

TRUTH

2012-08-03T15:58:00.000-07:00

I found this quote today.... I have always been weirdly drawn to Anais Nin, but this quote only makes me love her more. Life should be an adventure and I am learning to make adventure a goal. NO guilt and NO regret...just honesty and kindness.

Sometimes I feel like I'm going to fail at life, but at least I will live fully in a way that is truthful to myself.

“Question: I am interested in so many things, and I have a terrible fear because my mother keeps telling me that I'm just going to be exploring the rest of my life and never get anything done. But I find it really hard to set my ways and say, "Well, do I want to do this, or should I try to exploit that, or should I escape and completely do one thing?"

Anaïs Nin: One word I would banish from the dictionary is 'escape.' Just banish that and you'll be fine. Because that word has been misused regarding anybody who wanted to move away from a certain spot and wanted to grow. He was an escapist. You know if you forget that word you will have a much easier time. Also you're in the prime, the beginning of your life; you should experiment with everything, try everything.... We are taught all these dichotomies, and I only learned later that they could work in harmony. We have created false dichotomies; we create false ambivalence's, and very painful one's sometimes -the feeling that we have to choose. But I think at one point we finally realize, sometimes subconsciously, whether or not we are really fitted for what we try and if it's what we want to do.

You have a right to experiment with your life. You will make mistakes. And they are right too. No, I think there was too rigid a pattern. You came out of an education and are supposed to know your vocation. Your vocation is fixed, and maybe ten years later you find you are not a teacher anymore or you're not a painter anymore. It may happen. It has happened. I mean Gauguin decided at a certain point he wasn't a banker anymore; he was a painter. And so he walked away from banking. I think we have a right to change course. But society is the one that keeps demanding that we fit in and not disturb things. They would like you to fit in right away so that things work now.”
― Anaïs Nin

Calm

2012-07-22T12:40:00.001-07:00

There is nothing more awesome to me than a calm start to my day. This morning I'm enjoying drinking coffee and slowly catching up on my favorite blogs! I feel inspired, refreshed, and I know today will be great!

Now I'm off to the land of Ice and Snow.

Catch you guys next week.

Do you have a favorite morning ritual? How about a favorite blog?

To and from Mag-An Interview

2012-07-13T17:48:00.001-07:00

Do you guys know about To & From Magazine? Well, if you don't then you should! It is an online publication for those who enjoy the travel lifestyle and sharing the journey. It is a beautiful and inspiring magazine. I can't flip through it with out needing to go EVERYWHERE in the issue! This issue features some amazing places here in the U.S. I was floored with happiness when I was asked to do an interview about U.S. travel. I'm pretty much in love with this magazine so it is an honor to be included. Thanks so much, To & From!!!

Anniversary number 4

2012-07-13T17:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was our 4 year wedding anniversary...So I thought I would post a few photos from our wedding. We didn't want a fancy wedding and we knew we wanted to get married outside. This was an obvious choice for us.

The day was beautiful and the ceremony took place on the bluffs above the beach at Montana De Oro State park in California. We planned the wedding in 2 weeks after a looooong engagement. Because that's just how we roll.

Happy Anniversary Dustin!

Here's to many more years filled with love and adventure!

-Kym-

If your happy and you know it....

2012-07-05T18:43:00.000-07:00

Happy July! It has been a snowy week which just seems silly since it is JULY!!!
I'm just about as happy here in the snow as I would be anywhere else. I would gladly take the cold over being in 100 degree weather. Since the weather has been bad this week I was able to spend some time cuddling newborn puppies! They are adorable!
I have nothing else to say so I will leave you with these thoughts.....

Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.  -Abraham Lincoln-

We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same. - Carlos Castaneda

Have a beautiful week whether yours is filled with snow, rain, or sunshine!

Daydreaming

2012-06-29T23:55:00.000-07:00

Lately, Ive been working my little butt off.

I don't have much more to say than that. Yesterday I suddenly remembered that work equals money to travel. Upon that realization I immediately started daydreaming about a fall road trip. Wouldn't it be nice to finally go to the Grand Canyon, or explore Colorado more, or drive from Alaska to Florida?

Or......

Soooo many options!

I will continue daydreaming.....

Also, this week I got reminded of how much I miss my Seattle hair lady! First because every hair person in Juneau is lame..they never have time and when they do they cant seem to cut my bangs right. Second because she sent me

this...

which only reminded me of how much I miss dressing like a girl and having cute hair! Damn it!

It is time for fun

2012-06-21T15:57:00.000-07:00

OH man!! This week has been so much fun!!!!

The people I live with on the glacier make me laugh sooooooooooo MUCH!! It is true that these are the good days!!!!

I have decided to never use my Nikon DSLR again. It is so big and bulky to carry around compared to my iphone!!! My iphone camera makes me so happy with all of its awesome photo apps and all the fun Hipstamatic lenses with film!!!! Ahhhhhh!!! In in HEAVEN!

I have taken over 1000 photos this week.......I'm not sure this is normal for most people or not.

I am happily obsessed with my little pocket sized camera.

So here is my week according to my iphone.

Blogging from the glacier

2012-06-12T13:07:00.001-07:00

I cant believe that I am able to get internet 12 miles up the Mendenhall glacier! This place just got so much less remote with Internet around. It just seems so CRAZY to me! Hello glacier blogging!
There are only 9 days left until the official start of summer and I am sitting in the middle of a snow storm. I woke up to a few inches of snow on my tent porch this morning and the snow just hasn't quit. I am starting to wonder where summer has gone. Hopefully summer has found you all. It is nowhere to be found here in Alaska. Lucky for me I am stuck on the glacier with some really awesome people so for now I am going to put the Internet away and enjoy my surroundings snow and all.

The days are long

2012-06-10T01:24:00.000-07:00

Lately every single day feels like a whole week. It seems like I am stuffing a weeks worth of time into my days. Today I accomplished so much before 2 o' clock.. I finally bought an iPhone and even went on a helicopter ride.... but then I continued to find more things that NEEDED to be done before bedtime. I needed to go running, obviously I need to blog, I needed to look at all the blogs I have been missing while on the glacier, and I needed to play with Dixie! My mind never shuts down and I am wondering what the outcome will be if I can't start to find some balance in life. I'm not really complaining...I thrive when I am busy, so this life is a good fit for me. I'm just mostly thinking about how fast life is flying by and how I really don't want to miss any of it. Sleeping is overrated anyways...Right?

Here are some photos from this week....maybe I can even start to blog from the glacier with my iPhone and our new cell phone booster. These days I can get phone service on a glacier!!!!! Now I will never sleep!

AHHHH!

Goodnight!

Have a Beautiful Week!

Kym

At this second in June

2012-06-02T00:26:00.000-07:00

JUNE

Snapshot-

Theme Song-
Blue eyes crying in the rain- Willie Nelson
I can't get enough old country lately.
Patsy. Hank. Loretta. Johnny.

Mood-

Refreshed-after a day off I feel like a new
woman who is ready to take on the world!

Color-

Glacier Blue

Word-

Ukelele- I am in love with this little instrument. IN LOVE!

Need-

To make some decisions about where to go and what to do this winter! But for now I should enjoy where I am.

Drink-

Alaskan I.P.A

Book-

I have had NO TIME! But I am open to suggestions for when I do get time to read again.
What book are you reading?

Wish-

I wish for good weather, great company, and a positive outlook always.

Quote-
“A meal of bread, cheese and beer constitutes the perfect food.”
Queen Elizabeth I.

No time, No time!

2012-05-25T01:39:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I am back on the glacier for another season! I flew to the glacier 11 days ago and haven't stopped moving since I landed up there. The snow is crazy and unless you have snow shoes you fall up to your knees every time you take a step! It seems funny to me that people go to the gym for a workout. Walking through snow is the best workout ever. I lost 5 pounds this week and gained pure muscle. Anyways, I just wanted to put some photos up and hope that I can get a real post together next week.

A Battle with the weather

2012-05-10T18:33:00.000-07:00

I think it's silly that I thought leaving Seattle for Alaska would be a trade up as far as weather goes. Having spent the winter in Seattle's slow and cold drizzle I was hoping to catch some sunshine here in Alaska because usually when we come up to Juneau for the summer we are greeted by great weather!

However, this year is a little different.

I think I have seen the sun for a few brief moments. The days have been a mix of clouds, rain, and strong winds. Since most of the work we do is done with helicopters that can't fly in the low clouds we are waiting for a break in the weather to get up to the glacier.

Sadly, the weather is NOT cooperating.

As usual we are making the most of our situation and having fun with it.

But, all I have to say is....

Can some one please order the sun to come out and burn all these clouds away?

I would be happy to get to the glacier and start working.

I hope you are doing well.

Kym

Mendenhall Glacier-First landing

2012-04-28T20:56:00.000-07:00

Did you know that in order to get to Juneau, Alaska that you have to either fly or take the state ferry? There is no other way to get to the state capital. I think it is the only capital city that is land locked.( don't take my word for truth but I am pretty sure) We have always taken the eight hour ferry ride every time we have traveled this way and enjoyed the trip thoroughly.

Luckily, the ferry ride provides exceptionally beautiful scenery in every direction that you look.

After our sail to Juneau we were asked to try and help find the perfect camping spot on the 12 mile glacier. So we flew up to the Mendenhall glacier so that we could try and find the perfect camping spot for the season. These photos are from our glacier landing. We were the first people to be up there in months and the snow was pristine. No footsteps anywhere! It is a crazy feeling to land in such a desolate spot and be towered by huge jagged mountains. Crazy, but beautiful! Usually when I get to the glacier the camp is mostly set up and the luxuries of a base camp are close by.

This was a beautiful day and I feel lucky to have been asked to go up there and experience the glacier before all the summer season traffic.

Sledding in Skagway

2012-04-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

I don't have much time to write a blog today, but I wanted to post a few photos from our weekend. We went to White Pass just outside of Skagway, Alaska with some of our co-workers to go sledding. Dixie LOVED it and chased us down the hills which made her REAL tired by the end of the day! Skagway is such a beautiful place, but now we are on our way to Juneau!

Kym

Here in Alaska...Life is good!

2012-04-24T21:58:00.000-07:00

Time is flying by and we have been hard at work on some interesting projects. We built a fake ice room out of glass blocks. We made an ice throne, ice bar, and a few ice pillars of light. I love doing something new everyday so this might be my favorite time of year here at work. Dustin learned to *sling*, which is a fun Helicopter word that means he got to hook a helicopter to a load so that it can fly with all the important things we need on the glacier. Everything that goes up to the glacier gets slung or put into a helicopter, so it is a good thing to learn. I got a few photos of how beautiful our office was that day and Dustin got to wear this awesome orange outfit. Don't worry, I made fun of him.

Blogger friends and questions

2012-04-19T21:50:00.000-07:00

Have you guys met Tamara? She is a fellow blogger at Smiling for Grandma and also a native California girl living just a hop skip and a jump from where I call "home" who recently tagged me in a post that involves answering a few fun questions. Even though it took me 3 weeks to answer the questions...(oops!)
I was excited to participate! Thanks to Tamara for including me!

1. how long have you been blogging? during this time has your blogging focus changed?

I started blogging in 2006 when I went to work as a tour guide in Alaska. Back then I wanted to keep my family informed about what I was doing. Today my blogging focus has become more community minded and about building a relationship with like minded adventurous people and keeping a journal for myself.

2. what was the the name of your first best friend...are you still friends?

Believe it or not, My first best friend was named Kim. Her mom made the best quesadillas and we palyed life all the time! Sadly she moved away and we never saw each other again.

3. what is the best meal you have ever had.

Mangoes in Hawaii- BEST.Food.EVER!

4. do you have a pet? share a picture!

Dixie-She is a pound puppy who is a crazy ball of energy! She can climb trees- Seriously!

5. did you want to change your name when you were a child? if you did...to what? {i wanted to change mine to anita...my favorite babysitter.}

I wanted to be a Stacy. I have changed my mind on that though. No offense to any Stacy's out there. I still don't feel like "Kym" suits me. When I get into a conversation with someone I don't know and don't really have anything else to say (typically in a bar type situation) I always ask them what they think my name should be. I get the funniest answers and It is a good conversation starter.

6. with regard to your creative passion...who do you admire?

Sabrina Ward Harrison, Jolie Holland, and Elizabeth Gilbert.

7. tell us about a memorable trip as a child.

Monterey Bay aquarium. I got to pet a sting ray and hold starfish. That might be the funnest place to go when you are 8.

8. do you enjoy live music? if so, do you have a favorite concert?

I love live music! Living in Seattle for half of the year I am lucky enough to see a lot of good bands. Dustin and I followed Bob Dylan on tour and that was pretty incredible.

9. do you use butter, or a substitute, when you bake?

BUTTER for sure!

10. are you in a book club? if you are, do you actually read the book...or are you more attracted to the monthly wine and food gathering with girlfriends?

I don't belong to a book club, I do love to read but I'm a really picky reader so I'm not sure I would be a good addition to a book club. Who knows though... I might like it if all the books were about travel.

11. my grandma is no longer here but i think about her everyday, and this blog was created with her in mind. {that's her and my grandpa up in the header.} i love talking about grandmas...and grandpas too. do you have a grandma or grandpa memory you would like to share?

My grandpa was a really awesome guy! He was like the ultimate fun grandpa because he knew a lot about photography, could show you constellations, launched those really fun toy rockets, played video games with me, and liked to fish. It would be fun if he was still around.

I am supposed to tag a few people with fun questions so I am tagging a few a of my favorite bloggers!

Dashboard Diary

Life of Something New

A & B C the world

Scribble Smudge

Pocketful of Pretty

Alright ladies- I have just 5 questions for you- So, here goes...

1. 5 places you need to visit.

2. 5 places you would love to call home.

3. Top 5 favorite things in your life.

4. 5 things your want to cross off your bucket list or goal list this year.

5. 5 random facts about you.

Alaska-Living the Skagway Life

2012-04-18T22:16:00.000-07:00

Well, Skagway has been beautifully sunny and only slightly cold. We are adapting well and loving it here! Even Dixie is starting to adapt to all the new people and experiences. While we are in town we are staying in these awesome vintage campers. This green one is called the *EXECUTIVE*. We are staying in a newer version of this shag carpet masterpiece but the coolness of this motorhome just makes me need to take photos in front of it.

I mean- seriously!

The door of this motor home says * Nevermind the Dog- Beware of Owner.* with a gun in the background!

Here we are in Skagway.

2012-04-15T16:56:00.000-07:00

Well, We made it.

The road was only slightly snowy and it only took us 2 and a half days to get here from Seattle.

We will be in Skagway for a while to help set up the glacier camp, build the structures, and get everything ready for the season.

Let the work begin!

Darlin ukulele-

2012-04-10T13:31:00.001-07:00

Darlin Ukelele by Jolie Holland on Grooveshark

Alright- Everything we own is crammed into an 8x10 storage unit and we are about ready to hit the road! Its a long drive but I am looking forward to living out of my backpack and having an epic road trip. Lately I have been feeling pretty fortunate to have an awesome husband who will do these kind of working adventures with me. I know we will look back at these years down the road as some of the best times.

For sure- these days are awesome!

Oh and Dustin bought me a beautiful ukulele. I can't wait to learn to play!

I'm probably gonna drive him crazy playing it in the car.

Bye!

2012-04-07T13:32:00.000-07:00

We are leaving for Alaska in 2 days!!!! It is gorgeous in Seattle today and I just got back from a beautiful bike ride. I followed Dustin and Dixie on their 13 mile run and soaked up the sun and warmth. I am just getting over a cold/sickness that was really draining! I relied on Nyquil for most of the week to subside my insane coughing during the night. Thank goodness for Nyquil! I didn't even have energy check my favorite blogs or even my email! Luckily I'm feeling better now, just in time to start packing!

I went tree climbing with Dustin and Dixie and just wanted to post a few of my favorite photos to show you guys how ridiculous this dog is. She is a small dog but she is 15 pounds of pure Crazy! No really- She is a wild animal!

At this 2nd

2012-04-02T13:17:00.001-07:00

This is me at this 2nd in
April

Snapshot-

Theme Song-

Mood-listless with many to-do lists

Color- Green

Word- Shangri-la
Need- To get packing for Alaska!

Drink- Americano with Wipped cream-Yum!

Book- Even Cowgirls get the Blues- Tom Robbins

Wish- More Time would be nice.

Quote-

"Tell Me What you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

- Mary Oliver-

Simple sun

2012-04-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

Down in the Valley by The Head and the Heart on Grooveshark

I liked this weekend!

It was a good one! Calm, relaxing, and even a little bit sunny!

Finally sun! Yay!

We took Dixie to the dog park, enjoyed the spring flowers, and devoured Dustin's homemade bread.

It's the simple things, Ya know?

I also couldn't help myself and wore my hair Katniss style!

Earlier this week I was walking Dixie to the park and noticed a wallet laying on the pavement. There was no one around so I picked it up, took it home, and investigated to see if I could find the owner.

It was really hard to find this guy but eventually after tracing his steps with receipts left in the wallet and leaving numbers at several places, I found him.

The guy was thrilled to be reunited with his stuff and I was happy to get it back to him!

I have to say that I had so much fun pretending to be an investigator and solving the mystery of the lost wallet!

Hope your days have been simple and fulfilling.

Mine have!

On the Road with Kym and Em

2012-03-29T08:15:00.005-07:00

Today I am happy to introduce you to one of my favorite bloggers,

Emily from Dashboard Diary!

Emily and her boyfriend Josh have had some seriously epic adventures!

They also have an Irish Setter named Charlie, who is one of the cutest dogs I have ever seen!

(actually I have never seen him, But I see his photos online a lot so I feel like I have seen him...either way he is adorable!)
I interviewed Emily about road trips, must have playlists, delicious road food, and living the adventurous life.

1) You have seen a lot of the country in your travels!

If you could live anywhere in the U.S. where would you live? Why?

Probably anywhere in Colorado.
Breckenridge and Ft. Collins are my favorite so far.

The summers are heavenly and the winters are gorgeous.

Skiing is my addiction and Louisiana is a bit too distant from skiable snow, and unskiable snow for that matter.
(We settle for fake snow)

2) What is currently on your travel bucket list?

Havasupai falls has been topping the list for years.

Not my pic, obviously, I haven't been there yet.

We've had many roadblocks preventing a successful trip, including a flood and a massive elk . . . which is now road kill.

Hopefully in one year we will be able to successfully get there.

3) You guys like finding amazing food on your travels you also like Man Vs. Food- What has been your favorite Man vs. Food meal?

Chicken and Waffles at hash house a-go-go in Vegas.
I'm drooling just thinking about it.

Bacon. Cooked. Inside. Waffles.
Bigger than my face.

Dumb good.

4) What are your must have road trip tunes/playlist?

Tallest Man on Earth is appropriate for every road trip. The Wild Hunt is our mantra.

Some of our other trips we let the surroundings set the tone for the playlists like:

The desert/castussy drive from Vegas to California: Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

Driving Highway 2 in Washington through the foggy mountains of Wenatchee National Forest: Bon Iver

Driving through the plains/sunny mountains to the Gorge: Fleet Foxes

5) What is your most necessary travel essential?

Charlie!

Josh is wanting to get medical/legal clearance to take Charles on planes.

Does type one diabetes require you to need a dog at your side at all times? Yes indeed.

6) What is your best advice for exploring and making the most out of a road-trip?

Josh's thoughts are: Travel cheap and camp out as much as possible (or find crappy hotels, which usually make for funny stories)

My theory is: Don't eat somewhere you can eat at home.

New, scary experiences are part of getting cultured and taking it all in.

I'm probably the most picky person known to man, but when in Italy I tried everything in site.
Liver pate/patte? However the heck you spell it.
Yup.

7)Favorite Travel blog or travel website or book about travel?

Books: Into the wild & Honeymoon with my Brother
Website: 2Backpackers.com and Lonely Planet

blog: Adventures of Kym and Dustin, A & B C the World, and Of Revolt

8) Any road trips planned for the near future?

Yes! So pumped! I just found out I kinda get a real spring break!

I have Friday and Monday off for Easter weekend so we might drive to Woodstock to spend Easter with Josh's fam and do some kayaking/rafting on the Nantahala River, maybe.

9) Seems like you guys will road trip for awesome music, what was your favorite show that you saw on the road and what would be the ultimate band or musician to see while road tripping?

All the shows we've seen have been great, but nobody has inspired our cross country travel like Dave.

. . . and The Gorge is one of our favorite venues.

Right now, The Tallest Man on Earth is currently at the top of our to-see list!

10) Do you have any favorite travel pictures?
Why yes I do, how did you know!

Salvation Mountain

Red Rocks

Cozumel

Yosemite

Nicaragua

Horseshoe Canyon Ranch

Thanks to Emily for guest posting and inspiring me to want to explore! Be sure to check out her blog at
Dashboard Diary

-Kym-
Be sure to check out the questions Emily asked me HERE

I don't like maps and I don't like plans- Oregon Roadtrip!

2012-03-27T01:26:00.002-07:00

It has become obvious that (we ~~are~~) I am bad at planning and decision making. Going on a random road trip is not something a planner would do. A planner would look up addresses, know where to eat, research dog friendly hotels, and be prepared!

Also, a planner would have a plan!

When I convinced Dustin that we should go on a road trip for his birthday, I decided that we could either go to Portland for the breweries or go to Cannon Beach which is a very dog friendly town on the Oregon Coast. I left the decision up to him.

Both options would be fun! Funny enough, he ended up choosing to explore both options. So, It was breweries and the beach! This weekend was the only time for us to be together before we started packing for our move to Alaska and getting mentally prepared for all the hard work to come.

It was a nice break from Seattle and the routine we have made for our day to day. We were also lucky enough to catch a little bit of sun!

We started at the Bridgeport brewery!

Home to Dustin's favorite beer-

Hop Czar!

Dixie loved rolling around in the muddy Portland dog park!

After the snowy drive from Portland we made it to Bills Tavern in Cannon Beach! We enjoyed local beer and bluegrass music in addition to dinner!

We called Ocean Lodge on our way from Portland and decided to stay with them because of their dog friendly atmosphere. The room was beautiful and Dixie even got her own basket full of treats, towels, and a makeshift dog bed!

I think Herbal tea and a bath is the perfect way to end a day of driving.

We hardly ever get a hotel on the road so this was a special way to spend Dustin's birthday.

Blue Skies and Sunshine! Exactly what we came here for!

Cannon Beach is a very dog friendly town that allows for dogs to play leash free on the beach as long as they are under voice control. Dixie was in heaven here and wanted nothing more than to chase her ball!

We got a cute little family portrait and enjoyed the sunshine.

On our way home we stopped in Astoria at the Rogue Public house located on the pier. Rogue has delicious beer and a beautiful location right on the water!

For not having a plan we were lucky that the weekend came together beautifully!

Cheers to not planning!

-Kym-