Author Archives: Alan Kesselheim

It always seems slightly miraculous that we can make plans months and even years ahead of an event, and on the appointed day and window of time, with people vectoring in from far and wide, everyone shows up at a … Continue reading →

I don’t know, maybe it’s an age thing. Maybe it’s the sentimentality of the holiday season . . . Could be that I turned 71 and am more acutely aware of loose ends, and also of the cycles looping through … Continue reading →

It was Kimmer’s brilliant idea, more than 20 years back. “What if,” she said, “as each of us reaches 50, we propose a trip and everyone else shows up for it?” A novel and intriguing challenge. Everyone else, in this … Continue reading →

On our fridge is a list of stuff we have on our adventure/outing to-do list. Some of it is pretty aspirational (travel to Ireland), but most is quite attainable (local trails, bike rides, paddling). One of them is to finish … Continue reading →

Well, if you run a blog, I guess it’s on you to keep it current, which I haven’t been doing lately. It’s not that nothing has happened since spring, it’s just that I haven’t gotten around to posting about it. … Continue reading →

This Plan B world asserted itself once again on our March getaway to the desert southwest. To begin, on our departure morning, March 15, 6 am, we crept out of town on icy roads, made it about 5 miles, and … Continue reading →

Of course that fickle finger of fate has caused mischief with best-laid plans forever. Just when things are all dialed in, something comes up – a death in the family, a freak blizzard, an economic crash, a vehicle break down, … Continue reading →

Less than a month after we returned from our Alaskan adventure, we left home again, this time for Peru. I’m not much of a world traveler, but our family friend Liz has been working in Peru this past year on … Continue reading →

To begin with, that all ten of us, and our literal ton of gear, made it to Kotzebue, Alaska at the same time and in good shape is a small miracle. Arriving from Montana, Washington, Arizona, Texas, each coping with … Continue reading →

I sit down to write my predictable yearly ode to the start of the paddling season. But I realize that, this year, it is layered with so much other meaning. Never fear, the tribute to rivers and springtime and the … Continue reading →