We’re baaaack!

Aug 15

Did you miss us? Think we’re lost in the woods? Eaten by bears?

(Or didn’t notice we were gone? Keep that one to yourself.)

Fear not, the school year has returned and with it our feeble attempts to share our tales of epic teen adventures, globetrotting, and... well, let's just say our blogging hiatus was due to frenetic energy release and not a lack of motivation!

No, we weren't watching the grass grow and binging TV (well, maybe a wee bit of Ted Lasso). We were off leading the kind of teen adventures that could rival Indiana Jones' exploits, minus the cool hat.

First, it was off to the wilds of North Carolina in early June. We're talking playing Tarzan on a high ropes course and zip line, strolling along the Appalachian Trail to visit a thru-hiker shelter, swimming in creeks that might or might not have been the set of The Last of the Mohicans, and discovering waterfalls like we were on a real-life treasure hunt.

Amelia has a *great* attitude and fantastic taste in hoodies

Oh, but that's not all! In late June, we jetted off to Maine for a classic New England getaway.

Climbing *and* an afternoon hike? All in a day’s work!

We swapped out the ropes course and zip line for climbing gear and scaled rocks like Spider-Man's slightly clumsier cousins. Then, we channeled our inner Tour de France contenders as we biked the picturesque carriage roads in Acadia – only a few mishaps and wrong turns, promise!

Lunch at Jordan Pond House, then a race to the finish!

And then there was sea kayaking along the Maine Island Trail. Our pals at Sea Kayak Stonington hooked us up with brand new boats and guided us to our very own private islands.

Photo: Michael Daugherty @seakayakstonington ig

Lastly, we ventured into Baxter State Park, where we hiked through rain, fog, and what felt like a cloud factory gone haywire.

As if that wasn't enough, we even managed to squeeze in some personal travel. Emily was off to Vancouver and its mountainous charm, while Allen scouted a route at O’Bannon Woods for future trips (coming soon…).

We even made time for a family getaway to Syracuse, NY for some actual R&R!

But alas, there’s no rest for the weary. Yes, we're already back in the classroom, ready to impart wisdom and knowledge to the young minds of tomorrow – and maybe slip in a few stories of our summer adventures for good measure. If nothing else, we’ll surely spend some time daydreaming about the summer that was.

So, there you have it, friends. We might have been MIA for a while, but trust us, it was all for a good cause. Now we’ll catch our breath, share a few stories, and make plans for future adventures.

Now, where to next…?