Mikey and Bonnie

We were almost back to Canada…and then we got the email. The email that forever changed our outlook on long car rides, life in So Cal, and a band called Switchfoot… With that email we shifted our plans and, about 2 hours from the Canadian border, decided to turn around with our friends Craig and Mandi and drive 28 hours south to Oceanside, California for Mandi’s birthday - and we are STOKED that we did! Here is a photo journal entry of our time down south, finally livin’ the beach bum life and lovin’ every moment of it:

Transferring ourselves and a bit of clothing and food into Manid’s speedy little Golf: Shelby, MT.

Here we are passing into our second state of the trip: Utah!

This shot of us in Arizona was taken after our first drive through the night. Note: Mikey’s blocking my face.

Welcome to Nevada, everyone, the subject of my 5th grade state project. Note: Craig’s blocking Mandi’s face.

A drive-through Vegas, baby!

Cute couple pic #1 at Denny’s before the Switchfoot concert!

Fueling not only our stomachs, but our muscles as well…Mikey getting pumped with a Redbull (we were tired a lot!).

Tim Foreman and the Switchfot gang are incredible muscians whose lyrics challenge you to live fuller, more meaningful lives without staying in the box of “religion.” This was so refreshing to us as we try to live in truth in ways that make others wonder where our purpose comes from… and to see them play in their home town of San Diego was a real treat!

Laughing it up on the way back from the SD County Fair in the tram with the b-day girl herself…

The Bro-Am surf competion begins!

Switchfoot’s 5th annual surf comp/concert raises money for a group called Stand Up for Kids, and this year’s benefit was a hit again! Lots of great music, energy, sun, and fun all for a cause bigger than us.

Time for our third Switchfoot concert in 2 days…of course I decided to pose with Buddha before we saw them rock out again. John Foreman, the lead singer, played at the Belly Up pub with two of the band members from Nickle Creek in his “side-band” called Fiction Family, whose sound is folksy and mellow compared to Switchfoot’s normal rock sounds. Basically it was amazing! We couldn’t believe that Nickle Creek was there!

…an obligatory stop that was well worth the wait.

Bustin’ through Vegas - this time with the chance to stop and play some slots…sorry, no one won.

Back in Idaho!

One state away from home…

All in all, it was a wonderful, spontaneous trip with friends that ended our 2 months of traveling in just the right way - with relaxation, refreshment, and meaning as we got so much out of this trip in so many ways. We enjoyed so much the beach life of Southern California for a bit and were actually pretty sentimental to leave! Now that we’re back (and have sorted through mail and boxes from Columbia - yeah for donations and a sponsor!), we are turning our attention to our kayking expedition coming up on July 11th. There is lots to prepare for and even more to be keeping in prayer, but more and more we are seeing God steer this trip in the direction He wants it to go. We continue to rest and trust in Him as He keeps giving us amazing opportunities to live and grow for His kingdom. Thanks for following along in our journey and for being a part of it - we’ve really learned this year that it’s people that make life count, and we’re grateful for you!

Huck it huge and wherever you are, be all there,

Mikey and Bonnie Lang

This is quite the unexpected summer for Mikey and I; just as soon as we finish an adventure, God seems to put us in the mix of another one! And no complaints as far as that is concerned - this is our first summer in a long time where we have had the freedom to say yes to random trips and have had the ability to make some decisions on our own because we’re not working.

 I preface this post with those words because as soon as we left the boat, we jumped into Seattle life for a few days and were met with good friends (Erin, Alex, Kara, and Anna), a Dairy Queen late ice cream birthday cake for me (thanks Mikey!), some time spent with one of our favorite families, the Bryants, in Anacortes, and a weekend in Leavenworth helping out as resource staff with some of our best friends and new friends too! WHEW!

It was so encouraging for our hearts, especially after our tense trip, to be with friends who affirmed and loved us, and the conversations we had with others greatly inspired us - it’s always good to have your image of God shaken up a bit to get to you to think and continue seeking His true character and nature (thanks Andrew)… From rafting to shuttle driving to laughing and helping cook dinner, from church to the hospitality of others to movie watching, we were blessed in the small community of Plain, Washington. (Thanks guys! We’re praying for your summer and are so glad to have met the summer staff and been reconnected with other staff so we know how best to keep praying for you there at the Ranch. Huck it huge!)

Mikey and I left YDWA ready to go scout out Glacier National Park in Montana as we’ll be stopping there on the way down from Calgary to Oregon with for our kayaking trip coming up in 16 days. This was when we received an email from our friend Craig in Calgary who is taking his girlfriend, Mandi, down to So Cal  for a free surf competition and a Switchfoot concert for her birthday…with an inviation of “Would you like to come?” attached. We thought about it and weighed the pros and cons as our kayaking trip is coming up and decided we got off the boat early for a reason and that this would be another chance to connect with some people who are important to us…so tomorrow we are meeting up with those two crazy roadtrippers for a drive down to So Cal! We’re trying to lump Disneyland in there too - so we are preparing for some serious fun to be had in a few days’ time here… In the meantime, we’re camping and hiking and checking out accomodations and feeling like we’re getting set for the trip by reconing the area in this beautiful park.

Our campsite (not breathtaking, but cheap!) just outside the national park.

The Highline Trail

Beautiful!

Today is our last day to recon and we have one more hike to do before settling in to get some last minute emailing and writing done so we can enjoy the trip down to CA with our friends without feeling like there’s a lot we have to finish in the back of our minds. It’s been, once again, an unexpected but wonderful trip full of seeing God at work. Please continue to pray for our upcoming expedition - that the logisitcs, filming, and programming run smoothly, that all of us as participants and guides are changed, that God would be present in very clear ways, and that above all God is glorified. Please rejoice with us too, as we are almost FULLY FUNDED (check out the website’s fundraising bar - it’s almost filled up)! We have much to be thankful for and continue to learn more about what God wants from us as we live each day and how much we are indeed loved by Him.

Have a great rest of the week and thanks for checking in! Huckin’ it huge from somewhere in Montana,

Mikey and Bonnie Lang

Singer Kristene Mueller said it best, and we agree - God’s redemption of circumstances and hearts is so much better than perfection right from the beginning. This has been true to our experience as our Caribbean adventure comes to an end and we recognize God’s redemption of a fairly negative time on the boat under relational stress. He has used the last four days to rejuvenate, encourage, and bolster us through meeting great people, exploring a new type of land, and by truly relaxing and feeling no pressure or tension for the first time since we stepped on the boat.

The night is calm, slightly humid, and beautiful out and Mikey and I are full and satisfied from a round of Church’s Chicken (for Mikey) and “doubles” for me (my new favorite fast food of curried chick peas with a spicy cilantro sauce in fried naan-type bread). From our new home for the night inside the Trinidad Airport, we are safe and sound after an unexpected, exhilarating, and exciting 6 weeks exploring the Caribbean by boat and on foot. When we last wrote, we were feeling trapped inside our hostel in Port of Spain, trying to escape a con artist, and our view of Trinidad was not so positive. Now, however, after 4 days staying at the Almond Brook guesthouse (a tiny little bare bones home that includes breakfast and overlooks the rugged northern coast of Trinidad) and after some exploration of waterfalls, good cliffs to jump, and more ocean side goodness, we feel quite different. What an end to this trip for us both!

…It’s hard to believe that one day can start out so negative and be turned around (or redeemed) to move in such a different direction, but we left the Abercromby Inn from Port of Spain and ended up at the sleepy seaside town of Blanchieusse. We were still hesitant and a bit nervous about our encounter with the con artist Marcus the night before, so the morning was spent really figuring out what to do, where to go, and how we could salvage the next few days. Luckily, we met up with our superb taxi driver from the day before (as Mikey had left his sunglasses in the car) who didn’t want us to go out alone (he’s so thoughtful!) and therefore took us to the grocery store to stock up on provisions and then to the maxi taxis for FREE! He put us into the hands of a driver who was coming up this way, and rather than just wait for the bus to fill up we decided to pay the TT $105 for the way up immediately. Turns out that Horace is the owner of a bed and breakfast in Blanchieusse! He gave us an incredible deal on both the taxi ride and the rates at his home (we paid the local price which doesn’t include breakfast – TT$250).

After getting settled into our picturesque room, we set out to find Three Pools in the river up the road. The land on this side of the island is so jungly and absolutely stunning in comparison to the equally beautiful white-sand beaches of our previous month in Caribbean territory, so it was a real treat to explore the clean, fresh river water and finally make it to the incredible pools on a hot late-afternoon. This was after a side hike up into the jungle away from the coast and river and some vine climbing and picture taking, which added a fun factor to the river day.

We vowed to come back and left to catch the sunset on the beach, where a huge rainbow slowly started to make itself clear as the sun set deeper and deeper into the ocean. It was truly a treat to see and was an amazing way to end the night.

Still wet but smiling at God’s grace to us, we headed back to our guesthouse and met the other two couples staying there: Lynn and Rykoh from Holland and Leslie and Jason from Virginia. The former couple are in their late 50’s or so and our American friends are maybe 26 and 30 (Jason’s birthday is on June 15^th, and we found out that Horace’s is on June 14^th!). We had some great convos with them, a few cups of our new favorite (and super cheap!) drink, Malibu Rum, and joined them in their dinner from a local woman.

It was fun to finally connect with some other travelers and enjoy meeting new people.

At around 10 pm. we ventured down to the beach where we saw about 6 HUGE leatherback turtles laying their eggs in the moonlight in the sand. It was unreal to be next to such huge mammals but not be scared by them – they move pretty slowly! The process is long, slow, and hard for them as they hurl sand gracefully with their flippers and try to hide their tracks after laying their eggs to protect them. What an experience! Some people pay lots of money and travel to see this while we just “stumble upon” this part of nature down the beach from our guesthouse. Unbelievable. As we were leaving we saw something small and dark squirming in the sand and realized that it was a baby sea turtle that had just hatched! One nest was ready to go and several people were helping the sea turtles to the ocean before the stray dogs or birds could snap them up. So not only did we see the huge females swim in from the ocean, dig into the sand and lay their eggs, and head laboriously back out to the sea, but we saw the result of their hard work in the babies in the same night! We left the beach holding hands and walking quietly back under a beautiful moon, content and grateful for the day.

This was more or less the pattern of our next few days at our guesthouse - minus a bit of action and add a bit of “liming,” which is the specific term the locals use for “haning out intentionally.” One of these days included my turning one year older:

The next day: my 24th birthday! We spent it hiking to beautiful beaches and cliff jumping at a picturesque waterfall:

Mikey WAY out over the sand and waves on a picture-demanding palm tree.

One of our favorite finds on the trail…check out this amazing tree! 

And now we write from the airport, where there is wireless internet, good food, not-so-comfy chairs, but a good place to be. We enjoyed our last few days immensely and realize that, as Mikey said this morning over our lazy breakfast, God does use all things for good and perhaps used a negative boat experience to move us home more quickly to give us time to prepare more adequately for Survive & Thrive’s first expedition in July. Lots is coming up and we need to be ready for it all, and now we have time to connect with people in the States before being back in Calgary and working through the logistics. We realize now how much we need the extra few weeks. But God didn’t just change our plans on us, He changed them with a purpose and still allowed us to see so much and live new adventures AND have a few days to recharge by ourselves in beautiful Blanchieusse. He is good, His mercies never fail, and He wants us to live a full life every day before Him and with Him! We are so grateful for this experience and are ready to head home and take a bit of it with us.

Thanks for keeping up with us on our journey! We are thankful for people like you in our lives…keep hucking it huge wherever you are and live it up! …Time to watch some cheap bootleg movies before we fall asleep in the aiport. Adios!

Mikey and Bonnie Lang

Hey everyone!

Well, Mikey and I woke up earlier this morning in our baby cockroach-infested room in our hostel in Trinidad (it’s the only way to travel accommodations-wise! ) after a very full last two days that included our leaving the boat with Lidia and then moving from a day of exploration in Tobago to a day touring the city in Trinidad. Our muscles and emotions have been relaxing and easing after a lot of pressure and tension from a month and a half on the boat; the “confrontation” went well and we were able to explain ourselves and leave without a fight or a problem. However, it was very bittersweet and we are finally coming down from feeling many emotions and fighting with many different feelings because of this situation. We never wanted it to end this way, but we feel good about our decision and are moving on to healthier environments in which to place ourselves. This has just been such an odd experience for us traveling; we have not been able to anticipate any of it and never expected this to happen.

Which brings us to Trinidad, which is not a tourist-friendly island and has been a bit of a wake up call to us after most of our adventures on the other islands being fairly positive with locals. We think we’re in the middle of getting scammed and will be returning June 16th to Seattle (and I’ll come home one year older!) into the arms of our faithful airport-picker-up-friend, Erin Briggs! So, life is interesting and God gives some cool and odd and learning experiences! We’re ready to come home even though we won’t ever regret this experience…Plus, we have lots of great photos and good tans to show for it!

So for now we will say adios…just checking in to give a quick update on our situation - it’s probably a good thing we can’t plan or control the future because we might not have chosen this… But  we’ll keep huckin’ it huge while we can - there’s plenty of KFC in this country to make any North American feel “at home” anyways. Take care and keep checking for posts as we adventure on back to North America and move into a new, more focused time of adventuring on kayaks with friends!

Huck it huge,

mikey and bonnie lang

Exactly one month and one day after stepping onto Happy Hour, we are almost ready to step off. What an interesting and unexpected time this has been! We are currently back in Clifton Harbor in Union Island (see www.huckithuge.com/gps for exact satellite locations of where we’ve sailed to and explored!) and I thought I’d take advantage of the scant wireless connection we can get on the boat close to shore before the rest of those on board wake up. Although we have continued to sail around slowly and haven’t been to that many new places, we have done a few things of particular interest, including:

• Being hoisted up the mast to hang out and take photos (it’s WAY higher than we realized!).
• Snorkeling and spear fishing at World’s End Reef!

• Mikey braving it up to ask the captain if he could take me out via dingy to the sandy, deserted island called Petit Tabac to spend the night away from the boat. It’s the island from Pirates of the Caribbean where Jack Sparrow drinks the rum in the sun that Ms. Swan subsequent ally burns down the next day! WOW…it was unbelievable. What else should I expect from my husband?!

• While exploring Petit St. Vincent at night, Mikey, Lidia, and I were invited down to the beach to dance the night away with the young American owners of the resort (which meant free drinks too!) before being invited to a honeymooner’s beach bungalow for more drinks and an impromptu strip and dip (luckily we wear bathing suits 24/7 here!) in the beautifully warm Caribbean waters under the moon. Pretty amazing night away from the boat! We surpassed our 9 pm bedtime for one of the first times while on board…that was a refreshing and needed getaway!

So there have been high points for sure. But below are some thoughts I wrote several days ago that still apply. I wanted to post them and now have the chance, so read on, enjoy, and huck it huge, friends!
Entry written on 04 June:

SO many thoughts, feelings, lessons learned on this trip…it’s been a hard one to process because I’ve truly felt like we have been treated unjustly on this boat, and I have learned that your response to how you are treated is more important than how you are treated in the first place. As Chuck Swindoll says, “You are in charge of your attitude.” That’s hard to swallow but so true. But for the first time I have seen and experienced just how hard it can be to choose joy and to respond well under difficult circumstances. Even if I cannot blame it entirely on my circumstances and those around me, I can certinaly say that they have influenced my experience and thus made i tmuch harder to choose the right response.

In Psalm 37, David cries out to God as his refuge and seems so strong in his plan to “wait upon the LORD” and “commit his way to Him” despite his circumstances. However, in the following chapter, another  more desperate emotion emerges as David more like yells his indignation out to God as he is treated wrong. He recognizes his sin and confesses his iniquity before his God, but in the same breath says “but my foes are vigorous, they are mighty, and many are those who hate me wrongfully” (Psalm 37: 18,19).

I can relate to Daivd’s feelings in part as I seem to continually confess my sin because of my heart attitude to God but still feel like explaining why - “but did you see that back there, LORD?!” Yes, God sees. Yes, God knows. And He’s been through much, much worse as a man upon this earth.

So I choose, at least in the quietness of this early morning moment, to respond with gratitude before God for all of this trip and these experiences in their totality. Stay close to me; guide my choices; be not far from me, my God. Uphold me; keep me; help me to live full life in you today.

Amen.

It’s now been a few days since we’ve last written, and this post comes from the now nearly deserted island of Bequia. It’s low-season in the Caribbean, and while the quiet, almost eerily lonely beaches are nice, we wonder how much more there would be to do if the season were full of tourists and steel drum bands dancing the nights away… On the plus side, we sleep well because of the lack of these bands whom you can always certainly hear from the beach. We are now on a very slow, easy crawl moving from St. Vincent to the Grenadine Islands and the days are full of mini explorations, good food, and the occasional pull ups and squats while the kids are napping on the beach.

Some highlights from these sleepy but full days include:

• Hiking le Gros Piton in southern St. Lucia, a 2,700 ft. mountain up from sea level!

  

  

• Going out to dinner at Dr. Doolittle’s (where the 1970’s? movie was filmed) and enjoying a beautiful sunset:

  

• Beach combing on the windward side of Bequia at Friendship Bay (with a tortoise discovery too!); fun at a desserted bar we stumbled upon where we enjoyed their swinging chairs! 

  

  

• A second night out to dinner with the group (we seem to go out about once a week) at the Salty Dog: 

  

We wish we could write more with the things we are learning - continuing to be humbled and learn to see things in a right perspective for me and Mikey continuing to be my even keel daily! - but our battery power is low! We have been encouraged with reading from His Word and have had some neat conversations with others on the boat lately; please continue to pray for good relationships and great times with these people we are becoming closer and closer with. We leave with our goal these days:

“Therefore, be imitators of God as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” - Ephesians 5:1,2.

Walk in love and huck it huge, friends!

 -bonnie and mikey lang

It is hard to believe that today is Day 12 aboard this boat with these people we are finally beginning to grow closer to as we live alongside of them in the Caribbean. With our last post we left you, the reader, with a small glimpse into our life here on Happy Hour with all of its ups and downs, and while it seemed like things were perhaps getting worse at one point, things have changed and are on the upswing. Perhaps we didn’t get off on the right foot with our host or just aren’t cut out to be sailors; maybe it is our attitudes that have changed or the thicker skin we have both grown in the past week and half! Either way, life is a bit more at ease now that we have guests to focus our attention on aboard Happy Hour and less time to do jobs on the boat that we didn’t know we signed up for and have no idea how to accomplish! In the midst of exploring islands from time to time and cooking meals that we think are of a great variety on a boat but perhaps aren’t always to Austrian liking, we are learning and growing and, for the most part, enjoying ourselves.

And yet as we learn and live here we are also feeling the pull of home - of family and friends and of our upcoming kayaking expedition as our exitement for that trip builds. We just found out yesterday that Columbia Sportwear/Mountain Hardwear wants to sponsor us! That means they want to give us vans to drive down in, stickers for our helmets, high UPF clothing, footwear for the river, and a spot on their website! Mikey was able to have a very, very encouraging talk through our computer (whoo for Skype!) yesterday with a rep from Columbia who loves what we’re doing and sounds like an incredible guy. We are so thankful that after so many months of waiting and trusting in the Lord, He has provided. Even while we’re away in the Caribbean, at times fretting over miscommunication that how things might not get done, God is able! He is MORE than able! to do all that we could ever ask or imagine. And this connection with Columbia is for sure more than we could ever ask or imagine!

And so we rejoice in things going on outside of our boat life right now and are eager to return to be more involved in these processes and in times of connecting with YD Idaho and guides also from WA who will help us on the trip…we have much to be grateful for!

Here are a few pics of some of the last few days that we have enjoyed together with Lidia, the cute little family, and the guests from Germany right now, Reinhardt and Helga (no pics of them quite yet, but we love them!):

Georg and Dominic

Exploring Martinique (with Lidia) and a bottle of white wine on our first day off!

Mikey looking cool in Martinique

Goats!

Just hanging out at Pigeon Point, a beautiful and historic park on St. Lucia!

The view from atop Signal Peak, at the northern-most tip of St. Lucia

 I am reminded of the verse that we’ve turned into a song that reads,” No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame; that’s why my eyes are on you, O Lord.” We continue to cry out to Him for our daily needs, for the ability to respond in love and grace and humility regardless, to cry to out to Him for our goals and hopes and dreams, to cry out to Him for our family and friends and those we love. In the meantime, we are seeing some neat things, making some neat connections, and learning in a very different environment than we ever could have pictured ourselves in. Thank you, Lord, for meeting us where we are and reminding us that you are always there.

In the words of Justin McRoberts, “May you live in grace. May you die in that same way. And love as the bright sun: ever warm, ever present.” Huck it huge friends,

bonnie and mikey lang

Hey everyone!

Well, Mikey and I are writing tonight from the Mango Bay bar and restaurant at the harbor in Martinique, a beautiful French-owned (and speaking - yeah!) island in the Southern Caribbean. We’re not too far from South America, but we’re more far north than we have been on our trip so far after starting in St. Lucia, sailing overnight (on our first night!) to the Grenadines, then a few day trips around some neat cayes, and then another night sail from the Grenadines back to St. Lucia, St. Lucia to Martinique today. Whew! It’s been a whilrwind of a time so far and we have had to roll with the punches from day to day.

Yes, it’s been wonderful; yes, we are tan (well, tanner as Mikey is staying true to his Canadian skin and burning, then covering up, burning, then covering up…aww! He’s looking great, as usual!); and yes, we are seeing places straight out of postcards and movies (think: Pirates of the Caribbean).

lobster dinner with lambe (the meat inside the conch shell), grilled plantains, potatoes,  veggies, and fruit for dessert!

It’s hard to believe that we’re actually here, and yet it has still had it’s ups and downs to be honest with you. Because we just jumped into the work, it’s been a bit of a roller coaster learning how to sail under rushed and immediate circumstances, and I have been a bit fragile with the firmer European way of teaching! Our last two weeks were so incredible - just filled with goodness and God’s blessings through relationships old and new that we didn’t expect to be so amazingly rich - that it has been a harder adjustment as we live life (a close life on the boat!) with people whose ways of life differ than ours in their speech, mannerisms, actions, and beliefs. But at the same time, we are so grateful for this experience already, and we know it’s just going to get better the more comfortable we get with the situation.

So far, it has been a few of us on the boat together: our captain, Georg, his friend and skipper when Georg isn’t there, Franz, a guest and their friend Manford, and the other crew for our length of stay, a Boston law school grad named Lydia. They are great, and Lydia has been especially fun to get to know and cook with.

Franz, Georg, Manfred, and Mikey

Lydia and I on our own “happy hour” under the sunset at Marigot Bay

We’ve been sailing a bit when Franz and Manford aren’t, but Franz just left today and Manford leaves tomorrow and replacing them will be Georg’s wife, Timi, and their two little kids.  On Sunday we pick up two more guests and the boat really gets full! Mikey will then be doing more of the sailing while Lydia and I mind the kids and keep the meals coming. It’s a good partnership between the three of us to be sure. I have been extremely thankful for Mikey as his patient, loving demeanor has continued to serve to steady and balance me when I need it, and be a blessing and fun uplifting when I’m doing well (and not feeling the high pressure of German being yelled as I stand holding a rope not knowing what to do with it!)… He continues to be my earthly rock and reminds me of God as our refuge and shelter, and yet we’re both loving the tasks on board - like diving down under the boat and scrubbing all the algea off the hull!

His perspective is so great too, and we’re trying to keep in mind that we work “as to the Lord, and not to men.” When we’re all hanging around it’s a blast, and it’s been fun to enjoy a bit of wine at night or a Caribbean drink here and there. Mainly though, we’re reminded that only people count, and wherever you are in the world, it’s the people that make the experience incredible, not the scenery or events.

But it seems crazy to think that we are here and we are loving every minute of the learning curve because we’re surely living life to the full, and together, which is the best way to do it. Plus, as we sail I have had so much time to read my Bible, and that has enriched my days, my attitude, my perspective, and joy so much - that time is definitely a blessing. There are so many unbelievable and lively stories in the Bible - and lots of fishermen too and good truths learned out on the water. So that’s where we’re at right now -  holding on the mast, enjoying the ride, and learning as we go to love others well and keep living hard.

Thanks for tracking with us, for your prayers, and for your support and friendship - again we are reminded of how grateful we are for all the amazing people in our lives. Huck it huge and keep lovin’ life! Your friendly sailors,

Mikey and Bonnie Lang

Hey everyone… go to “www.huckithuge.com/gps”  to see were we are today! We have a little gps tracker thingy that we will press everyday so that you can see where we are! Huck it Huge and thanks for setting this up Tim!

Written Thursday Afternoon:

Hey everyone!

It’s already been quite the journey – from BC to CA to Vancouver to Leavenworth to Anacortes…and later onto Seattle and then onto the plane in the morning, headed to the Caribbean at last! It’s crazy to think that we’re now on our way to the place and off on the adventure that we were so looking forward to, because recently we’ve been so amazingly blessed on each leg of our journey that the Caribbean has been almost the last thing on our minds! From seeing family to enjoying the hospitality of friends along the way, from home-cooked meals to fun ones out on the town, from sun to wind to rain, from bouldering and exploring to ultimate frisbee games, we’ve been encouraged and inspired to keep living life to the full. Already this trip has been more than we could have asked or imagined, and we thank God for that.

Furthermore, as we continue to make plans and meet with people, Mikey and I are getting so pumped for the kayaking expedition…it’s been quite a journey for us as we’ve processed Mikey’s cancer and the turn of events in our lives, and it’s hard to believe that it’s almost been one year since his diagnosis last May. We have seen God use some hard experiences directly in our lives, and Survive & Thrive is a direct result of him getting cancer; we are full of gratitude and joy rather than bitterness because of it. We have been meeting with our fellow guides and film guys this week and it’s fun to see the vision come together and talk about what this film is going to look like. But it’s the people and their stories that will make it great, and that’s where our real excitement lies - in getting to hang out with, kayak with, and live life alongside our new friends. The dinner and subsequent conversation we had with Vik, Jen, and Jared last Friday night in Vancouver them really sparked our excitement for the upcoming trip, and it seems that with each conversation or connection with others that excitement builds and builds and builds!

So thanks for keeping up with us on our journey and for your prayers, words of encouragement, and continued support! There will be highs and lows, challenging times and times of laughter, but one thing we know for sure is that this is going to be one incredible trip!

Mikey and I are off tomorrow morning for our trip to the Caribbean and look forward to some hangout time with our friend Erin tonight in Seattle! We will check the site and add our thoughts as we can. Feel free to check out our http://www.survivethrive.org to hear stories, thoughts, and pre-trip ponderings from us and other participants as our friend and cousin (Travis and Tim) had just added a blog portion to the site.

Until then, keep living full and huck it huge!

Written Saturday Night: 

And just like that, after two weeks of fun travel around Canada and the US, Mikey and I found ourselves on a plane to St. Louis, then to Miami, and after a rather dull but good overnight stay in the Miami Airport Hotel, we broke out into the heat of St. Lucia!

Today is day two since having arrived on this beautiful island and it’s finally sunk in that we’re “in paradise…” Yesterday was eventful and exciting as we took an hour long taxi ride into Soufriere, got settled in our humble abode called Cascara Guesthouse built right into the hillside, and then set out to walk up the hill we’d just driven down to dinner.

Our stomachs have definitely shrunk on this trip so far – such is the case with traveling when you can’t afford 3 meals a day!  - and we hadn’t eaten since about 9:30 am.

So, after about a 3 mile walk pure uphill, we made it to Ladera Resort, where we slid into the bar (again, all we could afford!) and a GORGEOUS view of the Gros and Petit Pitons. These mountainous islands stick out of the sea and are incredible to look at – and difficult to hike, apparently. We wanted to try our hand at it but with only 1 ½ days here, we decided it would have to wait for another visit! We gobbled up our chips and salsa (our second meal of the day) and enjoyed some fruity drinks while we sat in two comfortable chairs as the steel drum band played Bob Marley songs behind us.

What an evening! After ordering a second round (of both chips and drinks), we dragged ourselves off the chairs and away from the view to explore the resort, not anxious to start our trek back home on the windy road in the dark. This is where we made the find of the year: in among the overhanging palms and mango trees was a door to the “Black Baths” – hot, beautifully tiled tubs of mineral water – that were decidedly unsupervised. We happened to find 2 towels and, since everyone at the resort had moved from the bar to a late supper with the same tantalizing view, we made a prompt decision to go for it! And so, ten minutes later, we emerged naked from the pools, boiling hot, smelling like minerals, and ready to get out before anyone stumbled upon us!

What a great first day in the Caribbean! We got picked up by a local on the dark and rainy walk home during which the car door opened on me above a cliff…no harm done. Just a little shock to the system. After Mikey got a new high school (of 90!) with the traveler’s version of Settlers, we enjoyed some quiet time on our balcony and then hit the hay.

Who thought today could be any better than that first day? Not us…until we lived the day on a quiet, tropical beach called Anse Chasanet that can be reached via bus or taxi – or a long and strenuous (you should see the hills on St. Lucia!) walk around the coast. With some bread from a bakery, two yogurts, some fresh bananas and a hunk of cheese, we were set for our beach day. Today Mikey and I got our first Caribbean sun burns, snorkeled and saw some beautiful fish and nice coral, and enjoyed our first “real” meal of curried beef and vegetable rotis at the resort’s restaurant.

It’s been a blast since day one, and hard to believe that we’re not just going to be here for a quick stint but for two months…Crazy! God continues to provide for and bless us, and we are encouraged and enriched by these fun times with one another and with each other. We found this super-cheap internet place in town, so we close our day by being able to update you all for the price of a coke.

But before we sign off, we want to give a HUGE and HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY shout out to Marilyn and Muriel, our moms whom we appreciate and love so much for each of your characteristic, quirky, and admirable ways. Thanks for being people who embrace life, love others, and  are great examples of godly Christian women, wives, and moms. We love you guys!

Tomorrow we finally meet the group and board Happy Hour…now the real adventure continues. Keep huckin’ it huge wherever you are and trusting in God wherever this note finds you. Enjoy your moms and celebrate them tomorrow!

Your friendly travelers,

mikey and bonnie lang