Runners * Explorers * Dream Chasers
The salty scent of brackish water wafts through the air as Belted Kingfishers dive occasionally into the Piankatank River for their next meal. A small patch of towering trees shade the elderly cat who gingerly puts one paw in front of the other to bridge the distance to the dock. Uncle Dale patiently guides seventeen-year-old […]
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Three friends who love the Michigan State Spartans took a road trip to see a baseball game at Wrigley Field. Not one of us is a self-proclaimed Cubs fan, but instead root for the Tigers, Blue Jays, and White Sox. Even so, as baseball fans we wanted to experience the authentic Wrigleyville atmosphere since this […]
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It’s the peak time of Spring for migratory birds flying over Lake Michigan to make a pit stop in the Indiana Dunes. The long-awaited annual migration of birders flocking to the lakeshore had finally arrived. As birders since 2019, we have been planning to attend this festival since the 2020 convention was canceled and we […]
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The summer of 2020 marked the beginning of our gardening journey when Derek and I grew plants from seed packets on the windowsill of our apartment for the community garden plot. Over the course of the next several months, we learned how to grow organic vegetables, fruits, and lots of sunflowers. So when given the […]
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Michigan State has had an unbelievable start to their season. Ranked No. 3 in the College Football Playoff rankings after beating Michigan last week in Spartan Stadium, we were hopeful the team would continue its streak of undefeated games. With Purdue’s campus only an hour and a half drive from Valparaiso and ticket prices much […]
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Art brings people together. Artists tell stories, bring history to life, and reimagine the future. I consider it an honor to teach art for a living, investing this passion into my students as creative thinkers who become more empowered to take risks, learn collaboratively, and create meaningful artwork. It’s also important to develop myself as […]
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It was so bitterly cold that we wore face masks to shield every possible inch of exposed skin from the ferocious winds that drifted over the dunes. Bundled in layers with our hoods up and snow boots on, we trekked the snow covered staircases one step at a time at West Beach in the middle […]
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We didn’t make vacation plans in 2020. Looking back through our photos, our last destination trip was visiting Seattle in the summer of 2019. As we made it through the unknown changes of a pandemic year and relocating for a new job, it has been refreshing to finally settle in where we are and explore […]
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The fire crackles as two plump marshmallows singe to toasted perfection while we gaze into the embers beneath. It’s a warm night and we relish in the stillness of the forest with only an owl’s gentle hoots calling to us from the distance. It had been far too long since we had pitched the tent […]
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Matcha green tea, Botan rice, Curry packets, Tonkatsu sauce, and Inarizushi-no-moto, are just some of the ingredients we use regularly that are hard to find. We stock up every few months at the closest Asian store when in the South Bend area or visiting family in Grand Rapids, Michigan. While we can usually find the […]
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Game Changers 