purpose of ourowntwohands

We are paddlers from the Pacific Northwest who completed a kayak expedition around the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska to raise money and awareness for the Cook InletKeeper, a non-profit organization working to protect waters quality the Kenai. Over 50% of the world's salmon are harvested from these waters.

The Kenai Peninsula is one of the most diverse ecosystems on our planet - home to brown and black bears, moose, caribou, migratory birds, wolves, humpback, beluga and killer whales, sea otters, sea lions, and all five species of wild pacific salmon.

Our 500 mile long journey began May 24 in Turnagain Arm in the Cook Inlet and concluded in Whittier on June 22, 2008. By donating to this cause, you will help support the Cook Inlet Keeper.

So far we have raised $1,500 all from your contributions! Thanks so much!!

02 July 2008

Full Circle

Wow...we've been back home on Orcas for 3 nights now and it feels complete...like home.

I confess I feel an empty place inside where Alaska was; seeing my parents, revisiting childhood places, feeling so small and awed by the scale of my surroundings while falling in love with it all. It's amounted to a quiet, introspective few days, with a surprising element of sadness, and i've been thankful to have time in my life to not rush past it all. I miss our trio of friendship, banter, and work and laughs, realizing that it was a home we created daily on our adventure and gracefully fit it into any geographic location we happened to be.

Tonight, a friend has organized a little party; I'm excited to re-connect with friends and catch up on what everyone has been doing. Summer has just hit with hot temps and full, flowery foilage, and I smile thinking back to our first night on the Kenai trip, bundled in long underwear, puff jacket and pants, inside my sleeping bag, safe and warm...excited about the adventure of each new day.

To anyone out there who may be more interested in informative, technical type of information relating to the trip, it will happen. Thanks for reading!

1 comment:

Paul said...

hey matt, congrats on the achievement, i can see how it would be sad as i do believe we are all meant to live a more simple, back to basics kind of life, you just got to live it for weeks, i have to say i am quite envious.
and yes, i am more interested in the tech stuff and photos! photos! Photos!

hope you are all well!
paul shelton