1. Bike Camping with BabiesDates: June 18-22
Company: The Foley-Hawkins Family and friend Kristina
Mode of Transportation: bikes, a kid trailer, an old-school VW van, and lots of ferries.
How It Changed My Life: I believe! It is possible to car/bike camp with a 2-year-old and a 2-month-old. And I saw a naked man.
2. Volcano SpottingDates: June 24-26
Company: Laney McClain and her sister Ronika
Mode of Transportation: Laney's green Honda Element
Conclusion: The Cascades are absolutely my favorite mountain range.
3. Chillin With The FamDates: July 6-14
Company: Family (minus Steven). First time seeing Ryan in THREE YEARS
Mode of Transportation: I hate to admit it, but I love driving the Audi. So much.
Highlight: Segwaying around San Diego with the bros.
4. Jacobsen Family ReunionDates: July 15-20
Company: cousins, second-cousins, first-cousins-once-removed, great aunts, great uncles-in-law, third-cousins-thrice-removed.
Mode of Transportation: 1-800-RV4RENT
Conclusion: Family road trips are even more fun as a 28-year-old than as an 8-year-old. And family reunions are truly renewing.
5. Risking My Life for a Cheap ThrillDates: July 24-26
Company: Dickson Dabell with new friends Alli and Drew Strong
Mode of Transportation: car and ferries
Highlight: I threw myself off a 150-feet bridge, screaming, attached by my ankles with a bungee chord. At first, I didn't think my hand was going to let go of the bar, but eventually it did.
6. 4th-Year Overnight Fly FestDates: July 30-31
Company: 12 15-year-old girls, 2 awesome adult couples, and hundreds of thousands of man-eating flies
Mode of Transportation: hiking with packs
Highlights: I had a live fly pried out of my eyeball and I rescued a swiss-army knife with a stick and a bungee chord.
7. Princesses in Training at Girl's CampDates: August 4-7
Company: 100 girls ages 12-17 and lots of cool adult leaders
Mode of Transportation: Every day, I snuck into my parked car for a little Jen time
Highlights: Ginormous slip-and-slide, having 2 of my roommates as other counselors, a hoodie with my last name across the front, teaching, singing and dancing with wonderful girls.
8. The McClain Family Vacation to YosemiteDates: August 18-22
Company: Laney, Ronika, Rachel, Will, Mom and Dad McClain
Mode of Transportation: The family SUVs
Conclusions: Climbing up the cables at Half Dome is truly horrifying - even though I didn't throw up at the top this time. And the McClain family is awesome.
9. Reunion with the Alma Mater Company: Wilson family, Daines family, Morales family, Julie Park, Amie Jan, Brittany Lowe Ryan, Alli James Ross, and lots of old Stanford Warders
Highlights: Laying in a couch in the Bender Room in the library, walking The Dish, driving down Palm Drive and being back in Twain.
TOTAL NIGHTS SPENT IN A TENT: 8
TOTAL DAYS SPENT ON A MOUNTAIN: 6
NATIONAL PARKS VISITED: 4
CONCLUSION: It was a glorious summer. I love being a woman of the West.
