spend little, work less, experience more
It’s nearly the end of the year and you know what that means! Christmas? God, no, it’s time to clean up the finances! Jk, that’s been going on since January 1. This year has been full of positive changes for the Warckens, mostly wrought on by negative impacts on our lives. My stepdad died […]
Read MoreG.Hammer and I were married August 10, 2013, and spent our honeymoon backpacking through Montana’s Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, then climbing Montana’s highest mountain, Granite Peak. We agreed then we should be in the backcountry for all our anniversaries, too. In 2014 we were backpacking in Glacier National Park and Greg surprised me by packing in his […]
Read MorePeople tell us all the time “I wish I could just travel” or “You guys are living the dream”. #1 We’ve made it our priority, and #2 That’s true. While it isn’t always dolphin rides and face painting, we are living our dream. I can’t help but feel that a lot of people out […]
Read MoreBe sure to check out parts one and two first! The kids provided us a great day, but the weather was questionable for our third day in the city so we gave them the choice of the Museum of Science and Industry, the Field Museum of Natural History, or the Shedd Aquarium. They chose […]
Read MoreIn case you missed it, here’s part one. We turned (some) control over the kids and let them decide what we would do our second day, and gave them options to choose from. Mason claimed (falsely) he’d never been to a zoo before so we opted to take the bus to Lincoln Park Zoo, which […]
Read MoreIf you’re lucky enough to have nieces and nephews, you’re lucky enough. You might say Greg and I are some of the most fortunate people on the planet as we have a whopping twenty, with two more on the way. Our siblings have produced tomboys and girly girls, athletes and gamers, sweet angels and little […]
Read MoreBe sure to check out Part One first! Day 3: Day hike to Texas Pass and around Lonesome Lake, 5.72 miles We awoke our third day to brilliant blue skies. Seriously, we could not have paid for better weather. We made pancakes and bacon and drank our coffee and Earl Grey in the sun. We […]
Read MoreTime for the Warckens to move away from employment and onto their next adventure(s) (and for everyone to ask how the hell we can afford to do it). Greg’s dad told us we’re like a military family, only without the military. Gregory and I are like two peas in a pod. I’m so very […]
Read MoreMountains are like baseball games- there are obscure stats surrounding them for pretty much anything you could imagine: Highest peak west of the Pyrenees and east of the Rockies. Highest point north of the 43rd parallel and below tree line. Highest granitic summit north of the equator and south of Tulsa. But New Hampshire’s Mount Washington […]
Read MoreA very wise man and favorite mentor, my old boss Phil, once asked me what I considered to be the definition of rich. “I don’t know, a million dollars?” my ignorant 18 yr old self said. He replied, “To be rich is to have enough money for everything you need with a little bit left […]
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