Adventures in Colorado

I just wanted to share this Flipgram video of my spontaneous adventures in Colorado! I took a literally last minute flight out and spent three days Doing It For The Story! Climbing Castle Rock (the namesake of the city), hiking the Garden of the Gods (incredible rock formations in Colorado Springs), riding world's longest water slide (1000 feet long) and even having time to check out some of the grad schools I'm considering was all in Austin sprit. Something super cool that made me think of Austin was that as soon as I got off the plane, I saw banners all over the airport for "Colorado School of Mines" which, although it's main focus is obviously mining, it advertised coursework and programs in renewable energy and sustainability, it was pretty cool and made me think of his goals in that field! I've had the privilege of going back to Colorado again since than, and I'll be traveling more this month for Law school tours, making sure to Do It For The Story with every adventure I can get my hands on! Click on the link to watch a short clip of my adventures!  http://flipagram.com/f/bUHvptllJu

Love,
Adam Stanton

The Navy a Bridge and Kayaking

OK I know that someone else posted about me kayaking but this trip is different and definitely was done with Austin in mind. Sherri and I went out through HB Harbour and decided to go to the Anaheim bridge. Neither of us had ever gone past it and really wanted to see how close the ocean was and how hard it would be.  We said that he would do it so we should too so off we went. Well we really got pretty far down the channel, passing look out posts and such but still could not see the ocean.  Next thing we see this boat with lights flashing heading right towards us and told us over his loud speaker that we were not allowed there and must return to the other side of the bridge.  We were laughing and trying to get moving that way but he was creating such a wake that it made it really hard.  I mean two 50 year old women are not really much of a threat to national security.  It sure made our day an adventure to remember.

Fast forward a few weeks and here we were kayaking again but with two more people Lianna and Janet.  We were once again out in HB Harbour and low and behold here we are at the same bridge. Hey Janet and Lianna had never been to the other side so Sherri and I thought why not.  Let's see how far we can get before they come after us again - I mean I was wearing my Austin shirt.  Well I guess when a ship is in port they are watching more closely and so we did not get far before they were on us and wanted us out of there.  We all just laughed and worked our way back to the correct side of the bridge and I think now I am done with that. Where can we go next????

Bridge to Nowhere

My name is Oren, I was honored to be one of the recipients for the "Do It For The Story" Scholarship. I've been blessed to hear many stories from many people who knew Austin. I've tried to embody Austin's adventurous and joyful spirit summer by going on a plethora of adventures! One that specifically stands out is when I went hiking with some of my friends to "

Bridge to Nowhere". Located in Azusa, this 10 mile hike in the dry heat leads to a bridge that goes nowhere. Also, under the bridge, there are ponds where one can go swimming in. While the hike is not in the most comfortable conditions, my friends and I decided to embark on this journey and "do it for the story". And it most definitely was worth it! I made some amazing memories with some of my friends that I'll cherish for a long time to come. We even hiked multiple miles inside the San Gabriel River! This experience, along with many other I've had this summer, are due to embodying the amazing attitude that Austin had. I will continue to wear the blue wristband that was gifted to me whenever I go on adventures as a reminder that I should be living life for the story and always be trying new and fun things!

Gaviota Peak

It was so nice this weekend Nick and I decided to tackle a big hike we've wanted to do for a while. It's called Gaviota Peak and it's an uphill climb for the first half mile or so. We had been hearing about the beautiful views of the ocean and surrounding hills. Not going to lie, it was a bit of a struggle for me and we almost quit before we got to the top. Nick asked me if I wanted to turn around about 3/4 of the way up but we agreed no, we had to make it to the peak. Austin certainly wouldn't have let us quit before we made it to the top. Needless to say, the views were 100% worth it and we had a great do it for the story moment. Happy Trails 

-Amy Fealy and Nick Recker

Backpacking through Italy!

"Your life consists of countless chapters. So what if this was a bad one? That doesn’t mean the book is going to be bad, you just have to keep reading.”

Austin’s accident was one of the first ‘bad’ chapters in my life that still stings to reread. Thankfully, a little bit of Austin’s spontaneous, charming memory is pumped through my veins with every adventure I've been on throughout my trip abroad! While I have written numerous chapters since his passing, there are a few notable ones that his memory has really made a huge impact on.

The most recent adventure we’ve gone on together was a week and a half backpacking trip through Italy! Our adventure started after about two weeks of being in Vienna; I was sitting on the subway (wearing my favorite Austin tank) with two of my friends when we passed the train station ticket office. Instantly, I had a huge urge to get out of Vienna and see some more of Europe before my schedule would be restricted by classes. The next thing I knew I was back in my dorm room packing my bags with a one way ticket to Venice, Italy in hand!

Here are just a couple of the pictures from our trip! Enjoy Austin Lovers!

Best,
Malia
(P.S. I apologize for my handmade sign)

During a tour of the Colosseum (Rome, Italy). 

Outside of the Basilica di San Pietro after visiting The Vatican & Sistine Chapel (Rome, Italy).

Austin helping me hold up the Leading Tower of Pisa! (Pisa, Italy)

Before our Gondola ride in Venice, Italy (Sorry, my first sign wasn't legible)! 

Out of the city, into the hills

Mariah:

Alright readers: something that I've struggled with and discussed with other Austin-lovers is finding an adventure Austin-worthy to blog about. After a much needed dinner and discussion with Tom and Julie, they helped me realize that the blog doesn't need to be my most epic shenanigans (because those probably shouldn't be shared here), but anything that I would have shared with Austin or makes me think of him. Which, I'm sure most of you agree, would be a lot of things...
Which brings me to this entry. March 12th came around and Julia texted me asking if I wanted to do an Austin inspired hang out. The answer to that question is always yes. And what more cliche of an Austin adventure is there than a sunset hike? I realize that this is probably overdone, but as stated, Julia and I decided that it's not the spectacle of the event, but the fact that we're brought together by him and his spirit.
Our final destination is Blue Hills Reservation. We meet on the T and train on down to Ashmont. Next step, catch a bus to the reservation. This is where Austin throws his first curve ball (think the choppy waves of the paddle out, but less dangerous)...Julia wants to save 6 minutes by taking Bus 12 instead of 240 since it takes the same route. We hop on and as we near the reservation we realize no one has gotten off. Strange. But we are kinda in the middle of nowhere, so we ignorantly press the 'Stop Request' button. 5 minutes later, we've now passed the reservation and no one has beaten an eyelash. Then Julia spots a little crumpled up sign on the front of the bus that reads something along the lines of "THIS BUS DOES NOT STOP UNTIL (someplace much further than we wanted t go) Take 240 for all intermediate stops"....Sooooo, standing and packed like sardines, we laugh it off and have a conversation with a 3 year old African American girl about her best friends and how we can't have her juice. After continuing half an hour out of the way and catching the 240 back after it's passed us and looped around, we finally arrive back at the reservation. Good thing we left early...

If there is one thing I loved about Austin (yes, just one....sarcasm), it was our mutual love for spontaneity. With half a map of the reservation and no plan, we decide to just wing it, walk into the wilderness, and let our Pocahontas-like instincts take over. The trails were cool. We would mark our crossroads with makeshift stick arrows so we knew where we came from as we climbed along. We had two requirements: climb high, and see water. Both of which were accomplished. At what was arguably the highest point, Julia spotted the Boston skyline in the distance. Super cool. Like being in two places at once. We continued on to a reservoir and then circled back, stopping to sit on a rock and chat as the sun set. I think Austin liked hikes because it's a mix of two awesome things: Natural life and a potentially awkward extended amount of time with someone in which you are inevitably about to have a "life chat". If you haven't had a life chat (particularly with Julia in my case), you must. It is the most effective way to get to know someone and usually revolves around both deep and probing questions and shallow, gossipy hook ups. What could be better?
The sun sets and we decide it's time to go. Austin curve ball number 2: we get about a quarter mile from where we stopped on the rocks and the trail opens up into this huge meadow-type deal with a perfect view of the city. whoops. This reminds me of the time Austin and I pulled an all-nighter at Jeff's house to watch the sunrise from the roof, just for the horizon to be covered by trees, houses and clouds. So close. Thanks for rubbing it in...

To top off a wonderful evening, we get to the bus stop and, because obviously we didn't plan anything, we find out that the next bus doesn't come for another hour...curve ball number 3. Did I mention we were in the middle of nowhere? So, we walk along the bus line in pitch blackness towards home, debating hitch hiking, using mother nature's toilet (Julia must have the biggest bladder because at this point Ive had to pop a squat twice. TMI?), and sharing beloved Austin stories. 7 hours later, we finally make it home. Full day. Which is always a great day.

                                                        Julia:
So yeah, Mariah summed it all up quite well! Great day with a great person. More summer shenanigans to come! All I have to add is what I wrote in my journal at the end of that day: "Quality adventure today with Mariah! We set out looking to have an 'Austin adventure' and upon arriving home, I wondered if we met our goal. Then I realized that an Austin adventure is anything that entails enjoying the company of someone you care about and being fully present doing whatever you're doing. So today definitely counts. I want to be who is capable of making any day an adventure, certainly something that can be said of Austin."

The Great Wheel

For those of you who don't know me, I am Brittany and Allison's mom. Prior to moving to Bellingham, Washington in 2010, we lived in Huntington Beach, California for over 20 years. One of the great joys of living there was watching our girls grow up with such wonderful friends. During high school Austin was a frequent presence in our home. My memories of him are ones filled with joy and laughter. I always knew when Austin had been there because he took great delight in unscrewing the bedknobs off of Brittany's bed and hiding them in imaginative places all over our house. It often took us days to locate them. If Brittany's bed had the bedknobs missing I knew Austin had been there! Like everyone who knew him, he is always in my thoughts and my heart. I am happy that the last time I saw him was when he came with Brittany to our home in Bellingham. He was a joyous presence here as he always was in HB.

Austin was very much in my thoughts last week as my husband and I traveled to the east coast. Along with having a wonderful visit with Allison and Jeremy in New York City, we also traveled to Boston. As we walked in the city I could feel Austin there. His spirit was with us as we traveled in this city that he loved. We came back to Bellingham the day before Mother's Day and of course the first anniversary of the loss of Austin.

Brittany and I drove down to Seattle on Mother's Day. We had a great day of shopping, eating delicious chowder and buying bunches of flowers at Pike Place Market. Last June a 175 foot ferris wheel called "The Great Wheel" was built at pier 57 at the Seattle waterfront. The wheel extends 40 feet out over the water and on a clear day you can see the city skyline including the Space Needle, the Olympic Mountains, Mount Rainier and beautiful Puget Sound. I have been trying to get Brittany to go with me since it was built. I am definitely not the most adventurous person in the world, but I thought this was something that I could actually do! Well, we did it on May 12 and the view was amazing. I marveled at how blessed I was to have been able to stand on both coasts in the span of a week. To look at Boston harbor and think of Austin there. Then to look down from The Great Wheel at Puget Sound and remember this day one year ago. As we were leaving Brittany said to me, "a little better than our shopping trip last year, huh?", recalling our vain attempt to mark Mother's Day on that horrible weekend one year ago.

She was absolutely right. While our hearts still ache, this is exactly where Austin would want us to be, high atop Puget Sound taking in the view and "doing it for the story". It was "a little better than last year". And I pray for all of you who loved Austin, that you can find joy in each day and that gradually it will get "a little better".

-- Genie Koenker