Our speakers, Paul Coats, Director of Lebanon Parks and Recreation and Kristen Coats, Non-Profit Community Building shared how they spent their one year sabbatical touring the United States and New Zealand.
Paul and Kristen shared how the trip informed and changed them, and how the trip help energize them for their return to Lebanon.
They shared that their jobs often prevented them from spending time together. Both had been working many hours during the day, and many times extending into the evenings. They reflected that they wanted to spend more time together. The sabbatical provided the opportunity for them to work and be together. Through many recreational activities on their trip, they have returned with new ideas of ways to make parks and recreation better in Lebanon.
Kristen explained that here in the Upper Valley, she was paying attention to people in communities and how they paid attention to things like addiction, public places for people to be. This trip afforded her an opportunity to learn new ways of thinking from others.
Paul shared a poem by Mary Oliver Storage; "I filled a storage space. Nothing changed, not a twinge of the heart from the stuff. One day, called the trash man and felt like a little donkey whose burden is lifted."
As and example of how they lessened their stuff, they conveyed that they got rid of our medals from foot races (they gave them away along their journey), reduced our wardrobe to 1’x2’ cases for a full year. They put Norman, our dog, with friends for a year.
There plan pre-COVID was to drive from Lebanon across northern sates to Oregon, down to SF bay area by mid-November; then fly to New Zealand to tour the north/south islands 3 months; then drive the southern states back to NH in April. In May to August their plan was to cycle from Portugal to Norway.
Paul: Our trip started off well: Niagara Falls – there’s a reason people go here. It is magnificent, awe-inspiring, breathtaking...Very appreciative of the world.
Learning: Our own ideas of what we need are not always correct. We can learn from others.
Kristen: I felt so luxurious to see the beauty in all the 26 states, Ontario and New Zealand. Seeing some of the most beautiful places known to man. Living very simply tethered to our vehicle and our tent. We relied on publicly-supported infrastructure like laundromats, libraries (charge electronics, wifi), places to find water. Lesson: investing in community is a HUGE piece of supporting essential resources that Rotary can do.
Paul: We went to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan – I’m here to say that this is a place to which I would love to return. The painted rocks lakeshore of this “inland ocean”, the Great Lakes that look and behave like an ocean without the salt smell, with lighthouses, waterfalls, shipwreck places, how the wind shaped the shoreline rocks, etc.
They went to the least-visited national park in the US – Isle Royale. For 7 days, they hiked around this place with just our backpacks. Lots of mushrooms and Kristen discovering nature photography. Wolf’s Milk Slime mushrooms – pink on the outside and black inside. They were around the same group of people for the 7 days and formed some close relationships – learned more about how communities come together.
Winter came in September – blizzards in South Dakota’s badlands. Then the Tetons, Yellowstone, Bozeman MT, Idaho and Oregon with Paul’s family and then his sister in SF.
Then on to New Zealand
Lord of the Rings was shot in many places around that country and Paul went to many of the sites.
They flew into Auckland, North Island. Most folks advise spending 1/3 of time in north island; 2/3 in the other. They spent 1 month in the north island and 2 months in the south island. They re-met their friend, Jeff, whom they met in Michigan.
Kristen: Whaling ships would come into Russell from New England. We saw ships from New England. Name of town was called Hell Hole because of their lascivious living.
Paul: We did a lot of cooking over fires each evening.
They talked about the resilience of citizens in Christchurch on the South Island. The earthquake damage is still very visible but everyone has found ways to adapt.
They shared that they really enjoyed their time in Milford Sound. Spending time soaking in the beauty, and found it a great place to kayak.
Then came Covid-19 and they decided they should return to the United States and not head to Europe. They enjoyed setting a new plan that afforded them an opportunity to go back to the Badlands for a longer period of time. This was a place they really enjoyed heading west, and realized they should spend more time there hiking and exploring. Kristen reflected on on the work done by the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) the work done my the Corp during the depression continues to permit visitors to see places that may have been inaccessible. The workers used ingenuity, and many trade skills to create places of wonder.
A great example of work done by the CCC is Angels Landing, known previously as the Temple of Aeolus, is a 1,488-foot tall rock formation in Zion National Park in southwestern Utah, United States. A trail cut into solid rock in 1926 leads to the top of Angels Landing and provides views of Zion Canyon. There is a YouTube video, Scariest Hike in America?, Kristen and Paul Climbed it.. Willie has too. Take a look to see what you may have missed doing Click Here Be still my acrophobic heart.
Paul ended the talk by telling us that one of his favorite pictures from the trip was one of their backpack by their front door at their home in the Upper Valley. They returned with a sense of gratitude for the time they were afforded to be together.
Paul and Kristen use the PolarSteps application to picture journal their trip. Reach out to Paul if you would like to see the pictures they shared with us.
The book going to the Kilton Library for Paul and Kristen Coats is Vote for Our Future, written by Margaret McNamara and illustrated by Micah Player.
In this charming and powerful picture book about voting and elections, the students of Stanton Elementary School learn how we can find--and use--our voices for change.
Every two years, on the first Tuesday of November, Stanton Elementary School closes for the day. For vacation? Nope! For repairs? No way! Stanton Elementary School closes so that it can transform itself into a polling station. People can come from all over to vote for the people who will make laws for the country. Sure, the Stanton Elementary School students might be too young to vote themselves, but that doesn't mean they can't encourage their parents, friends, and family to vote! After all, voting is how this country sees change--and by voting today, we can inspire tomorrow's voters to change the future.
Every two years, on the first Tuesday of November, Stanton Elementary School closes for the day. For vacation? Nope! For repairs? No way! Stanton Elementary School closes so that it can transform itself into a polling station. People can come from all over to vote for the people who will make laws for the country. Sure, the Stanton Elementary School students might be too young to vote themselves, but that doesn't mean they can't encourage their parents, friends, and family to vote! After all, voting is how this country sees change--and by voting today, we can inspire tomorrow's voters to change the future.
This book reflects Paul's dedication to children and the services he helps provide in the City of Lebanon.