How we came up with this trip...
Trinity says to Shelley, "I think it'd be really cool to hike the length of South America but I don't have anyone to do it with me."
Shelley, "I'll do it."
Trinity, "Really?"
Shelley, "Yep. Field will too."
Shelley and Trinity text Sarah, "Want to hike the length of South America with us next year?"
Sarah, "Definitely!"
And now here we are.
End of story.
About our journey...
We are taking a year to travel in South America and traveling mainly by foot in order to see as much as possible from ocean to desert to glaciers and everything in between. To fully understand our purpose, refer to our Q&A post and let us know if you have any other questions!
bios
Shelley Brook grew up always trying to keep up with her two older brothers, spending as much time outside as possible. She dreamt of being a photographer, traveling the world and learning from various cultures by "living it" not just traveling through. She's spent a summer living in Costa Rica with her exchange student, a summer at Falcon Lake in Manitoba, volunteered in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina, studied abroad in Spain and traveled around Europe in college (she returned to travel Europe again a year after- and visited Sarah in Paris) - the bets are being placed if she will actually return from South America.
A love of the mountains was inherent from birth, reinforced yearly with ski vacations to Colorado with her family. Visions of being a ski bum danced in her head. Shelley has worked as Assistant Manager in the ski school sales office for Breckenridge Ski and Ride School for four years and works as a server in the summer. The seasonal work compliments Shelley's desire to travel as she jumps in her car every "shoulder season" for road trips west full of camping, backpacking and exploring our National Parks. A break from work means dabbling in all the recreational sports Summit County and CO have to offer. She was recently able to give back to this great community via the annual Summit County Rotary fundraiser where she raised $3,005 and was crowned Ice Princess 2011.
Shelley grew up in Leawood, KS after moving from British Columbia. She graduated from the University of Kansas (Lawrence, KS) with a B.S. in Business Management and concentrations in International Business and Spanish. She holds the Wilderness First Responder certification through WMA.
What she most looks forward to on the trip:
sunrises and sunsets on new horizons
What she is afraid of on the trip:
unknown poisonous creatures
Sarah Field has been playing in the outdoors since childhood as the Sierra Nevadas and Lake Tahoe were her backyard playground. Growing up, she camped and traveled constantly with her family, visiting places such as France, Canada, Costa Rica, Hawaii and many other states. However, her travel bug really kicked in during her college years and thus paved the way for her nomadic lifestyle. Since college she has lived in Paris (visiting over 10 countries during the year), Reno, Oakland, Baton Rouge, and New York, with a plethora of road trips and adventures in between. She studied food culture in Puebla, Mexico during her masters program and is constantly planning future travels.
An avid athlete, Sarah began skiing at the age of two, eventually racing for her high school ski team. She was a competitive soccer player, swimmer and sprinter, and played for the OSU club soccer team for four years. Sarah has battled severe asthma and life-threatening food allergies since childhood, and her ambition is constantly propelled by these ailments. Through her (semi-ironic) passion for food and travel, she strives to educate others on how to live fully despite having food allergies.
Sarah was born and raised in Carson City, Nevada. She graduated from Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR) in 2006 with a B.S. in Nutrition and Food Management and a minor in Business. She then spent a year in Paris refining her French and studying pâtisserie at Le Cordon Bleu. After working as a chef, caterer, server and prep cook for a few years, Sarah realized that although she has a passion for food and the restaurant business, the kitchen was not where she wanted to be and decided to go back to school. She graduated in May 2011 from New York University with her M.A. in Food Studies with an emphasis in Food Culture. A perpetual student, Sarah cannot wait to continue her education abroad - and most likely back in the states upon her return.
What she most looks forward to:
Exploring the unexplored – and new food!!
What she is afraid of on the trip:
Bizarre South American diseases
An avid athlete, Sarah began skiing at the age of two, eventually racing for her high school ski team. She was a competitive soccer player, swimmer and sprinter, and played for the OSU club soccer team for four years. Sarah has battled severe asthma and life-threatening food allergies since childhood, and her ambition is constantly propelled by these ailments. Through her (semi-ironic) passion for food and travel, she strives to educate others on how to live fully despite having food allergies.
Sarah was born and raised in Carson City, Nevada. She graduated from Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR) in 2006 with a B.S. in Nutrition and Food Management and a minor in Business. She then spent a year in Paris refining her French and studying pâtisserie at Le Cordon Bleu. After working as a chef, caterer, server and prep cook for a few years, Sarah realized that although she has a passion for food and the restaurant business, the kitchen was not where she wanted to be and decided to go back to school. She graduated in May 2011 from New York University with her M.A. in Food Studies with an emphasis in Food Culture. A perpetual student, Sarah cannot wait to continue her education abroad - and most likely back in the states upon her return.
What she most looks forward to:
Exploring the unexplored – and new food!!
What she is afraid of on the trip:
Bizarre South American diseases
When she was able to tear herself away from business travel and late nights at the office, she was in the Colorado Rockies hiking before sunrise, setting first ski tracks, or climbing with friends. She has vacationed in British Columbia (twice in 2011 - skiing the best powder of her life), Ouray (learning to ice climb at Chicks with Picks), South Africa (visiting Ubuntu), Idaho (rafting the Salmon and Snake), Japan (hiked Mt. Fuji), Alaska (NOLS mountaineering course), China and the UK. Trinity also sits on the board of cityWILD, a local nonprofit that brings culturally diverse and low income youth into the wilderness. She looks forward to returning back to her childhood ideal and quenching her thirst for outdoor exposure with this trip.
Trinity grew up in Fargo, ND and is one of seven children. She graduated from The Colorado College (Colorado Springs, CO) with a B.A. in Mathematics and minor in Anthropology. She holds Avalanche 1 and Wilderness First Responder certifications. She learned Spanish in Venezuela as an exchange student for her junior year of high school.
What she most looks forward to on the trip:
Living minimally and being outside!
What she is afraid of on the trip:
Leg hair.
