The Hazard Chronicles

This week I need to do a huge shout out to Rachel. Seriously. Anyone who knows us will probably be the first to tell you how we are a big, busy, active family. We love exploring new places and having new experiences. I haven't officially counted, but I think it's true that the majority of our weekends are spent on out-of-town activities. Getting in the car and driving for several hours has become routine to our kids, and we have made so many memories along the way.

This lifestyle, I am sure, is completely because of Rachel's willingness to make it happen. She is our motor. She is the one who will drive alone in a car with five kids all the way to Colorado, or Las Vegas, or Utah, or anywhere else, and then meet me at an airport as I jauntily join the family at our destination. She is the one who, countless times, has driven all the way through the night while the rest of us sleep so that we can get home in time for work or school the next day. She is the one who gets up early in the morning to go to work, so that she is able to do all these things while at the same time becoming a sought-after and skilled ASL interpreter. 

And as if that isn't enough, she also maintains an active social calendar, is involved in several volunteer organizations, and pursues her personal hobbies with a passion that can be borderline obsessive. I'll admit, the poise that she maintains during this balancing act is such that it can sometimes be taken for granted. Like a talented athlete or musician, she makes her craft look easy. Lest we get too comfortable though, let's just take a quick look at her past several weeks:

July 19-24: Nashville

When it comes to interpreting, Rachel is nothing short of professional. I have watched her development over the course of eighteen years, and I know from firsthand experience how much she puts into this. I think there would be a temptation, especially when life gets busy, to just sort of coast along doing whatever is comfortable in order to focus energy elsewhere. I personally feel this way at times with my own work/life balance. But not Rachel. She actively seeks out unfamiliar territory, puts hours and hours of unpaid prep-work into an assignment, and then walks away proud to have provided a service that is not just "pretty good," but is instead the best she can possibly render at the time. Even as I write this, I know that she is getting up early on most mornings to prep for an assignment that will last all of three hours. By the time the event happens, however, the amount of time she has invested into it will be closer to a full forty-fifty hour work week. It is inspiring, and exhausting, and insane, and very clear to me that this is more than just a job to her. It is a passion. And it is because of this that she has interpreted for some of the most influential people in the world. 

Where her real passion lies, however, is in theatrical interpreting. This is where there is a very fuzzy border between technical performance, linguistic philosophy, and pure artistry, and being able to exist in this space is one of the most delicate balancing acts that exists in her profession. So much so, that there is a valid debate to be had about its possibility of existing in the first place. If anyone can do the impossible though, then I am confident that person is Rachel.

In mid July, Rachel flew out to Nashville for a week-long workshop on this very subject. While there, she was immersed in a world of music, theater, comedy, showmanship, and linguistic nuance. She worked with some of the best in the industry to further develop her skills, and to discuss the philosophical basis of what was actually happening during a performance. Of course there was time for fun as well, and she came back saying that she had made friends and contacts that will persevere for a long time. It was in every way a work-vacation, and I'm pretty sure she was high on life the whole time she was gone. Like I said- it is a passion. 

I think that's cool.

July 26-Aug 2: Denver

I picked Rachel up from the airport late on the night of the 24th. The next day she was up early, collaborating with her team on an upcoming work assignment. She then spent some time at the beach with kids, and then she went home and packed the car. On the 26th, as I left for work, Rachel and the kids began their sixteen-hour drive to Denver. The rest of this trip is cataloged in last-week's post, but I just wanted to put this in context with everything else.

August 3-August 5: Orofino

While driving to Denver, Rachel came upon the terrible news that one of her best friends had lost her fiancé in a tragic helicopter crash. This news hit hard, and as soon as she had pulled into the driveway from the reunion Rachel was already packing her bags again to be with her friend for the next several days. They drove down to the funeral, and spent a lot of time talking and being together. Some friends become family, and we are so, so glad to have these people in our lives. I don't really know what more to say, but my heart goes out to so many people who are hurting right now because of this event.

August 6-August 7: Seattle

Rachel got home on Friday. On Saturday, we went downtown as a family to Art on the Green and a Coeur d'Alene food festival. We went to the resort and got gooeys (ice cream sundaes). We sat on the lawn and watched a few local bands on stage. And then we went home, packed our bags, and were on the road again- this time for Seattle. It was a quick trip that I will mention more in next-week's post. But I thought it should be included here for context.

That context being, that in the last three weeks, Rachel has spent a total of about 24 hours in her own home. During the course of that time she traveled to four destinations in four different states!

In other words, she is a rock star. I love this woman.

Have a good week!