About

Allison and Sean in the White Mountains of NH        Photo by RP

Everyday Wild is a blog for people who think that outdoor adventure shouldn’t stop once children become part of  the family. Whether it’s an afternoon spent out in a local park or a months long expedition into the wilderness, we believe in the importance of making the natural world a part of childrens’ everyday lives.

Who We Are

I am a writer and teacher living in coastal New England with my husband Sean and our son Liam. When we aren’t working our day jobs, you’ll find us climbing mountains, paddling canoes and kayaks, and generally being outside as much as possible.  As we prepared to become parents, we were overwhelmed by the number of people who came up to us and declared the end of our outdoor lifestyle. “Say goodbye to all your crazy trips,” they told us. Considering that the first thing we did once we found out we were pregnant was to buy a bigger tent, it’s become clear that we are not buying in to the hype.  We know we are not alone, however, and look forward to creating a blog that will help us link to a larger community of adventurous parents.

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Where We’re Coming From

Allison: I have advanced degrees in Anthropology and Reading, and have had careers in archaeology, nonprofit management and, most recently, education. I have lived out of my tent for months at a time while working and exploring such far-flung places as the Great Rift Valley of Kenya.  I’ve been hiking since I could walk, kayaking for the last 15 years, and along the line have accumulated 17+ years of wilderness trip leading experience for assorted organizations. As the family “journal keeper”, I will share our experiences as we navigate the tricky waters of being outdoor parents, as well as offer ideas, stories, inspirational links and other ways to connect kids to the outside world.

Sean: is an engineer by day, and a kayaking trip leader/registered Maine Sea Kayaking Guide by night. He has been paddling a canoe since he was 8, and has served as a canoe instructor for the Boy Scouts.  He has 15+ years experience serving as a trip leader for other outdoor organizations, and has led both youth and adult trips. He discovered kayaking about 15 years ago, and has since become a skilled whitewater boater, as well as an advanced sea kayaker.  Sean is the family’s official expedition photographer, and many of his images will be seen accompanying posts.

The Mancub sleeping through his first trip to the ocean, 9 days old.

Mancub: The Mancub has enthusiastically embraced the outdoors ever since we first brought him to the ocean shortly after he was born. He was camping at 6 weeks, backpacking at 11 weeks, and is now an enthusiastic hiker, paddler and mud puddle jumper. While heading towards his fourth year, he spends his days tying knots, drawing maps, and trying to find answers to questions like, “Where do the birds get the directions for how to build their nests?”