MONTICELLO WINE TRAIL.

Why save "happy" for an hour?
Congrats to Sutton, my nerdiest brother and University of Virginia's finest law graduate. 
I owe our little vinyard hop to you.
Pick me, squeeze me, and make me wine.
ALWAYS.

COSTA RICA.

Some people do not have to search, for they find their niche easily in life and rest there seemingly contented and resigned. At times I envy them, but usually I do not understand... and seldom do they understand me. I am one of the searchers. There are, I believe, millions of us. We are not unhappy, but neither are we completely content. We continue to explore life, hoping to uncover its ultimate secret. We continue to explore ourselves hoping to understand. We like to walk along the beach, we are drawn by the ocean, taken by its power and unceasing motion, its mystery and unspeakable beauty. We like forests, mountains, deserts, hidden rivers and lovely cities as well. Our sadness is as much a part of our lives as our laughter; to share our sadness with the ones we love is perhaps as great a joy as we know. Unless it is to share our laughter. We searchers are ambitious, Only for life itself and anything beautiful it can provide. Most of all, we want to love and be loved, to live in a relationship that will not impede our wanderings and prevail our search. We do not want to prove ourselves to others or compete for love. This passage is for wanderers, dreamers, and lovers who dare to ask of life, everything which is good and beautiful.

Cartwheels and kayaks.

The Gulfo Dulce in the Osa Peninsula. 

Monkey enchanted forests, fresh-water mud, wild by nature. 

Pura Vida,
Cat

STYLE.

We are just so busy, dah-lin'. 

Irresistible.

Favorite shoot ever.

VANCOUVER 2010.

Break me down anytime for THIS. 

Once upon a time, two Jackson Hole mountain hosts had a dream to go to the Winter Olympics....


They did not realize they would be trading in Boo for Gabrielle Kouchakji an hour before take-off, breaking down at a scenic lookout point outside of Vantage, Washington, catching the USA take the Gold Metal in bobsleighing, skiing "mashed potatoes" in Whistler, living on a floating house on Granville Island in Vancouver, or holding down the luxurious "servants quarters" in the Shaeffer-Bailey Mansion in Seattle.


This spontaneous, unplanned adventure has fallen into place day after day, show after show, friend after friend. Thank you to everyone along the way who has shown us such generous hospitality. We loved your rocking theaters, homemade quiche, pull-out sofas, loony parks, South African accents, casino excursions, obnoxious Canadian pride, and "millionaire rows".

Thank you also to loving family along the way for cheering us on. 


From the green and lovely Seattle we send you Spring, the "Flex" and glowing hearts, eh?
Gabby, Sam & Kitty

SCOTTY HUGHES.

Gone surfing.

Scotty Hughs left me smiling, holding on to the other end of the phone line. Just as quickly and mysteriously as he arrived, he was gone again, into his world of kite surfing and giggling marlins. He told me I missed out on one of the best trips, and I'd have to agree. And disagree all the same. I did not miss out at all because his journey is mine, his joy is mine and are not all of our journies shared? Especially those of our loved ones?

True, tis easy to slap my thin, sun thirsty wrists and question my decision to forgoe our epic trip south through our nations national parks and into Mexico, the Baja penensula and the Americas beyond. Scott followed through with his plans in his RV with motorcycle in tow, and oh how they've unfolded so beautifully. He has sky-dived and sea kayaked with his children, Danielle and Owen, scuba-dived with whale sharks, and worshiped the wind with his kite and board for fifty days now in La Ventana. In our 5 minute chat, I stomached news of his mountain biking outings and how he traces his course on his motorcycle afterwards just for good measure. He won't be coming home to Jackson any time soon and he urges me to give into my temptations to jump on a plane and visit.

I told him how life here in the States makes it an interesting challenge to live so simply as he. Quite contrary to thought that life would slow down when you settle, it actually speeds up and gets more cluttered. With no desire to ellaborate, I will commend the rolling, happy stones, and their decent wants.

Gone Skiing.