Labor Day Weekend 2014

Earlier this year Krissy and I decided that we were interested in hosting a foreign exchange student. On July 31st that interest became reality when we welcomed Fabian Fuhse into our home.

The first month of the exchange has been great. It's so interesting to be witness to someone experiencing a new culture and place for the first time. Everyday events such as going to the grocery store or driving from point A to point B become exciting and new when enjoyed with someone who has never experienced these things that we view as mundane.

Fabian enjoys being outdoors as much as we do, which makes him a good fit for our family. We've gone for bike rides, gone rock climbing and done some hiking in his time here. We hope to do a more robust hiking trip this fall or next spring (perhaps head to the Rockies) so that he can truly get a feel for just how vast our country really is.

It takes a lot of courage to leave all of your friends and family and come to a new country. Fabian has been meeting lots of new people and is working towards building American friendships that will hopefully last into his adulthood. I try to envision 16 year old Seth doing something like what Fabian is doing, and I really can't imagine it. When I look at it through my 31 year old eyes, I can certainly see the virtue in it, but at 16 the thought never would have crossed my mind. To be immersed in a culture that is not his own for an entire year will be such a great experience for Fabian and will leave him with a worldview that is more refined than when he came. I just wish more American students would take advantage of these awesome opportunities as I think it would go a long ways towards seeing that there are other ways of doing things. These ways may often be better, or may sometimes be worse or no different at all. It's the exposure to these differences that allows one to appreciate and embrace a culture that is different than one's own.

Our first trip outside of the confines of Des Moines came this past Labor Day weekend.

The below are some photos from our adventure.

There are many deer in the hills around my parents cabin near Lansing, Iowa. The bluffs are full of apple trees, which are certainly an enticement to the deer. Fabian attempted to sneak up on the deer below, but was unsuccessful. I bet him $100 that he wouldn't be able to make it to the road before the deer ran off. Being my untrustworthy self, I did not make good on my end of the bargain.

A couple of the many deer that can be seen on a regular basis near the cabin. There are many apple trees surrounding the property, the fruits of which the deer love to munch on

On Sunday morning we went to nearby Pike's Peak State Park to do some hiking. I wanted to leave by 5:00AM. Fabian wanted to leave at 10:00AM. We compromised on 6:45AM. I'm glad we left when we did as it was pretty warm by the time we left at 11:30. The drive there was quite foggy, depending on what elevation we were at. When we were down closer to the river, it was pretty clear, but even increasing our elevation by a matter of feet made a huge difference in visibility. 

The hike was quite nice. The "peak" is named by the same person who the larger Pike's Peak in Colorado is named after. If Zebulon Pike thought that this was impressive, then I can't imagine what he thought when he stumbled upon the Rockies. Krissy, Fabian and I were all in agreement that the prettiest part of the hike came one one of the ridges where there was a beautiful prairie area complete with many insects and wildflowers. 

When we arrived at Pikes Peak we were greeted by an immense amount of fog. You can barely see the woman in the photo enjoying some meditative time on one of the viewing platforms.

These "falls" are named Bridal Veil Falls. While I can see where the name comes from, I'm sure the falls are much more impressive with a higher flow of water.

We walked over many small creeks on our hike. The trails within the park are very well-maintained. We expected to see a fair number of other hikers due to the holiday weekend, but we only met a couple other people. While we certainly enjoyed having the woods to ourselves, it was little disheartening to know that so many people are missing out on quality outdoor time

Along the top of one of the ridges was a neat prairie area with an abundance of wildflowers and insects. Fabi and I spent some time trying to capture photos of this butterfly.

A view from one of the lookouts along the trail. The fog was starting to lift at this point

After arriving back at the cabin on Sunday we decided to head out on the river for some tubing and skiing. This was Fabian's first try at either, and he did a great job. We were all sore for the next few days after getting bounced around on the tube and pulled through the water on skis. 

The scenery was great on the river and we hope to make it back up this fall when the leaves are turning. 

Fabian tubing

Fabian forgetting to stay on the tube

Starting to get the hang of it

Impressive wipeout

Look at those muscles!

First attempt at skiing. 

Trying to hold on

We had a great time on our first trip out of the Des Moines metro. This weekend Fabian will be going to Adventureland with some people from YFU. We are looking forward to many more adventures in our time with Fabian!