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My grandmother passed 20 years ago today. Although my family celebrates her life regularly (we visit the cemetery, tell stories, read her black book, go through the family trunk of photos and giggle over her amazing scrapbooks from the 1930s) the holiday is always framed in a death of someone my family loved. So, I think about her throughout the day and I know her spirit that encompassed amazing energy, dedication and a little bit of crazy (good crazy!) is a part of my personality and at the Read ▸ about Love and Comfort on this Valentine’s Day

Today's blogpost assignment… download and listen to this 45 min Podcast produced by Travis at Extra Pack of Peanuts. Go here to listen Travis interview me as I discuss my 4200 mile solo bike trip across the US this past summer and the relationship to my trip and school health work. You can also download it on iTunes here. Read ▸ about Podcast on Road to Rhode

Note: I'm back working again, so my work blog is updated more regularly. To follow me, go to www.cairnguidance.com/blog or Twitter handle @cairnguidanceLife/work balance is something so many of us struggle with. My transition back into the working world after almost 5 months off to train, prepare and bicycle across the country has not been too challenging. I’ve heard from others that have accomplished a similar goal and the transition has been rough for them. I’ve written already about why mine Read ▸ about Life/work Balance

On average, I travel nationally about 50%. For December and January I will be on the road 78% of the time. I love it. I mean, there are things that get to me like living out of a suitcase versus dresser and running out of travel size toothpaste often enough to have to go back to a Walgreens. But I do enjoy it. People ask me if I get lonely. Not at all. Because even though I'm traveling alone, most of the time my contracts bring me to communities or organizations with people I love working with Read ▸ about Life on the Road…

I choose it. I'm fortunate enough to live anywhere and I picked Louisville.I've been hearing that a lot lately from family, friends, colleagues and even strangers. People that know me are curious to know why a Jewish girl who grew up in CT, went to school in NY and has lived in Portland Oregon for 16 years choose to live in Kentucky.  Read ▸ about What? Why Louisville?

So, I’ve been fortunate enough to have been a part of the school health ‘glory days’ at the Oregon Department of Education (DOE) when we were funded for Coordinated School Health, HIV Prevention and Asthma Friendly Schools. And, sadly, I was part of the destruction of it by leadership, one key sabotager who has since been ‘let go’. I am grateful for the Oregon Health Authority, our Department of Public Health, Adolescent Health Department that actually has sustained our School Health Read ▸ about School Health in Kentucky… and what I’m familiar with

I rarely watch the news when I’m at home. I don’t have a television, and I don’t watch news online. I read it online or in a newspaper. Receiving news via print is very different than the sensationalized news you’re fed in a 30-minute TV program. It’s incredibly depressing and leaves me feeling horribly sad. I’m currently visiting my parents and they watch the news. So, the other night, we watched the news about Aaron Alexis, the alleged Navy Yard shooter and Rebecca Ann Sedwick, the 12 year Read ▸ about Another Suicide Related to Bullying

Transitioning from a 4,197 mile bicycle ride across the United States back into work has proven easy and difficult at the same time. I'm still exhausted, but I love what I do so much that I'm considerably motivated for my daily conference calls, check-ins and preparations for upcoming events and meetings. For those of you new to my school health blog, my business name, Cairn comes from the term used for a pile of rocks that lead or guide the way on a hiking trail. Since 2006, my consulting Read ▸ about From Road to Rhode to Cairn