About

Hi, my name is Rebecca. I’m a chemist by training and an amateur radio enthusiast. This blog is an accumulation of my outdoor activities with a ham radio by my side.

Confession: I did not grow up playing in the woods. As a matter of fact, when my fiance Ben said he loved camping, hiking, and four wheeling, I began to get a little nervous, as I considered myself to be too prissy for the woods. In fact, I passed on the opportunity to play T-ball in second grade because I did not want to get dirty. However, after spending a season in the bleachers watching my younger brother play T-ball, I concluded that playing sports myself was worth the risk of getting dirty, as it would be more exciting than sitting in the bleachers. Thus, I grew up spending my time making the grade and playing sports (softball (back when slow pitch was the norm), basketball, track, cross-country, and yes, cheerleading): these activities helped me avoid having to go into the woods! Once in grad school, I took up running again, as it was easiest to do with a demanding schedule, along with the added bonus of not having to go into the woods (except that one camping/wheeling trip where Ben flopped his Jeep passenger side down with me in it: I was in no hurry to try that again).

Upon completion of grad school, I moved to East TN for a job opportunity and what ended up being the gateway to my appreciation for the outdoors. After a couple of hikes to the top of Mt. LeConte and a fair amount of mountain biking (my personal favorite!), I saw how great it was to get outside and appreciate nature. If there is a mountain bike ride involved, I am even willing to camp…without showers.

Outings in the wilderness with little to no cell and/or Internet reception left me realizing that means of effective communication is crucial, especially in the event of an emergency. This need led Ben and I to explore amateur radio: we got our Technician licenses in January 2021 and are aiming to get our General licenses soon. Since being licensed, we enjoy participating in local ham nets and doing SOTA (Summits on the Air) activations. We enjoy being a part of the amateur radio community, and if you enjoy being on the air and/or getting outside, you have come to the right place! We invite you to stick around and be informed and entertained via our adventures outdoors.

73,
Rebecca
KO4KVG