Determination

Here's an inspiring guest blog from one of our amazing Outdoor Mindset Members - Jonathan Houle - about living an extraordinary life!

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday!

And in case anyone is worried, don't fret folks- the winning Chili Cook-off recipe will be revealed soon on this blog. ;)

Enjoy!

Determination

I was 5 years old when my mom told me I was adopted. I thought in that moment that I was different and unique and I was determined at all costs to prove that from that moment on.

She was diagnosed with Cancer in The early 1990’s… I was playing with my toys in the family

room when she collapsed onto the floor. The ambulance showed up. There was obviously something wrong. The next thing I can remember is seeing my mom at Stanford Hospital. I approached her on her Hospital bed as the late afternoon sun shone through her window on to her blue fuzzy hospital comforter. She was weak, and she did not have any hair on her eyebrows. She had some kind of bandage wrapped around her head from where they cut into her temple to take out the tumor. She looked at me lovingly. I was scared and quiet.

She lived like a rock, tempered by the ebb and flow of my dad and my grandiose notions and crazy projects, though virtually unwavering in her views. I remember how she would not budge from her opinions and stood by them even if a different way seemed blatantly obvious to everyone else. We thought she was crazy.

Looking back, I can now see that we were the crazy ones. She simply stood for what she believed in, IN THE FACE OF ANYTHING, including cancer…

I was able to settle this with her the year before she passed. On a Friday morning, I called her and I apologized for being a jerk, and not listening to her. I told her that I loved her and that she was the only mom for me. She told me she loved me and that I was the only son that she could ever have.

To honor her, I will live nothing less than an extraordinary life…

Throughout the second half of her diagnosis I began to give myself over to the practice of Aikido. I wanted to escape as far away from what I considered to be a normal way of life. This is also why I moved to Bulgaria to be an apprentice in the discipline.

When we train in Aikido we push ourselves beyond the limits of our minds and what we think is physically possible for our bodies to accomplish. Bulgarian Aikido is a manifestation of my commitment to my Mom’s life and her perseverance in the face of physically crippling circumstances.

The doctors gave her 10 years. She lived 20 more years after that.

This is why I became a member of Outdoor Mindset…

I met Kyle at a networking event and we instantly connected given who he is and all of the good things that the organization is up to. I immediately saw an opportunity to contribute my experiences and to help people dealing with their own neurological disorders. I became a member of Outdoor Mindset to inspire others and to be a part of something greater than myself.

Jonathan Houle is the owner of Bulgarian Aikidoin Boulder, CO and has been training in Martial Arts for 10 years. He is a Black Belt and Sensei. He has a B.A. in Psychology from Eastern Washington University and has been married for three years. Bulgarian Aikido offers discounts to Outdoor Mindset members. He can be reached at jonathan@bulgarianaikido.com.

Ann Nicocelli Part II: What I have learned...and wish I had known before brain surgery

Today we have part deux of Ann Nicocelli's amazing story and blog. She has twenty points and tips about what she has learned and wished she had known before having brain surgery just over a year ago for a brain aneurysm. She says above all, the most important guidance she has to give is to stay positive and maintain a sense of humor through it all. Plus I've added some shameless Outdoor Mindset plugs along the way in green that tie into her words of wisdom. :)

Here she goes:

1. Your body can only take care of you at the level and quality that you take care of it. The phrase “your body is your temple” gains new meaning. If you take care of yourself, your mind and body will give back to you x100…and you will need it.

2. Everyone taking care of you – from the people in the hospital, your doctors, your family and friends – is human. Although you are the focus, they also have and need their own support networks and friends. It is important to be respectful and appreciative.

3. There is such a thing as too much information at most stages of this process. We live in a world of information frenzy. There are pros and cons to our access as you gather information for a medical procedure. In advance of my surgery, when I went online and looked for similar stories about what to expect, they were hard to find…but there were plenty of scary anecdotes that were not relevant to my situation that were emotionally exhausting to process.
(So instead you should just go to OutdoorMindset.org right from the start and sign up to be a traveler and connect with someone who has experience with a similar diagnosis or neurological experience!)

4. It is ok to protect yourself mentally as you go through the diagnosis, surgery and healing stages. You need your mental strength. It is important to stay strong and keep positive people around you.

5. There is no perfect way to prepare yourself, your family or your friends for your brain surgery. Everyone is different. Do what feels right and is personalized to you. Make sure you have the legal and financial components covered…and from there, it is creative sailing.

6. If your family is involved in the process with you, they may change and your relationship with them may change. This is an intense process and you are not the only one who will be affected. Relationships became much more open, honest and deep. This isnt necessarily a bad thing, but it isn’t always easy at every step. (Have your friends and family sign up to be a part of Outdoor Mindset as well, as a Supporter!)

7. If you have children, they will likely be resilient, but not impervious to what is happening around them. They will take cues from you. Make sure that there is a plan that directly responds to their needs at every stage – before, during, and after surgery. There should to be someone other than just yourself that is sensitive to your children at all stages. The outcome to you surgery is unpredictable, so there should be a plan that can adapt to a variety of foreseeable scenarios. It is important to set this up in advance.

8. Your quality of healthcare and surgical care matters…a lot. Get as creative as you can to get the best surgeons and doctors to help you navigate your journey. Additionally, although your comfort with the lead surgeon is critical, the comprehensive quality of the whole team and all the services of the hospital is very important as well.

9. The way you try to fix your aneurysm the first go around is critical. This is your brain – once a surgeon enters your brain, it will affect your options moving forward – so choosing wisely the first time matters.

10. The surgeons and doctors you talk to will generally give you a solution based on what they know how to do. If they are a specialist in clipping…they will most likely give you a clipping solution. If they coil…they will likely tell you coiling is the best. Remember, medicine is a business. Try to find doctors who can truly give you an assessment of all the options available.

11. Coming out of this you may not be the same or look at life in the same way. This is a daunting statement as it can mean many things. Know that it does not necessarily have to be bad…it can actually be a wonderful thing. Events like this, if internalized, can make you realize what a blessing life is, how to appreciate the small things, and that all those challenges that used to interrupt you from enjoying life, aren’t that significant.

12. If you are single...your social life won't end after brain surgery. I am not sure if it is because you come out more relaxed or if there is some curiosity out there about people who have gone through brain surgery…but there are still plenty of people out there who seem to not really care that you have a scar in your head. It's actually kind of cute. I love my scar, I am proud of it. :-)

13. Most of the healing process is very personal and internal to you. Others are heavily involved, but most of the fight to recover is within yourself.

14. There are many likely scenarios where you can come out of surgery and this process stronger than you went in. Stay strong, remain hopeful, and continue to dream BIG.

15. Lessons Learned about Going Back to Work: Take it slow…if you don’t, your body will make you – there is a reality of how hard you can push yourself, and the limit you had previously is diminished. It will come back, it just takes time.

16. Time has a new horizon. Healing and evolving past brain surgery is not about taking days or weeks, it is about taking months and years. The days matter a lot, but how I handle the months matters too. You may have higher expectations of yourself than others do around you. It is ok to take it slow, don’t be hard on yourself. Give yourself time.

17. No matter what you feel about your life, you will likely feel like you need to go through an entire life assessment…because what happened during surgery was just “that” big. You may end up staying in exactly what you are doing…or you may completely change…it is less about the change than the need to assess and make sure that what you are doing is worthwhile in your own mind.

18. My own personal experience was that I needed to go back to the same job just to prove to myself that I could do it. It became a way to compare and judge if I was any different on any skill. If I would have done something different right away, I would have never truly known or had a way to assess nuanced capabilities.

19. When you are digging deep in racing or training, you will pull from places of strength that were discovered in the brain surgery process. This is a wonderful feeling and makes the process poetic.

20. ...And at one year - I still have the post surgery euphoria. Life is an amazing thing and there is really not much I am afraid of at this point. You learn to deal with phenomenal adversity and see the strength of human character from the front row....or maybe even the stage. (Like Outdoor Mindset always like to say - KEEP LIVING BIG!)

- Ann Nicocelli

Amazing words of wisdom and insight for all of us, especially those going through a challenging neurological journey.

Thanks so much Ann!

jill

A Journey Worth Traveling - Ann Nicocelli

Today we have a guest blog from Ann Nicocelli, an Outdoor Mindset Member in Washington DC who does not believe in limits. Ann was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm and had brain surgery just over a year ago. She is a dedicated athlete, mother, and lover of the outdoors and she has not let her diagnosis define or limit her throughout her journey. She has worked back to amazing strengths after surgery (back at 200% she says!) and continues to compete in triathlons. She is an inspiration to us all.

In Retrospect: One Year After Brain Surgery...

A Journey Worth Traveling

My one year anniversary since brain surgery was two days ago - on September 10, 2011. Trying to wrap my arms around everything that has happened over the last year is a bit surreal. It has been quite a journey. In a way, I feel like it has been a lifetime. I will begin with where I am today, but I must share that the road to getting here has been full of twists, turns, bumps, and near misses.

Nothing was lost and much has been gained through brain surgery...really. I feel extremely fortunate to be here with all of my mental and physical function back at 100% and I actually feel like I am at 200% compared to how I felt prior to surgery. This is due to unending support from family and friends, tremendous medical skill and effectiveness, being physically and mentally fit, a deep passion for the outdoors and a significant amount of luck that the stars aligned to bring it all together.

The mission of Outdoor Mindset resonates deeply with me. My connection and love for the outdoors brought me through my most challenging elements of brain surgery. When I was looking for hope prior to surgery, it was hard to find. Outdoor Mindset brings this all together in one place. It is an organization where you can find information, hope, and friends who have traveled a similar path with common inspiration from the outdoors.

Here is my story...

July 16, 2010: My daughter sat in the corner on a stool in a private room in the emergency area of the hospital. She was occupying herself in a very mature way for a 5 year old, while I went for tests and spoke to the doctors and nurses. After what felt like hours (ok…it was hours), the ER doctor came back in and said that the severe vertigo that I had been experiencing was likely due to stones in my inner ear being out of place.

I didn’t know what this meant. I just wanted to understand what would make the intense nausea and dizziness go away. He then offered that the results of the CT of my head had come back and the blood flow from my neck to my head was normal. This information gave me a split second of relief when he paused, looked me in the eye and added, “the CT also showed that an aneurysm was found in your brain.”

My foggy, pained, nauseous head thought, “What?? an aneurysm? What is that? I am a healthy athlete; it can’t be that big a deal. This is about vertigo and getting rid of it as quickly a possible.”

I heard the doctor. He explained what it all meant in technical terms and then softly said that I didn’t need emergency surgery but that I should set an appointment with a neurosurgeon as soon as possible. He went on to say that it was small…4 millimeters…on the left side…and again he observed that I did not need emergency surgery. I think this last reflection was supposed to provide relief.

I look back on that day and the weeks that followed and a flood of thoughts, emotions and memories come to mind. One thought that is very clear is that I know that being an athlete and my connection to the outdoors has made me stronger, kept me centered, and continues to play a pivotal role in successfully taking me through tremendous adversity. It has truly saved my life.

Surgery:

The more I learned about aneurysms, the more I realized how serious and life threatening this condition was. In preparing for surgery you need to plan for results as varied as death, permanent brain damage, or what is hoped, coming out of surgery stronger than when you entered.

After researching the best neurosurgical facilities, I ended up going with Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Ironically my lead surgeon, Dr. Alexander Coon, was also a triathlete. His strength as a surgeon combined with his training as a triathlete and connection to the outdoors became important to my success. Dr. Coon dealt with the severity of my condition while also understanding the approach that an athlete might take going into surgery and coming through it.

I had signed up for the Luray and Nations triathlons prior to surgery. They were supposed to be my first races. I had been a cyclist but decided to jump into tri training to see how it felt. I was ready to go but I ended up storing all my gear and canceling my participation in both tri's. In order to avoid the aneurysm rupturing, I couldn’t do anything that would increase blood pressure in my head prior to surgery. Even though I canceled (or in my mind postponed) the races, I kept training at a scaled down level up until the day before surgery. I swam, biked or ran regularly. Because my surgeon was also an athlete, I was able to manage this under his watchful eye. The training was essential. It kept me balanced, focused, and strong.

I approached surgery almost as if it were race day. I knew it would be hard, that there was an element of unknown, and that I had to be stronger than I ever had been in my life to get through it in a positive way. The surgery ended up being more challenging than expected. I almost lost the ability to speak, understand language, and control the right side of my body. This path was fortunately averted. Instead, I came out of surgery with all of the brain function that I went in with, along with euphoria and an acute awareness that comes from a near death experience. It turns out that the original vertigo, which put me into the hospital, was unrelated to the aneurysm. Additionally, the wall of the aneurysm was so thin that it would have likely ruptured very soon without surgical intervention. I am blessed that the aneurysm was found and forever thankful to my surgical team for bringing me through it so successfully.

Building Back Better:

The memories after surgery of relearning to walk up stairs with a physical therapist are very recent. I made the decision to focus on endurance training because it not only made me happy, I felt like it was the best way to put the fatigue and post surgical healing behind me. It is important to know that after surgery, your brain can heal. Surgery is a traumatic process. There is an evolution that you and your brain will go through of reconnecting. It is actually a beautiful thing to experience. The healing power of the brain is inexplicable in words.

Although I worked out right up to the day before surgery, I suffered a significant loss of strength and endurance through this process. This is typical. My upper body strength disappeared. Under doctor’s orders, I was not allowed to lift anything heavier than a milk carton for 3 months. I went from being able to comfortably perform full push-ups before surgery to not even being able to do one push-up on my knees after surgery. In addition, after the surgery my ability was depleted to the point of not being able to swim 10 meters in a pool or run half a block without being winded. (This is rather traumatic to a self described triathlete!)

I have had a lot of "first's" since surgery...the first time I walked again, the first time I ran, the first time I put a bike helmet back on my head (ouch!), my first triathlon, and so much more. In retrospect, I have learned a lot and healed in a way that has been better than I could have imagined...admittedly fighting every day to build back stronger. I have kept a journal which tracks my daily developments. It also tracks the fun, comical stories like when I went into the bike store a week after I arrived home from the hospital - yes, the true sign of a diehard gear geek! I still had 28 staples in my head and thought it might be the only place I could go and not be stared at...and maybe even be cool if they thought the staples were from a bike jump. I also decided at that point that I could have had the best costume and should have scheduled surgery closer to Halloween. I digress...

Severe fatigue post surgery is common. For me multisport training was a way to look straight in the face of it all and say “that is not going to be me.” Twelve days after the operation, I went for my first run and have been training ever since. I ran a 10k thirteen weeks after surgery in just less than an hour. Completing the race was a triumph. I used this run to qualify for the National Half Marathon in Washington, DC. My first triathlon was Columbia International Tri (1.5k Swim – 41k Bike – 10k Run) on May 22. I raced this with my surgeons Drs. Coon and Geoffrey Colby, also known as A1 and G6 when they are ripping up the roads. I also raced the Luray International Tri, the same distance, on August 13. This was a huge victory as this was a race I had cancelled a year ago to prep for surgery. Yesterday morning (September 11) I raced the Nations Tri in Washington, DC. The swim was cancelled due to flooding, but it was still a great bike and run! It felt awesome to join the two races that I had cancelled last year. In a way it became closure on a year of building back. I can now think big in a new way and define my race schedule based on what will be fun and where I want to take multisport training moving forward.

Healing is an arduous process. There are challenging days and easier ones. You realize there are times in your life when you need to ask a lot of your body. It is so clear to me now that your body can only respond at the level that you take care of it. I am now having fun indulging myself, pushing the athlete in me forward, and seeing what my body and mind can do. I feel stronger, more focused and self realized than when I went into surgery and it is invigorating. Training for me used to be just a way to stay healthy. It has now become an integral part of my life.

CycleLife invited me to join their tri team. The team environment provides tremendous support and our team is a fabulous group of athletes. I spend more time now focused on my nutrition and recovery in between workouts. It has made all the difference in my overall quality of life. I am looking forward to adding cycling and running races to the calendar to supplement the tri's. This will all be coordinated with Steve Dolge, my ever supportive coach.

Life After Brain Surgery:

It would be cliche to say that my life has gone back to normal. There really is no such thing. I am back to being a dedicated mom, to working in the international corporate world, to enjoying time with family and friends, and to living an active, athletic lifestyle. I have been medication free since a week after surgery and I enjoy a life with a sweetness, beauty and calm that comes from facing your own mortality in such an intimate way. There are daily challenges that life brings that now seem easier to put into perspective.

I am proud of being a brain aneurysm survivor, thankful for my wonderful medical team, family and friends, and excited for the future that has been given to me. That precious box that holds the meaning of life has been opened, and I will treasure it every moment.

My connection to the outdoors and endurance training has made me heal faster, stronger, and in a more well rounded way than I could have ever imagined. If you have brain surgery on the horizon, from my heart, I wish you all the very best. A friend who is a cancer survivor told me that this process would make me a warrior. It will do the same for you. You are stronger than you realize, make sure you smile and even laugh a little - or even a lot, and know that many others are with you.

- Ann Nicocelli

WOW - talk about an amazing story!

Stay tuned because later this week we'll be posting 20 things Ann has learned from surgery, and what she wishes she had know before surgery.

Happy Monday!

Jill

People who give are cool - especially Libby Boyd!

Today we have a guest blog from Libby Boyd - a friend and 'family member' of Outdoor Mindset - who recently committed to donating a portion of each sale she makes as a Realtor for Pedal to Properties to our one and only Outdoor Mindset. Some people say they're going to do something this awesome, but Libby is so committed she put it in writing, too!

"Donations" come in many forms: volunteering, hosting an event, setting a goal and fundraising through Crowdrise , or donating a little off the top of your income, etc. The possibilities are endless. Whatever you're able to do, know that it's appreciated a million times over and goes a LONG way for little non-profits like us. So

thank you, thank you, thank you

to the amazing Libby Boyd and all the other inspiring individuals who have already helped us and will help us in the future.

Here's what Libby has to say:

“If you love what you do, you don’t work a day in your life.” I completely agree with that quote since I spend my days finding the perfect home for my clients. Being the conduit that results in happy home owners is most rewarding. Getting paid to help in their purchases is “the cherry on top” for me.

This income provides for my family but once the essentials are taken care of, I wish to give back to my community. This is why I am donating a portion of each transaction towards Outdoor Mindset. I believe the organization really helps newly diagnosed people with neurological challenges through the power of nature, exercise and personal connection.

The only way to connect as many people as possible is to gain presence at events and on the internet. The organization also must have someone dedicated to overseeing the connections and ensure everyone is getting what they need. By donating a portion of my income, I will be providing funds to support this valuable service. If my financial contribution gains Outdoor Mindset entry to one more event in which they connect one individual in need of this outreach, that will be extremely rewarding.

Spending money is easy but I find few ways that are as rewarding as giving to develop a non-profit that I feel so strongly about. I would encourage everyone to see if there’s room in their personal budget to donate to Outdoor Mindset. Perhaps consider passing on a cute new pair of shoes or dining out and do something that will make you just as happy and positively affect the lives of one or many people. I am blessed that I get to do what I love every day allowing me to donate to a such a valuable cause.

- Libby Boyd

She's pretty fabulous- right? We sure do appreciate her for everything she does for OM (and not only for her donation commitment, but also for things like

whipping

up an antipasto platter in the middle of the wilderness on our Board Retreat). I don't know what we would do without active, engaged, dedicated supporters like her.

Now what are you going to do? No pressure or anything... ;)

Don't forget to enjoy the sunset,

Jill

Play Your Cards Right- Like Channing

Today we have a special guest blog from one of the most inspiring, awesome almost-18 year olds I've ever met! Channing, who lives in beautiful Basalt, Colorado, contacted us at

Outdoor Mindset

about some ways to get involved and help spread the good word about Outdoor Mindset. We thought the perfect Step 1 would be sharing her amazing story of LIVING BIG with epilepsy and continuing to get outdoors as a form of inspiration and solace in her life.

Here's a little background on Channing before she jumps in: She was born and raised in Aspen, her favorite colors are

orange

and

purple

, loves almost all things outdoors, and is interning with Glenwood Vet Clinic. Oh yeah, and she's a killer when it comes to Texas Hold'em!

Here is what she has to say to you all:

"Everyone is dealt a bad hand in life. It’s what you do with that hand that makes one so unique. This can be anywhere from being rich to divorce, epilepsy to quadriplegic, homeless to starving. Everything in life may not happen for a reason, but without the bad in life, we cannot experience the good. I graduated high school on the 28th, so I am no expert, but I do know, I would not be the person I am today without it.

My dreams about becoming a veterinarian technician-possible vet, an EMT, and ski coach came earlier than I thought. I started riding horses when I was five years old and started competing in hunters at the age of seven. However, three years later I was diagnosed with epilepsy after having multiple tonic clonics. My passion, what my life revolved around seemed to be gone. Epilepsy didn’t take anything away from me. My family and I, instead, created a solution. We got a titanium helmet, and in the event I fall off, we got an inflatable air vest that protects not only my head and neck, but all of my internal organs. My first epileptologist didn’t like the idea of an epileptic riding horses and thought I should have collected stamps. 1) Every horseback rider falls off, 2) horses have an amazing connection and sense with their rider and in the end will come to a halt if they sense something is wrong… I’ve had two tonic clonic seizures on my horse and as well myoclonic jerks, and 3) I’m not the only one falling off their horse, it could happen to anybody, maybe people I ride with will have a seizure on their horse unexpectedly out of the blue. Because of my horsing habit, I believe in animal therapy so much. Now I jump four feet and compete against professionals in more advanced shows that go on for two weeks all around Colorado. I have a crazy dream of going to the Olympics.

I work for the manager at the ranch (Cozy Point Ranch) I board my horse at. There I have learned not only about good horsemanship, but how to care for horses if they are injured. I found my interest in veterinarian medicine there when we were caring for a horse that had fell down a cliff and its owner asked Cozy Point Ranch help take care of him. The manager asked me to clean its wounds out, wrap him, put gauze on his back, and scrape the scabs off that I could. That’s where I started out. Today I do ride along's with one of our local vet clinics. Now I get to do post mortems on cows, castrate calves, and do pre purchases on horses, look for arthritis in horses’ legs, and much more hands on.

I’ve always loved blood and guts, but twelve years of medical school wasn’t for me. I was able to take a first responder course and get certified in October of 2010. Since then I follow up with once a month refresher medical classes through the fire department. This fall I hope to get my EMT.

Skiing has been a large part of my life living in the mountains. I knew how to ski before I knew how to walk. Later I joined the freestyle program at a ski club we have. I started competing in small competitions around Colorado. When I stopped competing because it wasn’t for me, the director of the program asked if I wanted to be the club’s first coach in training. Three years later I was an assistant coach, and next thing I knew, I had my own group as a ski coach. I wear climbing harness with no legs, connected to a daisy chain with a carabineer on the chair lift. It acts like a seat belt in the event I would have a seizure on the chair, I wouldn’t fall off. The harness goes through the belt loops on my ski pants, I throw the daisy chain over the back of the chair and under, and then the carabineer connects to the harness. The group I teach knows how it works. At the beginning of each year, I tell the kids what epilepsy is, and what to do in the event I have a seizure. I give a lecture to the parents at the beginning of each year as well.

This past winter I did an internship with ski patrol. I loved how they took me out of bounds, under closed ropes, showed me avalanche areas, and did training with me. They taught me how to drive a toboggan and showed me the ropes.

It’s not what cards you are dealt; it’s what you do with the cards dealt to you.

You can find a solution, or become isolated. But you only live once, and you don’t want to ruin all the potential you have.

“The idea being to accept fully what you are.”

~ Mattox

Outdoor Mindset

is a great example of living life to its fullest despite having a neurological disorder. Still using a safe environment, this organization is just one of many that shows you can still lead an active lifestyle, pursue your dreams, and be an everyday person, while living with epilepsy or another neurological dis-order. It gives those who are isolated a chance to be “normal”, whatever “normal” means… Don’t waste talent or any goal for that matter, because I guarantee there is a solution that allows you to keep your hopes up.

- Channing Seideman, almost-18 (yes, that's right, just 18)

Now who wants to talk about limits? Let this story remind us that there are no limits in life, just obstacles we need to work around and dominate.

Learn more about Channing’s continued story and success in overcoming her epilepsy here.

Outdoor Mindset

can be there to help with this journey every step of the way.

Over and Out,

j

Field of Dreams - Website Update

For just over year we've been focused and moving towards building an enhanced Outdoor Mindset website program engine. You might be saying, "Engine, what are you talking about engine, I thought this was about the website?" Well, let me explain a bit more. We on the board look at the website as much more than a static thing that people may come to visit, look at and move along. Our primary focus is to create and foster successful and life enhancing matches between guides and travelers and we see the website 'engine' as a way to bring this to a large group which scales well as interest and participation grows.

As you can see with our current site, we do have an 'engine' which is helping our organization accept new guides and travelers into the OM family. Our next big initiative is to enhance the 'engine' through the use of the Force.com (salesforce.com) platform which has been donated to us by salesforce.com. The new platform will allow us to streamline data gathering for guides, travelers, volunteers and those who support OM through their generous donations. The matching of guides and travelers will still take place at the hands of our experienced staff volunteers but the information will live in one place, allowing us to streamline the flow of data and to provide efficiencies in the way we run the organization.

We are in the RFP gathering phase and have quotes from some very qualified vendors who specialize in implementing salesforce.com for non-profit groups like OM. They will be assisting us with the build out and customization of the salesforce.com platform. In the coming months we'll be migrating to this new salesforce.com 'engine' and through this we expect to be delivering more to our guides and travelers on behalf of those wonderful folks who have donated funds to OM.

Thank you all for your continued support of OM.

Chris Boyd