The keyword is adventure.

Careers Unfold — Biological field work took Cristen from Arizona to Florida, where she found a deeper love for birds and the ocean. But soon, she missed the human integration of outdoor connection and completed Life and Spiritual Coaching certifications in order to integrate the two. She moved to North Carolina and began her business as an EcoCoach, taking clients outdoors to enhance the benefits of their sessions. Her method of EcoCoaching was even featured in Sierra Magazine. From here, she moved back to Missouri to help a family member through a challenging time and began writing across several genres. After meeting Matt, she joined him in his entrepreneurship and, eventually, Keyword Adventure was created.

Choices Change the Journey — In 2007, Cristen finished a field work term in the Everglades and decided to go on a sabbatical of sorts: building out a van to live in while traveling across the U.S. to visit national public lands. More than anything, she was looking for those elusive answers about life and what she wanted from it. Reflecting on these six months of living on the road, she now sees how pivotal this long road trip was (for many reasons). Years later, she would visit Peru with a group of women to study Shamanism in the High Andes — also a life-clarifying experience. Matt joined her after that portion of the trip, and the two of them passed their self-imposed relationship test of foreign travel. After their son was born, they were faced with unexpected news of his uniquenesses. With time and plenty of thought, they decided that a new path was theirs to design.

Adventures Equal Experience — Through it all, nature, loved ones, and adventure are the key parts of Cristen’s journey that she treasures most. She’s an Adventure Advocate and Leave No Trace Trainer, dabbling and focusing on various adventure and outdoor sports: hiking, camping, backpacking, kayaking, paddle boarding, rock climbing, trail running, biking, sailing, travel, and road trips. Cristen believes in the power of time in nature for overall wellness and connection, which is what inspires her in her role with Keyword Adventure — education, empowerment, confidence, and connection.

A New Course — His education led him into aviation and earning a Commercial Pilot’s License. In a fateful turn of events, though, the attacks on the World Trade Center happened at the same time, changing his career plans. This is when Matt’s entrepreneurial spirit was born. For nearly 17 years, he owned and managed (and sweat and labored) with his landscaping and lawn care company. This really taught him the importance of teamwork and communication with employees and clients. And, of course, his outdoor adventures persisted, pulling him closer to an active role in the outdoor industry.

The Passion — When an interest in whitewater kayaking grabbed hold of him, it was all over: he couldn’t get enough! He began whitewater paddling in Arkansas, Colorado, West Virginia, Tennessee, Washington, Oregon, Kansas, Missouri, Alabama, North Carolina, Georgia, Oklahoma, Idaho, Iowa, and Kentucky. He was a Level 4 Whitewater Instructor for five years and was Swift Water Rescue certified for 10 years. During this time, he and a friend (James) taught two years of adaptive paddling instruction with the Wounded Warriors Project. In 2006, Matt created and maintained Whitewater Playboating, an outdoor media and marketing company that focused on events and destination promotion within the whitewater kayaking world (he did this for three years). Matt began working at a local outdoor store to further expand his ability to help others get outside — and this is where he met Cristen.

Adventurous Outcome — When the idea for Keyword Adventure came to be, Matt saw an intersection forming between many important areas of his life: his family, his son’s unfolding journey, his love of the outdoors, and his desire to help others create their personal adventures. The enrichment of adventure sports and the outdoors continually bolsters him. These days, he’s bound to be on his mountain bike or volunteering with trail maintenance when he’s outside — if he’s not at the helm of their sailboat (Moon Dragon).

A Unique Spark — Our Dude is a fun, funny, and unique kid. We love this because he teaches us about the world every day in new ways. He reminds us to be in the world with all of our senses, to pay attention to the details within the big picture, to expand our spectrum of compassionate communication, and to be with each other without distraction. Most likely he’ll remember a LOT more than his parents do and will make a game of testing their recall.

Born to Adventure — He camped for the first time at two months old and took his first road trip at seven months (hello, Grand Canyon!). In the years that followed, he’s hiked on Mom and Dad’s backs in Missouri, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, and Arizona and loves trails that take him to water. He loves to feel the wind while riding in his Weehoo bike trailer, often stopping to look at teeny tiny flowers growing alongside trails. Anything with water is a happy time, and riding on kayaks and paddle boards has been a big part of his water adventures — he’s tackled Class 3 rapids with Mom on a SUP board on the McKenzie River in Oregon! He’s a seasoned sailing passenger, having passaged to the Keys and the Bahamas with Mom, Dad, and his pets.

It’s in the Details — Throughout the adventures, The Dude is always on the hunt for the best grilled cheese sandwich in the world. He’s discovered that hot cocoa is good in any season, any time of day. He believes getting dirty is sometimes just a necessary part of having fun and that ice cream is reasonable for every situation. He loves to help Mom in the garden (he’s always ready to sample veggies) and help Dad with anything that involves tools. Sailing is best described as “getting windy,” and he believes that crayons and a notebook are major accessories to any restaurant visit. But most of all, in his wisdom, we’ll just quote him directly: “You do you; I do me.”

Outside Is Home — Based in Northwest Arkansas, Ken spends his own time the way he helps others spend theirs: outdoors, hiking and exploring with his family. That love of wild places — and the pull of the next great destination — is what he brings to every story he tells for Keyword Adventure.