Local physican celebrates the birthday trip of a lifetime with her besties
by Moira Grainger
Some of us do
better than others in how we choose to acknowledge birthdays and the inevitable
reality that we have traveled around the sun one more time. There are others such as local physician Lisa
Larkin who embrace these events as a means of literally expanding horizons, sometimes
to the far corners of our earth.
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Julie Griewe, Nirvani Head, Anne Jaroszewicz, Lauren Hannan Shafer, Lisa Larkin; center: Julie Lehman |
Last February, a
group of 17 Cincinnati-based women traveled to Patagonia and hiked more than 75
miles to celebrate adventure, friendship and, of course, a five-year
anniversary birthday for their friend and bestie Dr. Lisa Larkin.
Explains
Dr. Larkin, “This was our fourth trip together. For my 40th birthday, we hiked the Grand Canyon, on
my 45th, we went Heil hiking in the Canadian Rockies. For my 50th, we celebrated in
Italy by hiking Cinque Terre and Lake Cuomo.
On this trip, our fifth together and my 55th birthday, we
chose Patagonia.”
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Lisa Larkin celebrates her birthday atop a mountain peak in Patagonia
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Continued Dr. Larkin, “Our trip
companions are lifetime friends from age 12 and
junior high, through college and med school, along with professional friends and
through our kids, all from Cincinnati.”
According to Dr.
Larkin, Patagonia was “a bucket list place with great hiking and a place that
many of my female friends wanted to go but their husbands were less excited
about- and they needed a push to get there.”
She continued, “The
overarching memory of this trip was exploring an incredible part of the world
with amazing women, who I am lucky to call friends. We shared endless laughter
and shared the experience of unsurpassed beauty. All of us describe the trip as
a transformative life changing experience.”
When asked if she
felt the travel group would continue to gather going forward, Larkin was quick
to respond: “It has continued every 5 years since I was 40. Grand Canyon age
40. Canadian Rockies Heli Hiking age 45. Italy hiking Cinque Terre and Lake
Como age 50, and then Patagonia age 55. We are definitely planning
another trip in 5 years!
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Stunning view of the glaciers on the Galagonia trip |
Indian Hill resident Lauren Thaman,
who received a last-minute invitation to join the group, feels blessed to have
been included. She shared the following insights. “I had
previously met Lisa through work and we met for a drink socially once.
She is so amazingly warm and welcoming ...bottomline, the Tuesday of the
week of the trip, she contacted me and said there was a cancellation and said I
should go - they were leaving Thursday. I knew no one else on the trip
and knew Lisa casuall, but…I took the plunge and I went with 48 hours’ notice.
I have never met 10 such amazing women all from Indian Hill. Each
one of these ladies are warm, loving, smart, accomplished and interesting!”
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All 17 members of Lisa Larkin’s “Galagonia” trip |
Added Thaman, “The key
take-away was “the ups and downs are better with friends” – and these women are
just amazing friends – they are warm, welcoming, inclusive supportive – I have
never met any better people! I was struck
by something Julie Griewe said to me as I was a bit terrified when we were crossing a fast flowing river
on a horse. She said, “Don’t look down, look ahead at
the horizon – it’s kind of a good metaphor of life.” That so struck me – these
women always look ahead – they look ahead to support each other through all of
life’s ups and downs.”
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(L to R): Lauren Thaman, Lauren Hannan Shafer, Julie Lehmann, Julie Greiwe, Lisa Larkin |
Thaman’s final comment sums things
up. “My goal was to have an adventure – experience a new place and new culture
and to importantly expand and grow myself. Going on a hiking trip, given
I would never consider myself an athlete and going with women I did not know, I
knew would provide me the opportunity to grow. I am excited that post-trip
I would tell you I went on this trip with 16 amazing friends who supported me
as I grew and discovered new things about myself.”
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(L to R): Nirvani Head, Anne Jaroszewicz, Julie Greiwe, Lauren Hannan Shafer |
Lauren Hannan
Shafer has affectionately called this year’s trip “Galagonia” and comented, “Galagonia 2019! We hiked over 75 miles with
these incredible women making a difference in the world! We did see the rainbow
and the end of the road but all of the time spent making memories in Patagonia
better than a pot of gold! Thanks again for the Patagonia memories of a
lifetime with my gal power pals!”
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Best selfies ever! from the Galagonia trip |
Stated Shafer, “My goal
was to celebrate life with my friend Lisa Larkin. She has been my
"adventure partner” for years. As this was her 55th birthday trip, she wanted
to unite friends from all parts of her life. There were 17 of us, and I
was with people I knew from 7 from here: Julie Lehmann, Julie Greiwe, Sara and
Michelle Vance Wadell, Karen Cassidy, Nirvani Head, and Anne Jaroszewicz. I met
Julie Heidt and Lauren Thaman, who joined us too. I also got to reunite
with Lisa’s friends from grade school, college and med school who traveled from
California and Florida. It was an amazing group of women who all had Lisa
as a common thread, but now we have the common thread of Patagonia so we are
friends for life!”
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(L to R): Nirvani Head, Karen Cassady, Lauren Hannan Shafer, Lisa Larkin, Julie Lehmann. Julie Greiwe |
Stated Shafer, “I knew
NOTHING about Patagonia but loved the idea of going somewhere I knew nothing
about. I was blown away with how wild, raw and unpredictable the weather
and terrain is. It’s like going back millions of years in a time machine
and seeing the world before people existed. Expanses of nature from
icebergs and glaciers to flamingos and condors. So Spectacular! My favorite
memory was doing the long 14-mile hike and cresting a ridge at the top of a
mountain range to see the sheer face of Fitz Roy (mountain depicted on the
Patagonia label), snowy peaks, and the bluest glacier lakes ever.”
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“Ups And Downs Are Better With Friends” celebration |
Concluded Shafer, “My
other favorite part was just being with 17 women where the dynamic was so
positive. We all spend our time taking care of others at home, but in
Patagonia we could hike, laugh, drink Malbec wine, eat the best Argentinian
steak every night, and just remind ourselves that we are important, too.”
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Patagonia’s unmatched beauty as witnessed by the “Galagonia” team |
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