What we’re thankful for in Spokane: Outdoors, yoga and friendships make the list

The features staff here at The Spokesman-Review is a small, talented, dedicated and hard-working group comprising health and features writer Treva Lind, entertainment writer Azaria Podplesky, deputy features editor Kimberly Lusk and yours truly, Don Chareunsy, features editor.

Most readers know us only by our names in the daily newspaper and online, so we thought that we’d take this opportunity, as 2019 ends and 2020 is about to begin, to get to know us a little more by sharing what we’re thankful for in Spokane. (And props to our features cover designer Charles Apple, who is based in Atlanta.)

‘Beautiful Spokane’

My husband and I were dating during my first visit to Spokane to meet his family. As we meandered through the city and toward the South Hill, I remember in the car turning to him and saying, “You never told me how beautiful Spokane is.” That was more than 30 years ago, and my opinion hasn’t changed.

The scenery around here never ceases to wow me. I grew up in Las Vegas, and, although I see beauty in the desert as well, my view of most cities took in commercial block after commercial block. Lights, signage and plenty of concrete cram most of those urban spaces.

In my childhood, one house looked about the same as the next. Here, my first impressions were of tidy brick buildings holding different features and character, a beautiful river, trees and nature within walking distance.

You could argue that my new surroundings easily had more trees, landscaped lawns and flowers than I’d ever seen given where I’d lived before, but it wasn’t as simple as that. Here, the scenery seemed rich nearly everywhere I looked.

Another observation came to me soon after. I saw so many people outside walking, running, strolling toward errands. “Wow, these guys like their fitness,” I thought. After our move here with kids nearly 20 years ago, I also soon discovered the friendliness among people here that’s talked about so much.

Our boys could walk to the edge of our lawn and safely play in the forest. And Spokane proved a good, affordable place to raise kids. Eventually, a bit of the fitness bug struck me, especially for taking walks along another feature I love about Spokane: the Centennial Trail.

When I’m on that trek, I enjoying seeing the pine trees, ripples in the river, lilacs in the spring and the wildflowers. Seasons and the changes they bring to that view are something to be grateful for here in Spokane. Although I complain about the cold and snow, I love those views. too. This is home, near nature, beautiful.

– Treva Lind, health and features writer

Health and fitness

My yoga practice began about four years ago after I realized spending 40 hours a week at a desk was making me restless and that I had to start moving my body. While growing up, however, the most athletic thing I participated in was marching band, so I knew that I had to take it slow.

I did Yoga with Adriene videos on YouTube for about a year, then began attending classes at Wild Walls. One class a week eventually turned into two, then three, then four. Eventually, a teacher, and now friend, suggested that I take a hot yoga class. My initial thought was, “That sounds like an awful idea.” But I told myself that I only had to take one class.

My first class at Beyoutiful Hot Yoga was exhausting but exhilarating, and I immediately knew that I would be back. Over time, my practice grew to include classes at Yarrow Hot Yoga and Wellness Studio, and I eventually started working the front desk there once a week.

In September 2018, I signed up for yoga teacher training. I initially signed up solely to deepen my practice but then realized it would be silly for me not to share what I was learning. I graduated from Yarrow’s 200-hour Baptiste power training in early February and began teaching at the end of the month, first at Wild Walls, then Yarrow, then Beyoutiful.

The last 10 months of teaching have been, like my first hot class, exhausting but exhilarating. I’m so grateful to the people at Wild Walls, Beyoutiful and Yarrow who provided studios in which I could practice and grow, to all my teachers for sharing their wisdom and helping guide my journey and to my students for sharing their energy each and every class.

– Azaria Podplesky, entertainment writer

Lasting friendships

Working in a newsroom, I read a lot of stories. The ones that make it into the paper, of course, but also many from our wire services, like the Associated Press and Tribune News Service.

One story I read recently from the Washington Post was about how difficult it is to make friends as an adult – and all the businesses that that are cropping up to play friend matchmaker.

That got me reflecting on my friendships here in Spokane. I didn’t grow up here, and when I moved here in my mid-20s, I knew virtually no one. That’s changed, of course. Early on, I met people through work and church. Those relationships led to others. Some flourished while others either never took off or waned when circumstances changed.

And my circumstances changed, too. I married, we had children, those kids went to school – and all those changes led to meeting more people. Spokane seems to be the perfect size. Big enough that there are always new people to meet, new groups to join; small enough that you can run into people again and realize that you have more in common than you originally thought.

One place where that happened for me was the neighborhood yarn shop. When A Grand Yarn was open on the South Hill, I went regularly, especially for the drop-in knitting times. When the shop closed, a group of us kept meeting. We talk about knitting, but we also share our lives.

Often after our weekly gathering, someone will post in the group chat about being thankful for the time together, about what a relief it is to share life’s ups and downs with good friends.

So, what am I thankful for in Spokane?

There are lots of things: my family, the four seasons, the lack of traffic (especially compared with the Puget Sound area), working at a family-owned newspaper and so much more. But one of the things I’m most thankful for: the friendships.

– Kimberly Lusk, deputy features editor

My new home

After graduating cum laude from Gonzaga University in 1996 with degrees in journalism and political science, I moved to California to start what has become a lifelong career as a journalist – six years in Los Angeles, six years in San Diego, 11 years in Las Vegas and now Spokane as of April as the food editor, and now the assistant managing editor for features, at The Spokesman-Review.

I never would’ve predicted that I would return to the Lilac City after 23 years in journalism, but it was 100% the right decision. I continue to work harder than ever, and sometimes it feels as if producing the weekly food, health, Seven, family, Today and Serendipity sections are a daily and weekly miracle, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I love being near my alma mater again – Go, Zags! – and hope to become more involved with the university along with continuing to be a mentor to aspiring journalists. I love exploring and writing about this city, and my first eight months back have included making new friends, strengthening existing friendships and discovering new restaurants, businesses, arts and culture and attractions.

And, most importantly, I love being near my family. Dad and my brother are still in Las Vegas, and, here in Spokane, I have my sister, brother-in-law, 12-year-old niece and 8-year-old nephew. My favorite role in life, besides being a journalist, is as Uncle Don.

I love being a journalist, and I love living in Spokane. I will never tire of the conversations with residents who love this city on the rise, too. Here’s to a prosperous 2020 in Spokane, and I look forward to hearing your comments, questions, story ideas and more at donc@spokesman.com.

– Don Chareunsy, features editor