Michael is not your average intellectual, although he is definitely a thinker.  For one thing, he likes to get his hands dirty.  He will be seen covered head to toe in muck, all in the name of finding a better way to make something work.  It could be a sprinkler system, a kitchen sink, a tree house, or a boat- if he’s got an idea in his head, he’ll come up with a plan to make it real, and often get dirty in the process.

Michael likes to explore.  He’s the kind of guy who doesn’t plan a vacation for his family, but rather an expedition.  He’s taken them to forge rivers in Yellowstone, rock scramble in the Adirondacks, and peak Mount Katahdin, with not much more than a contour map and a compass as his guide. Put it this way, he always rents a car, instead of taking a tour bus.

Michael calculates in reverse. He adds to subtract, he takes things apart to build them, he has a history of overcoming challenges by flipping things around.

This man, an architect by trade, whose hobbies range from ice hockey, to computer programming, found that both body and mind could be satiated by sailing a boat with Jill at his side.

– written by Jill –

email Michael at gallindesign@gmail.com

Jill is a “doer.”  She’s a bundle of energy who wakes up and heads out for her morning walk with the dog daily.  A Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and educator by trade, she thrives on positive human interaction.  She’s always taken a special interest in caring for disadvantaged populations, but she’s as passionate about providing healthcare to those in need as she is about keeping in touch with old and new friends.

Jill rarely turns down an adventure and has been known to seek out medical missions on her own accord. She prefers to travel light, but never without lipstick, whether it be to the jungles of Belize, a dusty medical relief tent in Nicaragua, or atop Mt. Katahdin.

This woman, whose hobbies range from hiking, to ballroom dancing, to gardening, to sewing has a habit of saying yes to me, just as she did twenty years ago.  So when I said, “How about sailing?” she said, “The kids are gonna think we’re nuts, but YES,” to the dream, to the places we’ll go, the people we’ll meet, and the positive impact we can make.

– written by Michael –

email Jill at gallinjill3@gmail.com