Welcome to the Restless Viking.
We have a lot of reasons for creating this journal. The most important reasons are to inspire, entertain and share knowledge. We’ll go with that for now.
Today, our staff is two of us. Poppins and the Viking. We have raised a family and taken many adventures together. We both dedicated our working careers and lives to helping others.
We offer our independent views of our adventures and hope that others can join us in looking behind the curtain of life. We explore people, their personalities, hopes, fears, philosophy and lives. We hope to better understand the world. We want to share that experience.
We aren’t going to promote ourselves. That gets old after a while and nobody wants that. We like to explore. we like to share stories. We sometimes, like to eat American food with chopsticks.
Chuck “the Viking”
I have been roaming this earth for a little less than 50 years. I got my adventurous start as a orphaned child in northern Minnesota. Part of my birth family had close roots in Iceland. Interestingly, I have found that my desire to explore “might” be explained by having Leif Erikson as a 2nd cousin (24 generations removed). Of course, if you have any roots to Iceland (with a population just over 300,000), you are probably a cousin to that family. This also explains the term “Restless Viking”.
I was soon adopted by an interesting lot of 5th or 6th generation British Isle immigrants – most likely Scottish. You can tell by their characteristic sour disposition. . . at times.
At the age of 12, I got my first full time summer job in rural Michigan working for a lumberyard owner, developer and jack of many trades. My duties included everything from logging to wilderness guide in remote Ontario. That first job lasted 12 years between school, travel and the military. The most important lesson I learned working for this man was a perchance to take risks in life. I don’t mean risks like skydiving, I mean “life risks”. The type of “I don’t care what they think, I’ll make it work” attitude. The type of attitude that melts away useless worry and fear. I learned the good and bad of pushing limits to reach a goal. We did grand tasks with few resources and inadequate equipment. I quickly learned that knowledge, skills and creativity trump equipment, resources and gear. You could do a lot with a little.
After a brief stint in college, I joined the US Army. I served in the XVIII Airborne Corps with various duties and attended many schools. On Duty, I traveled to a number of foreign locations. Off duty, we busied ourselves with more adventures and risk taking. More importantly, the military taught me a solid appreciation for suffering. It was a comprehensive lesson in embracing misery. I loved it. But, I gave up that career for a intoxicating woman and a family.
Recently, I retired as the Director for the Fortune Bay Expedition Team. I served for twenty years as the director, master expedition leader, lead instructor. and general person to blame. The organization and its people are truly remarkable. Their mantra of “We Go Farther” perfectly captures the spirit, commitment and work of the people there. The team operates the School of Expeditionary Sciences and graduates hundreds of students a year. The curriculum offered is the most comprehensive in the midwest and rivals that of major international organizations. My experience in Fortune Bay shapes much of who I am today and influences what we do here.
I’m also retired as the Director of Operations of the largest search and rescue team in Michigan. I was responsible for training personnel across the state, management of team structure and helping to continue the team’s success.
I currently exist in Lowell, Michigan. I am married to Poppins. She was a career second grade teacher and one of the best. The locals only know me as “Mrs. Hayden’s husband”, because she is actually the star of the show. I have two great kids who posses a sharp wit and frighteningly laid back attitude.
So, here I am. I have a few decades of training and experience that allow me to explore remote reaches, make friends in far off cultures, manage the risks of adventure travel and even share knowledge about a wide range of outdoor pursuits and skills. I have some experience in travel writing and most importantly, I have a desire to travel to places others don’t often go. At other times, I have a desire to visit those popular destinations, but I often try to do it “differently”. What does “differently” mean? Well. . . stick around, and we will experiment and push our limits and show you.
At Restless Viking, I serve as the business manager, editor, and a staff writer, but my new found passion is YouTube creator. On occasion, I awkwardly try to help aspiring writers publish their adventure works.
I hope you enjoy your visit!
A little about my outdoor resume. . .
Outdoor Certifications SARTECH III,II & I, Instructor, Lead Evaluator National Association for Search and Rescue Wilderness First Responder Wilderness Medical Associates Technical Rope Rescue Technician Swiftwater Rescue Technician Rescue III International Coastal Kayaking ACA Master Expedition Leader School of Expeditionary Sciences Licensed Pilot, Single Engine Land Certified to sail things Job Experience Operations Director Kent County Search and Rescue Director, Lead Instructor, Master Expedition Leader Fortune Bay Expedition Team / School of Expeditionary Sciences Wilderness Hunting Guide Angler's Cove - Savant Lake, Ontario Team Chief XVIII Airborne Corps
Martha “Poppins”
I earned the nickname, “Busy Buzz” from my father at an early age. I have always had projects to do and things to say. Bill Meade, my father, and my mother, Marcia Bunek Meade, were educators so we had weeks in the summer to travel, visiting various relatives around the nation. (My mom came from a family of ten kids and my dad had seven siblings.) We would have matching outfits each day, so if one of us (five total) got lost it would be easy to spot us in a crowd. Our ‘adventures’ were enjoyable and touristy. I had my typical teenage moments as we drove through the Rockys I said, “You see one mountain, you’ve seen them all.” I should have appreciated the sights we were seeing.
I met Chuck at Western Michigan University. “Adventure” took on a whole new meaning. He brought us to cliffs and taught us how to rappel. We entered abandoned factories and an insane asylum. We jumped freight trains as they slowed down through Kalamazoo. Chuck’s leadership caught my attention. He was our house council president for the dorm. He ushered in a vote to purchase a baby grand piano (as a protest), orchestrated a haunted basement and a senior prom for alumni. I was smitten.
Without funds to continue his education, he joined the army. He perfected many of his outdoor survival skills as he visited 36 different countries.
I was fortunate to secure an elementary teaching job in Lowell Michigan four days before school started in 1991. (I recently retired from teaching first and second grade after 27 years.)
When Chuck returned from the army, he had set up a scavenger hunt for me. His clues took us to memorable places all over western Michigan. At one point we were standing in the pouring rain at the top of Fisk Knob and Chuck reached into his pocket. I thought, “This is it. I’ll remember this moment forever.” I was thinking he was about to propose, but alas he took out a pack of Lucky Strikes.
I know I should have relished in each clue and the treks getting to every thoughtful location, but by the fourth day of searching grid map coordinates I might have said something snarky like, “You can keep the damn ring. I didn’t want a diamond anyway.”
The following day the clue took us to Fallasburg covered bridge, “Stand heading east, look up at the fourth rafter. Then, turn around.” There he was on one knee. It was purely sweet. As we walked off the bridge a fisherman said, “I sure hope you know what you’re doin’.”
We’ve raised two children, Charlotte (23) and Noah (17). Everyday Chuck would ask each of them, “Did you ask good questions today?” These two have become critical thinkers and know how to have fun!
Noah, Charlotte, Chuck and I took a hot air balloon ride in October of 2018 the day that the Restless Viking Journal began
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As a natural caregiver (nanny, mother and teacher) I find playing evil roles on stage engaging by allowing some of my hidden qualities to shine. I will continue to work this craft at improv and at local theater groups.
I love to learn about people, their culture and visiting unusual places. I believe every person can teach me something and I am excited to start this new chapter in my life. I am choosing to live without regrets. I will document and share journeys I have experienced. I look forward to any feedback.
LET THE ADVENTURES BEGIN!