BELLEVUE CLUB
SEP-OCT • 2026
WASHINGTON, BUT WILDER TWO SURREAL LANDSCAPES CLOSE TO HOME
WHAT’S YOUR WHY? HOW FOUR MEMBERS USE FITNESS TO PROTECT THE LIVES THEY LOVE
MEMBER PROFILE
DR. WAYNE LARRABEE THE FACE OF HE ALING
36 NW Cherry Loop Drive, Highlands B O N N I E B R O O K E STAT E .CO M
2 | sep/oct 2026 reflections
5721 71965th 19thAve LaneNE, W, Windermere Kirkland
3806 95th Avenue NE, Yarrow Point
AZORI.COM
YA R R O W P O I N T L I V I N G . C O M
9205 SE Shoreland Drive, Meydenbauer Bay
4427 95th Avenue NE, Yarrow Point
S H O R E L A N D D R IVEWAT E R F R O N T.CO M
H O M E I N YA R R O W P O I N T . C O M
10700 NE 4th Street #3016, Bellevue
1021 McGilvra Blvd E, Washington Park
BELLEVUETOWERS3016.COM
H O M E I N W A S H I N G T O N PA R K . C O M
PA R T N E R & F O U N D E R
PA R T N E R & F O U N D E R
PA R T N E R & F O U N D E R
galya@realresidential.com 206.853.5995
jason@realresidential.com 425.890.9909
steve@realresidential.com 425. 241. 3583
M A N A G I N G PA R T N E R & F O U N D E R
FOUNDING MEMBER
FOUNDING MEMBER
nick@realresidential.com 206.910.4221
dicker@realresidential.com 425.466.2919
will@realresidential.com 425.233.9540
Galya Kirstine
Nick Glant
Jason Foss
Dicker Cahill
Steve Curran
Will Cahill
VISIT US AT REALRESIDENTIAL .COM r ea l r e s i d e n t i a l i s a l i c e n s e d r ea l e s t a te b r o ke r a n d a b i d e s by E q u a l H o u s i n g O p p o r t u n i t y l a w s . A l l m a te r i a l p r e s e n te d h e r e i n i s i n te n d e d f o r i n f o r m a t i o n a l p u r p o s e s o n l y. I n f o r m a t i o n i s c o m p i l e d f r o m s o u r c e s d e e m e d r e l i a b l e b u t i s s u b j e c t to e r r o r s , o m i s s i o n s , c h a n g e s i n p r i c e , c o n d i t i o n , s a l e , o r w i t h d ra w w i t h o u t n o t i c e . N o s t a te m e n t i s m a d e a s to a c c u ra c y o f a n y d e s c r i p t i o n . A l l m ea s u r e m e n t s a n d s q u a r e f o o t a g e s a r e a p p r ox i m a te . E x a c t d i m e n s i o n s c a n b e o b t a i n e d by r e t a i n i n g t h e s e r v i c e s o f a n a r c h i te c t o r e n g i n e e r . T h i s i s n o t i n te n d e d to s o l i c i t p r o p e r ty a l r ea d y l i s te d .
COMMUNITY & CLUB
C O N T E N T S COMMUNITY & CLUB MIND & BODY PEOPLE & PLACES
18 •
SUGAR RUS H
Swedish candy culture.
20
22
HOP TO IT
TH E GOLD RUS H
•
•
The case for plyometrics.
Chanterelles are back, briefly.
24 MOVING STORIE S
Four members share their why. 36 STATE OF WON DE R
Washington's wildest landscapes. 42 M E M B E R PROFILE
Facial plastic surgeon Dr. Wayne Larrabee. 48 DIR EC T FLIG HT
See the world by private jet.
4 | sep/oct 2026 reflections
cov e r p h o t o g r a p h y b y t y l e r j. h u g h e y
MEMBER PROFILE
Where the Runway Reigns with the Ultimate Fusion of Fashion, Food and Fun. Join us for a runway show that blends creative play, culinary delights and trendsetting fashion. Experience your favorite Dining District restaurants and Bellevue Collection fashion brands as they come together to celebrate the season’s latest styles at the future home of KidsQuest Children’s Museum.
Saturday, September 26
1/4 PAGE AD
For tickets and more fall fashion events visit fashionweekbellevue.com
100% of ticket sales benefit KidsQuest Children’s Museum.
1/4 PAGE AD
COMMUNITY & CLUB
U P FRO NT:
REFLECTIONS MAGAZINE VOLUME 39 ISSUE 5
LETTER
creative director
Åsa Douglas 425.688.3163
FROM
graphic designers
TH E CLU B
Tyler J. Hughey Daniel Su editor
Alison Brownrigg advertising
p h o t o g r a p h y b y t y l e r j. h u g h e y
HELLO ME MBE R S,
Debbie Brickman 425.488.3211 BELLEVUE CLUB
Fall is upon us, bringing crisp air, vibrant autumn leaves and the return of our favorite sweaters. And, of course, let's not forget the annual challenge of dodging spider webs! This season often feels familiar as families settle into new school routines and work schedules adjust. Baseball season is winding down, while football is just beginning, bringing fresh hope for our favorite teams.
president
S. W. Thurston general manager
Connor Eden athletic services
For those of you I haven’t met, I’m the director of Member Services and a longtime Bellevue Club employee. I have always found the Club to be a true home away from home. As we transition from outdoor adventures to indoor activities, the Club continues to offer a wide variety of programs and events for all ages. It’s a wonderful time to connect with fellow members, meet someone new and strengthen the sense of community that makes Bellevue Club so special. It’s my job to keep our membership process running smoothly, and that includes the photos we have of you and your family on file. Fall is a great time to make sure those membership photos are current. Updated photos help our Front Desk team accurately identify members during check-in and ensure everyone is accessing the Club appropriately. Stop by Member Services during your next visit and we’ll be happy to snap a pic. On that note, our office is now open on weekends for your convenience. In addition to our weekday hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. we are now available on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to noon. We look forward to seeing your pearly whites and updating your photos soon! Warmly, Tita Lee Membership Director P.S. If you need to update any other information like an email or phone number, click directly on the Membership section of the members-only website to edit your profile.
6 | sep/oct 2026 reflections
425.455.1616 bellevueclub.com bellevue club hotel
425.454.4424 bellevueclubhotel.com
BELLEVUE CLUB REFLECTIONS (ISSN 1096-8105) is published bi-monthly by the Bellevue Club, 11200 S.E. 6th, Bellevue, WA 98004. Copyright 1990 by Bellevue Club. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without express written permission is prohibited. Publication number 715390. Periodicals postage paid at Bellevue, WA, and additional offices. Editorial, Advertising and Circulation Office: P.O. Box 90020, Bellevue, WA 98009 (mailing address); 11200 S.E. 6th, Bellevue, WA 98004 (street address); telephone 425.455.1616. Produced by Vernon Publications, LLC, P.O. Box 970, Woodinville, WA 98072. POSTMASTER send address changes to BELLEVUE CLUB REFLECTIONS, 11200 S.E. Sixth St., Bellevue, WA 98004.
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COMMUNITY & CLUB
2026
CA L E N D A R
S E P / O CT • upcoming events
September
October
3
LADIES CUP BOOT CAMPS | 9:15 AM–2:15 PM
1
AUTUMN LETTERING & MINI PUMPKINS | 6–7:30 PM
3, 17
VITAMIN B SHOTS | 11 AM–2 PM
1
COCKTAIL EXPERIENCE WITH BROWNE FAMILY | 6–8 PM
6, 13, 20, 27
SUNDAY FAMILY TABLE | 5–7 PM
1, 15
VITAMIN B SHOTS | 11 AM–2 PM
7
LABOR DAY HOLIDAY HOURS
2
FAMILY GYM NIGHT | 5:30–8 PM
8
PROGRESSIVE STRENGTH SERIES | 11–11:45 AM
3, 4, 10, 11
FESTIVE FAMILY PHOTO SESSIONS | 10 AM–3:45 PM
9
MEN'S TEAM TENNIS NIGHT
4, 11, 18, SUNDAY FAMILY TABLE | 5–7 PM 25
10
4 ON 4 MEN'S BASKETBALL LEAGUE DRAFT DAY
11
KIDS TAKE OVER | 6–9 PM
14
PROGRESSIVE STRENGTH SERIES | 7–7:45 AM
14
TEEN STRENGTH SERIES | 4–4:45 PM
16, 17, 23, 24, 30
DATE NIGHT ON US | 4–7:30 PM
16
TEEN PERFORMANCE SERIES | 4–4:45 PM
17
4 ON 4 MEN'S BASKETBALL LEAGUE GAMES START | 6–8 PM
18
FATHER-DAUGHTER DANCE: GLITZ AND GLAM | 6–8 PM
We e k l y
21
DR TALK: MINIMALLY INVASIVE SPINE SURGERY WITH DR. KATCHKO | 11 AM–12 PM
HA L F - P RI C E BOTT L E N I G HTS
24
Cosmos | Mondays Splash | Sundays
SEPTEMBER SUCCULENTS: AN EMBROIDERY NIGHT SEP 24 | 6–8 PM Learn embroidery in this succulent-inspired workshop with fiber artist Melissa Galbraith. You'll receive a full kit of supplies and take home your own work of art. $45
AQ UATI C S EV E N TS
5
DR TALK: HAND AND F00T NAIL CONCERNS WITH DR. RANA | 11 AM–12 PM
7
CLOSING CANVAS CELEBRATION – LIVE ARTIST SHOWCASE | 4:30–6:30 PM
8
BEHIND THE CANVAS – INK ON CLAYBORD | 10 AM–12:30 PM
9
KIDS TAKE OVER | 6–9 PM
12
TEEN STRENGTH SERIES | 4–4:45 PM
14
TEEN PERFORMANCE SERIES | 4–4:45 PM
16
KIDS MOVIE NIGHT | 6–9 PM
19
VACCINE CLINIC | 11 AM–2 PM
19
FAMILY PUMPKIN CARVING | 5–7 PM
22
ACRYLIC 101A WORKSHOP: THE COLOR WHEEL | 6–8 PM
SEPTEMBER SUCCULENTS: AN EMBROIDERY NIGHT | 6–8 PM
24
TRICKS, TREATS & TENNIS | 4:45–7:15 PM
25
KIDS MOVIE NIGHT | 6–9 PM
30
TENNIS GHOULS AND GOBLINS NIGHT OUT | 5–7 PM
26
INTRO TO MATCH PLAY JUNIOR TENNIS EVENT | 4–6 PM
30
HALLOWEEN CARNIVAL | 5:30–8 PM
Infl table Obstacle Course Saturdays | 6–7:30 PM Water Runner Sundays | 5–6:30 PM
Scan to register for events or visit members.bellevueclub.com
8 | sep/oct 2026 reflections
FITNESS
ECLIPSE
RECREATION
SOCIAL
SPA
TENNIS
AQUATICS
GOLF
WELLNESS
CLUB
YOUTH
PICKLEBALL
MEMBER PROFILE
CARE THAT WINS HEARTS
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To learn more, visit overlakehospital.org/heart or scan the QR code. bellevue club sep/oct 2026 | 9
Paid Advertisement COMMUNITY & CLUB
From left: Jen Cameron and Stacy Marinello
Where Wealth is MOVING The Inflection Point of Capital, Luxury Real Estate and the Pacific Northwest I recently had the privilege of co-hosting The Inflection Point with Stacy Marinello of SJ Strategic Consulting. The setting was one of my distinctive Sammamish listings—2045 250th Place NE, an exceptional estate currently offered at $6,725,000. More than 75 of the region’s leading brokers, advisors and industry experts gathered within the home for candid, forwardlooking conversations about luxury real estate, capital and the future of the Pacific Northwest. Our Wealth Intelligence and Land, Commercial & Capital discussions featured Scott Cameron, Founding Principal of Land Advisors Washington; Jay Bennett, Vice President at Kidder Mathews; and Tyler Mooney, Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch. As ideas and perspectives were exchanged throughout the estate, celebrated chef John Howie was personally in the kitchen preparing an exceptional menu for our guests— bringing together luxury, hospitality and meaningful connection in a setting perfectly suited to all three.
KEY TAKEAWAYS A historic wealth transfer is underway. Nearly $31 trillion in global wealth is expected to change hands over the next decade, with Gen X first in line to inherit. This shift is already redefining the luxury buyer and the priorities brokers must understand. Estate planning must happen before the transaction. Washington’s estate tax rules are in flux: the top rate jumped from 20% to 35% in July 2025, then rolled back down to 20% again for deaths on or after July 1, 2026 — with the $3M exemption now frozen going forward. Because tax treatment hinges on timing, sellers, holders, and anyone considering relocation need their estate plan settled before a major real estate decision, not after. AI growth is reshaping the Eastside. As downtown Seattle office vacancy remains above 30%, Fortune 500 companies and AI-focused employers are increasingly choosing Bellevue, Redmond and Kirkland for expansion—fueling the next wave of luxury residential demand.
MEMBER PROFILE Currently Representing Extraordinary Properties
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Today’s luxury market demands strong relationships, creative strategy and honest pricing—especially for trophy and waterfront properties, where comparable sales are limited and buyers remain cautious. My role as an advisor is to understand these shifts, tell my clients the truth about the market and create the strategy and connections necessary to move them forward. Reach out to request a copy of The Agency Wealth Report
Jen Cameron
Owner | Designated Broker 425.305.9400 Jen.Cameron@TheAgencyRE.com JenCameronTeam.com
AN INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED FRANCHISEE OF THE AGENCY REAL ESTATE FRANCHISING, LLC
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MIND & BODY
N E W S F E E D
STRONG S TA R T F O R T E E N S R E A DY T O V E N T U R E I NTO FITN E SS S TU D I O 1 , A LITTLE INSTRUCTION MAKES THE EXPERIENCE SAFER , M O R E C O M F O R TA B L E A N D FA R L E S S I N T I M I D AT I N G .
Junior members ages 12–14 must complete the 30-minute Youth Fitness Studio Orientation before using Studio 1. (Studios 2, 3 and 4 are reserved for members 18 years and older.) Led by personal trainer Nick Korpi, the session introduces participants to basic equipment use along with the rules and etiquette that keep the gym running smoothly. Participants learn practical habits such as using weights with control, sharing equipment, cleaning machines and returning weights to the rack. Once they complete the orientation, junior members may use Studio 1 under the supervision of a parent or guardian until they turn 15. Teens who want more structured instruction can also sign up for personal training or one of Korpi’s four-week training programs. The Teen Strength Series introduces members ages 12–17 to foundational exercises, proper lifting form and safe progression. It is designed for beginners, young athletes or anyone who wants to feel more confident in the weight room. 12 | sep/oct 2026 reflections
The Teen Performance Series adds conditioning, speed and agility work to help participants build overall athleticism. Although the program is a natural fit for athletes, teens do not need to play a particular sport to participate. With more than 20 years of experience in the fitness industry, Korpi emphasizes meeting young people at their current ability level and helping them build from there. The goal is not simply to lift more weight or run a faster drill. It is to develop the knowledge, confidence and good habits that can support a lifetime of movement.
bellevue club sep/oct 2026 | 13
COMMUNITY & CLUB COMMUNITY & CLUB
Reflections of a 35-Year Veteran
WAY BACK in 2005 I had already
worked at the Club for 14 years. In the article I talked about the friendships that were formed here, the growth of our tennis program and how sports have a unique way of bringing people together. Reading that piece today, I’m struck by how much has changed—and how much hasn’t. Bellevue Club continues to evolve in exciting ways. The possibility of major renovations and new facilities is something our members and staff have every reason to be excited about. Throughout my career, I’ve watched the Club continually reinvent itself while never losing sight of what has always made it special: providing an exceptional experience for its members. Our racket sports department is a perfect example. Tennis continues to thrive, and participation is stronger than ever. Yet perhaps the biggest surprise over the past two decades has been the recent rise of pickleball. When I wrote my first article, pickleball wasn’t even on our radar. Today, our courts are filled with enthusiastic players discovering the same things tennis players have enjoyed for years—competition, laughter, exercise and, most importantly, friendship.
Originally printed in the March 2005 issue of Reflections 14 | sep/oct 2026 reflections
I’ve learned that while sports change, people don’t.
M E M B E R PPREOOFPI L E
“
TWENTY-ONE YEARS AGO, I WROTE AN ARTICLE REFLECTING ON MY FIRST 14 YEARS AT THE BELLEVUE CLUB. HERE’S AN UPDATE.
Whether someone picks up a tennis racket or a pickleball paddle, they’re often looking for the same thing: a place where they feel connected. That has always been our mission. I’ve never believed our department was simply in the business of teaching forehands and backhands. We’re in the business of creating experiences. Every exchange with another club, every tournament, every social mixer, every tennis trip, every junior event and every special program is designed with one goal in mind—to create opportunities for people to connect. The matches eventually end. The friendships often don’t. One of the greatest joys of spending 35 years here has been watching those relationships grow. I’ve seen juniors who met on these courts become lifelong friends. I’ve watched league teammates celebrate weddings, support each other through life’s challenges and now introduce their own children to the game. Those moments mean far more than any win or loss ever could. Life away from the Club has changed quite a bit, too. When I wrote my first article, Kristin and I were in the early years of raising our family. Abby was just three years old, and Casey had recently celebrated her first birthday. It seems like yesterday they were running around the Club while I was teaching lessons or organizing tournaments.
Today, Abby is 24 and has followed in my footsteps, teaching tennis in San Diego. Watching her share her passion for the game with others has been incredibly rewarding. Casey recently graduated from Cal Poly with a degree in public health and this fall will begin her master’s program at the University of Washington. Looking back, one of the greatest blessings of these past 35 years has been raising our family with my wife, Kristin. Watching our daughters grow into thoughtful, accomplished young women has been the greatest accomplishment of our lives, and something we couldn’t be prouder of. As I look toward the future, I feel the same excitement I did when I started at Bellevue Club 35 years ago. There are new facilities to anticipate, new programs to develop and new members to welcome into our community. But if I’ve learned one thing over the years, it’s this:
People may initially join a club because of the facilities. They stay because of the people. Thank you to the members who have allowed me to be part of your lives, to the coworkers who have become lifelong friends and to a Club that has given me the opportunity to spend 35 years doing work I truly love. It has been an incredible journey, and I feel just as fortunate today as I did when I first walked through the doors of Bellevue Club. Here’s to the friendships we’ve built, the memories we’ve shared and the exciting future that lies ahead.
BRIAN NASH Tennis Director
bellevue club sep/oct 2026 | 15
MIND & BODY
THE
SMITH MACHINE LOVE IT OR HATE IT, THIS MACHINE HAS OUTLASTED EVERY ARGUMENT AGAINST IT. You might not know its name, but if you’ve spent any time in a gym, you’ve seen it and probably used it. The Smith machine emerged in the 1950s from the same pioneers who helped shape the modern health-club industry. It began with Jack LaLanne, a man whose bulging biceps and trim waist were a regular sight on TV for over 30 years, from the 1950s through 1985. He is credited with opening one of the country’s first modern health clubs in 1936 and is remembered as the godfather of fitness. He was a nutritional guru and fitness
evangelist and performed Houdini-esque feats of strength well past his 60s. He popularized resistance bands and juicing and pioneered fitness coaching for the elderly. In the 1950s, Jack wanted to be able to do squats alone, without a spotter, so he sketched a barbell fixed inside vertical rails that could travel only up and down, locking anywhere with a twist of the wrist. His friend Rudy Smith had it built and installed it in gyms owned by Vic Tanny, another founding father of modern health clubs. The result was the Smith machine, which made one of the most partnerdependent lifts more accessible to beginners and solo lifters. What the Smith machine does, it does well. It follows a fixed path so you can learn a squat without fighting to balance it, or isolate a muscle and load it with control, which is why it shines for glute work, presses and tempo training. Critics say that the fixed path is not your body’s natural line and point out that it recruits fewer stabilizing muscles and that free weights produce more activation in a squat. It fell out of favor in the 1990s when some called it the most expensive towel rack in the gym. Lately, the Smith machine has returned to favor. A results-minded generation rediscovered exactly what the machine is good at, which is what LaLanne intended all along: training hard with more control on your own terms.
16 | sep/oct 2026 reflections
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MIIND & BODY
the
Saturday rule HOW SWEDEN TURNED CANDY INTO A WEEKLY RITUAL AND ENDED UP ON EVERY AMERICAN CHECKOUT SHELF
The Swedes have always been serious about candy. They eat more of it per person than almost anyone on Earth—nearly 17 kilos per year, more than the average American—but mostly on Saturdays. And here’s why: In the 1930s the country’s love affair with sugar was becoming a national emergency, with one study finding cavities in 83 percent of three-year-olds. By the 1940s an infamous experiment using extra-sticky toffee on institutionalized patients showed that sugar eaten between meals over time rotted teeth far faster than the same amount eaten all at once and then brushed away. The fix was not a ban, but the advent of a ritual called lördagsgodis, or Saturday candy. Which meant: Indulge all you like, but only once a week. By 1959 it was national practice, and Swedish kids (and adults) have counted down to Saturdays ever since. What’s unique about Swedish candy isn’t just the ingredients, which include real sugar (rather than high-fructose corn syrup) or where it gets its colors—from beetroot, spirulina and carrot. What’s really at the heart of Swedish candy culture is the lösgodis (loose candy) wall, better known to the rest of us as pick-and-mix. Walk into almost any Swedish grocery store and you will find bin after bin of candy, each with its own scoop. You take a paper bag, move down the wall building your own assortment, then weigh it and pay by the kilo. Dedicated candy shops carry hundreds of options, sorted by sweet, sour or salty in every shape imaginable: cars, boats, monkeys, skulls, mushrooms, raspberries and fish, of course.
w r i t t e n b y a l i s o n b r ow n r i g g, w i t h å s a d o u g l a s
18 18 | | sep/oct sep/oct2026 2026reflections reflections
And even though it’s taken a little time, the Swedish candy craze has hit the States. In 2024 the #SwedishCandy hashtag pulled in billions of TikTok views, and national retailers have taken notice. The brand Sockerbit (which means “sugar cube”) now sits in more than 2,000 Target stores, and BUBS—known for its foamy banana-toffee gummies—has also reached CVS. Black licorice is in the mix too—polarizing as always. Swedes love salty licorice, flavored with salmiak (ammonium chloride), an intensely sharp, astringent, almost medicinal ingredient that looks deceptively like a sugar coating. All it takes is one taste to determine whether you’re a fan. And if you’re not, you’ll never look at licorice the same way again.
R E M A R K A B L E S E RV I C E , R E M A R K A B L E R E S U LT S .
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Compass is a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to the accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Nothing herein shall be construed as legal, accounting or other professional advice outside the realm of real estate brokerage.
MIND & BODY
SPRING LOADED POWER FADES BEFORE STRENGTH DOES. HERE’S THE SIMPLE FIX.
The word “plyometrics” has such a serious, clinical ring to it. Demonstrations of it tend to involve someone extremely fit exploding off the ground and landing on a tall box. The whole exercise reads as advanced, but underneath it all, plyometrics is simply jumping, something your body already knows how to do.
THE WHY: The case for adding plyometrics to your workout goes like this: Power fades before strength does. The ability to move fast, to catch yourself when the curb comes up wrong, to get up from the floor without a struggle—all those actions derive from that fast-twitch muscle response that quietly disappears if nothing asks it to fire. Plyometrics does the asking. It loads bone while it fires, which matters more as we age, and it sharpens the reflexes that keep you upright and sprightly.
THE MECHANICS:
THE CATCH:
When a muscle stretches quickly and then contracts, it stores and releases energy like a spring. Land from a small hop and rebound immediately and you are using that mechanism. Slow, heavy lifts build strength but not the fasttwitch muscle response. Plyometric training develops that fast-twitch muscle response, which is why athletes have leaned on it for decades.
The intensity is real and the landing is where people can get hurt. This is not something to improvise from a video at 6 a.m. Start low, start supervised. A trainer at the Club can scale it to your knees, your history and your goals, then build you up from small hops to real height without wrecking anything on the way up.
20 | sep/oct 2026 reflections
You do not have to leap onto a tall box to utilize plyometrics. You just have to pop up and off the ground on purpose, land well and do it again. It might be the simplest technique you’re not taking full advantage of in the gym.
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MIND & BODY
Forest Gold w r i t t e n by a l i s o n b r ow n r i g g
CHANTERELLES ARE THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST'S SIGNATURE WILD MUSHROOM, AND THEY CAN ONLY BE FORAGED, NOT FARMED.
E heat of August and early September, chanterelles
very fall, once the rain returns for real after the
begin popping up in the evergreen forests of the Olympic Peninsula and the Cascades. If you’re a mushroom lover, you know that chanterelles are very distinctive looking: trumpet-shaped and burnished gold, with a faint apricot scent. They grow symbiotically with the roots of Douglas fir and hemlock, and they can’t be cultivated or farmed, which means each one on your plate was found, not grown. The local season runs from about Labor Day to the first hard frost, at its best in the early fall, a week or two after a good soaking rain. The easiest way to find chanterelles (rather than other less tasty, more poisonous local mushrooms that look like them) is to let someone else do the hunting. Look for them at farmers’ markets and at specialty grocers, sold loose by the pound.
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Choose mushrooms that are firm and dry to the touch, heavy for their size and clearly fragrant, and pass on anything slack, slimy or shriveled. Chanterelles hold grit and pine duff in their ridges and take on water more than most mushrooms, so brush them off or wipe them with a damp cloth, or rinse them quickly in cold water and allow them to dry thoroughly on a clean kitchen towel. Then give them heat, patience, salt, butter, a little shallot and a sprig of thyme. A splash of cream or dry sherry to finish is sublime. Pile them on buttered toast, fold them into soft eggs, toss them into pasta or set them beside a roast chicken. Their flavor is delicate and easily buried, so resist the urge to fuss. But do enjoy them often during their brief but brilliant moment this fall.
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bellevue club sep/oct 2026 | 23
PEOPLE & PLACES
what's
your
why
FOUR CLUB MEMBERS. F O U R S TA G E S O F L I F E . FO U R D I FFE R E NT R E A SO N S FO R M OVI N G . w r i t t e n by a l i s o n b r ow n r i g g
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Ask people why they work out and the first answer is often straightforward: to stay fit, feel better or keep the weight off. Dig a little deeper, though, and the real reasons are rarely so simple. For four Bellevue Club members, exercise has become a source of resilience, independence, recovery and possibility—a way to protect not only the lives they have now but the lives they hope to keep living.
Drew Engvall, 47 For most of his life, Drew Engvall found fitness through sports. At 6 feet 5 inches, he's been at home on the baseball diamond and basketball court since he was a kid, drawn to the competition and camaraderie. Then middle age arrived and Drew knew he could no longer propel himself up and down a basketball court without increasing his risk of injury. But the drive to stay in peak form remained. These days he’s at the Club every morning for resistance training with free weights and machines, followed by 3- to 5-mile walks with his rambunctious puppy to help with his cardio. The move away from the team sports he had always played wasn’t a step down—it was a strategy for the long haul. “I still push myself and challenge myself, but with more focus on form, range of motion and staying consistent, not just with how much weight I can move.” There’s a deeper current here, however. Drew gave up alcohol nine years ago, and fitness has been woven into that journey from the start—a daily practice that steadies his mental and physical health, strengthens his focus on nutrition and reminds him of what he’s capable of. Because team sports have had such a positive impact on Drew’s life, he shares that experience by coaching kids. Most recently, he coached Unified Sports on Mercer Island, a Special Olympics program that brings athletes with and without intellectual disabilities together on the same teams. The experience reinforced his belief that athletic achievement is about more than a score, statistic or amount of weight on a bar. It can be found in belonging, persistence and the courage to show up.
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Karen Ressmeyer, 65 Retirement handed Karen Ressmeyer two things: the time to work out and a new obsession with pickleball. The sport left her pleasantly sore—and convinced she needed to get stronger. Now her weeks are full: pickleball, yoga, the StairMaster, the stationary bike and strength training with Club trainer MaryAnn Carpenter. For Karen, it all comes back to aging well, and to a truth she shares with other women: strength training is an important defense against agerelated muscle loss. She also has osteopenia, a lowerthan-normal bone density that can precede osteoporosis, which gives her weight-bearing workouts an added purpose of keeping her bones strong. Karen loves to travel and hike, and she wants to stay mobile, flexible and strong enough to keep chasing both. She likes being self-sufficient—right down to hoisting her own carry-on into the overhead bin. “I can’t control my genetics,” she says. “But I can control how I care for my body.” She admires the women with jobs and kids who set the alarm for 5 a.m. just to fit in a workout. As a single mom herself, with now-adult kids, she knows the discipline it takes to maintain that routine, and it’s not easy. Retirement gave her the time and space to work out, and she’s using both to invest in herself—to keep doing all the things she loves for many years to come. And, she adds, JAKOB TWO TREES, it just feels good. ISSAQUAH
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You cannot know exactly what your body will be asked to endure, but you can give it a stronger place from which to begin
Andreas Majewski, 64 Andreas Majewski has always been active. He bikes, swims, rollerblades and lifts weights. He prefers his strength workouts heavy and intense, with lower volume and enough resistance to make every repetition count. Over the years, that conditioning has carried him through hip surgery, a torn Achilles tendon and broken ribs. Three years ago, however, his body faced a challenge unlike any that had come before: stage 4 stomach cancer. Andreas underwent immunotherapy and continued to exercise. His only side effect of the treatment, he says, was slightly increased soreness and stiffness. For more than a decade, Andreas has trained with Club personal trainer Jerry Flynn in one form or another. He spent years in Jerry’s circuit training classes, then began working with him individually after the pandemic. During their work together, Andreas lost weight, gained strength and reset his fitness level. That foundation became especially meaningful when he recently underwent surgery to remove his stomach and the remaining cancer there. He felt the strength and conditioning he had developed helped him recover more efficiently, giving his body a reserve it could draw upon during an extraordinarily difficult period. Fitness did not make the experience easy, nor did it guarantee the outcome. It gave him a way to participate in his own recovery. Today, Andreas is cancer-free. He continues to train hard, not only because of what he has been through but because of what he understands about the future. Serious illness may have sharpened his perspective, but his message is not limited to people facing a diagnosis. A strong fitness base, he believes, helps prepare anyone for aging and for the injuries, surgeries and unexpected challenges that can accompany it. You cannot know exactly what your body will be asked to endure, but you can give it a stronger place from which to begin.
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Rosanne Ross, 75 When Rosanne Ross was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1998, the disease moved fast, and before long she needed a cane to walk. She started small, with chair yoga, and noticed something: the more she moved, the better she felt. So, she kept going. Today, Rosanne strength-trains at the Club with personal trainer Kelly Jamerson, rides her Peloton, works out on a Pilates reformer at home and FaceTimes with a longtime trainer in Palm Springs. Her MS has been stable since 2021. The cane is gone. Her focus now is core strength and balance—the foundations that keep her steady on her feet. She’s quick to note the difference exercise makes for the daily realities of her illness: walking, coordination, brain fog and the simple work of getting through the day. Rosanne is a caregiver for her husband and a devoted grandmother, and she’s determined to stay strong enough for both. Her workouts are time she takes for herself. Vibrant and quick to smile, she has just one regret: that she didn’t start sooner.
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COMMUNITY & CLUB
TILE TRAVELERS
How a Chinese game found its way to America, Bellevue Club’s Atrium and an app on your phone. w r i t t e n b y a l i s o n b r ow n r i g g
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GAMES
The tiles click and clatter against the hard surface as players A GAME OF MAHJONG “wash,” or shuff le, them—a sound often likened to a flock BEFORE YOU SEE IT. of sparrows taking flight. The association is fitting: In Cantonese, the game is called maa zoek (麻雀), or “sparrow.”
YOU CAN OFTEN HEAR
The Atrium is full of this joyful din on Friday mornings when member Jan Rogers and friends settle into their weekly game of Chinese mahjong. Jan is a true enthusiast who has played and taught this version of the game for 30 years. She also has antique tile sets displayed in her mahjong room, many handmade in China from bone and bamboo and each exquisite in its own way. While Jan and the women in her group play a Chinesestyle version, over roughly a century and a half, mahjong has branched into dozens of variations worldwide, including Japanese, Taiwanese, Hong Kong and American styles. That is the true magic of mahjong: It is one game, endlessly reimagined. The tiles remain familiar, but the game evolves. While its precise beginnings are debated, historians generally trace the game’s origin to the Yangtze River Delta—around Shanghai and Ningbo—in the mid- to late 19th century, where it evolved from earlier Chinese card games whose suits were adapted onto tiles. From there it spread across China, acquiring regional rules and customs as it went. The game crossed the Pacific in the early 1920s through American expatriates, travelers, entrepreneurs and game companies eager to introduce something new. Joseph P. Babcock, an American who worked for Standard Oil Company in China, helped propel the craze with a simplified Englishlanguage rulebook known as “the Little Red Book,” published in 1920. Parker Brothers purchased the rights to his rules, and Abercrombie & Fitch (which some readers will be surprised to learn opened in 1892) is widely considered the first U.S. retailer to sell imported sets to an American public captivated by the tiles and the game’s air of exotic, cosmopolitan glamour. The first national frenzy faded almost as quickly as it had arrived, but mahjong did not disappear. It remained a meaningful cultural and social practice in Chinese American communities. In 1937, a group of players founded the National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) in New York to standardize the rules of a distinctly American version. [Editor’s note: The spelling mah jongg, used by the National Mah Jongg League, is commonly associated with the American version; mahjong is used here as the broader term for the game and its many variations.] Jewish American women played a central role in shaping and sustaining American mahjong, using regular games to build community in the Catskills and the expanding postwar suburbs. The organization, which began with 32 members, now reports more than 350,000.
That is the true magic of mahjong: It is one game, endlessly reimagined. The tiles remain familiar, but the game evolves. bellevue club sep/oct 2026 | 31
The two versions share a strong family resemblance. Both are generally played by four people using illustrated tiles that are drawn and discarded until someone completes a winning hand. Both use numbered suits commonly called circles, characters and bamboo, along with honor tiles such as winds and dragons. Both rely on a shifting balance of luck, memory, observation and strategy. In many Chinese variations, each player starts with 13 tiles and wins by acquiring a 14th. A standard winning hand contains four sets and a pair. A set might be three identical tiles, four identical tiles or a numerical sequence such as four, five and six of bamboo. Poker and gin rummy players will recognize the basic combinations. At Jan’s table, play begins with a tilepassing sequence the group calls a razzle, one of the practices that makes its game distinct. American mahjong is more formally structured. It adds jokers and calls its tile-passing ritual the Charleston. Contemporary American sets often feature brightly colored acrylic, melamine or resin tiles, along with racks and patterned mats that soften the sound of play. The look frequently leans grandmillennial: a mix of classic chinoiserie and grandmotherly chintz. Think
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ginger jars, pleated lampshades and monograms—colorful, playful and maximalist. Chinese sets can have a quieter, more understated elegance. Both versions are gorgeous in their own way. The most consequential difference between the versions is the NMJL card, published each year with the exact hands eligible to win. Chinese-style play is comparatively open-ended, while the American game asks players to recognize and pursue predetermined hands to win. Neither is a simplified substitute for the other. They are related games that demand different mental maneuvering. Today, the American version is enjoying a resurgence. At Mahjong Corner (mahjongcorner.com) in Bellevue, former Club member Donna Holmes teaches the game to a clientele that, she says, includes many women in their 40s and 50s. A game may take 15 to 20 minutes, allowing a group to complete five or six during a gathering. Donna leads classes and drop-in sessions and hosts events called Mimosas & Mahjong, Margaritas & Mahjong and Muu Muus & Mahjong.
Neither is a simplified substitute for the other. They are related games that demand different mental maneuvering.
local Mahjong Resources THE MAHJONG CORNER
The idea for this story arrived, fittingly, through another evolution of the game: Bam Dot Crack, an app Bellevue Club member and mahjong enthusiast Gaby D’Jaen co-founded with three longtime friends she met at the University of Michigan. Its name comes from the American terms for the game’s three suits: bams for bamboo, dots for circles and craks for characters. Gaby’s background reflects the game’s multicultural journey. A Jewish American woman who grew up in Hong Kong, she owns a family tile set used for Chinese mahjong and remembers watching her grandmother play the American game in Michigan. Gaby learned American mahjong during the pandemic from friend and Club member Haley Sloan, who also taught Lauren Brazg, a fellow Bam Dot Crack co-founder. Today, D’Jaen meets every Monday night with Haley, Lauren and two other friends, rotating among their homes.
A local shop stocking authentic mahjong sets, tiles and accessories, with private and group lessons plus Wednesday evening social play. mahjongcorner.com PONTEN MAHJONG Interested in Japanese-style riichi mahjong? Ponten Mahjong welcomes players of all skill levels and features four automatic mahjong tables, with instruction available for newcomers. meetup.com/pontenmahjong SEATTLE MAHJONG CLUB A welcoming community that teaches Taiwanese-style play through weekly meetups across Bellevue, Bothell and SeaTac—beginners encouraged. meetup.com/seattle-mahjong-club-group
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The beauty of Bam Dot Crack is that it expands the mahjong table rather than attempting to replace it. Players can compete with friends, strangers or computer-controlled opponents and may upload their own current National Mah Jongg League card to reference during play. The goal is to inspire distant friends to play together and give newcomers a place to practice between in-person games. While the game’s social value is easy to see, its appeal extends beyond friendly competition and polite trash talk. Mahjong demands pattern recognition, memory, calculation and constant adjustment. A 2024 review of 53 studies found encouraging associations between mahjong and cognitive, psychological and functional health among older adults, though researchers cautioned that most of the evidence was observational. Regular social engagement is also associated with better overall well-being as people age. Mahjong is a rare bird in the world of tabletop games. The rules may change from village to village, country to country or even table to table. But the throughline is remarkably steady: The game keeps bringing people back to the table—for the challenge, for the fun and, for many players, for a piece of family history.
Mahjong with your friends, anytime, anywhere.
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FAR-OUT
WA S H I N G T O N One state, two landscapes and a remarkable change of scenery. The Atlantic Ocean has the Doldrums, South Dakota has its Badlands. The Skeleton Coast in Namibia is what the Indigenous San people called “the land God made in anger” and Portuguese sailors called “the gates of hell.” Some places in the world have such aptly evocative names that they make an impression even if you never get to see them in real life. Washington is home to landscapes so ethereal or otherworldly that visiting them feels like crossing into some alternate reality. Here are a couple worth putting on your bucket list.
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L O C A L T R AV E L
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ENCHANTMENTS
The Enchantments sit in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, in a granite basin roughly 15 miles southwest of Leavenworth, and everything about the place sounds mythical. You’ll haul yourself up Aasgard Pass, clocking in at 2,200 feet of gain in under a mile, into a world of names borrowed from Norse sagas and fairy tales: Prusik Peak, Gnome Tarn, Perfection Lake, Leprechaun Lake, Sprite Lake—the latter three filled with impossibly aquamarine blue water. Bold mountain goats teeter along the edges and outcrops. In late September and early October the larches turn a bright gold and the whole basin is aglow against the stone. It is, by wide agreement, the crown of Washington hiking, which is exactly why you can’t simply show up. Overnight permits are required from May 15 through October 31, and the permit access lottery opens in mid-February and closes March 1. The odds of getting a permit are not great: More
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than 35,000 people apply each year for roughly 2,500 permits. Win one and you earn the chance to camp under some of the clearest sky in the state. Miss the lottery and you can still day-hike to Colchuck Lake, which is stunning in its own right. Go in fall if you don’t mind the cold. The larches are worth it.
Drive east over Snoqualmie Pass past Ellensburg, where the land goes flat and dry, to Drumheller Channels National Natural Landmark near Othello and check out the closest the state comes to resembling another planet. Part of a region known as the Channeled Scablands, this basalt shrub-steppe ecosystem looks like the aftermath of something, which it is. Between roughly 18,000 and 14,000 years ago the region was scoured again and again by some of the largest floods the planet has ever known. At the end of the Ice Age, an ice dam in northern Idaho pooled the meltwater of the Clark Fork into Glacial Lake Missoula, a body holding as much water as Lakes Erie and Ontario combined. The dam failed. Then it formed and failed again,
dozens of times, each collapse releasing a wall of water ten times that of all the world’s current rivers combined. As it tore across eastern Washington at breakneck speed, it scoured all the soil from the bedrock and carried enormous boulders the size of cars for hundreds of miles. What it left behind is a maze of canyons (also called coulees—Grand Coulee among them), kolks, or deep circular potholes drilled out by spinning floodwaters, buttes, basins, giant gravel ripples the height of houses and immense dry waterfalls called cataracts, with no rivers to feed them.
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The showpiece and main attraction is Dry Falls about 30 miles south of the Grand Coulee Dam. Picture a wall of basalt 400 feet tall and three and a half miles wide, once among the largest waterfalls on Earth and today bone-dry. Set the mighty Niagara Falls beside it and Niagara looks almost insignificant: Dry Falls is roughly five times as wide and more than twice as high. During the floods, the water poured over that rim and once the floodwaters receded, the river moved on, and what remains is a deafening silence almost as loud as the falls surely were. For a waterfall that still runs, head to Palouse Falls, which drops nearly 200 feet into a plunge pool the flood carved far wider than the modern river could ever fill. It is the last major falls left on the entire flood path. Everything else here ran dry a very long time ago.
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COMMUNITY & CLUB
THE FACE OF
HEALING BELLEVUE CLUB MEMBER DR. WAYNE LARRABEE, LEARNING TO
OBSERVE THE HUMAN FACE HAS SHAPED A CAREER IN SURGERY, ART AND SERVICE AROUND THE WORLD. w r i t t e n b y a l i s o n b r ow n r i g g p h o t o g r a p h y b y t y l e r j. h u g h e y
Years ago, when Dr. Wayne Larrabee served as president of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (A AFPRS), he invited the late Seattle artist Gary Faigin to one of the organization’s national meetings. Faigin stood onstage sketching two well-known surgeons while explaining how he studied a face—its proportions, asymmetries, planes and expressions. The lesson was practical. Dr. Larrabee believes surgeons who operate on faces should know how to draw them, even if their sketches never leave a patient chart. Anatomy can be memorized and surgical technique practiced, but neither ensures that a physician truly understands the face before them. “The craft you can teach,” he says. “The art is seeing the underlying person.”
Dr. Larrabee first grasped the potential of reconstructive surgery far from any art studio or academic medical center. After earning a medical degree and a master’s in epidemiology from Tulane University, he served in the US Army as head of civic action and disaster relief for the Southern Command. This position took him throughout Central and South America, where he developed public health programs and responded to epidemics and natural disasters. In Panama, he spent time with the indigenous Guna communities from the San Blas Islands and assisted a missionary surgeon treating children born with cleft lips, cleft palates and other congenital conditions.
THE CRAFT YOU CAN TEACH. THE ART IS SEEING THE UNDERLYING PERSON.
That distinction has guided him through more than four decades as a facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon, teacher and humanitarian. It also explains why photography and poetry intersect with medicine in his life, rather than running parallel to it. “The art isn’t separate from the surgery. It’s the same visualization,” he explains.
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The experience redirected his career. Public health could improve life for an entire population, he knew, but reconstructive surgery offered an immediate and powerful result. “You spend a couple of hours in surgery and totally change a child’s life,” he says. He returned to surgical training and eventually focused exclusively on the face, drawn to its anatomical complexity and individuality.
MEMBER PROFILE
bellevue club sep/oct 2026 | 43
COMMUNITY & CLUB
YOU SPEND A COUPLE OF HOURS IN SURGERY AND TOTALLY CHANGE A CHILD’S LIFE.
That approach has taken him to countries, including China, Croatia and now Vietnam, often returning to the same hospitals and colleagues over many years. In Croatia, he led teams treating facial injuries during and after the Balkan wars. In China, he worked with the late Canadian surgeon Dr. Joseph Wong to launch Smile China, which treated children with cleft lip and palate while building relationships with Chinese physicians. The friendships were important for successful missions. As president of the AAFPRS, Dr. Larrabee helped establish the International Federation of Facial Plastic Surgery Societies. He and Dr. Wong also helped create what is now the Pan Asia Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. The idea behind those organizations is a global healing network: Surgeons separated by language, culture and politics can still operate together, compare methods, train younger physicians and bring that knowledge home. In 1999, Dr. Larrabee became the founding editor of Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery, a peer-reviewed journal created under the JAMA umbrella, giving another way for physicians to learn from one another across borders.
For Dr. Larrabee, good surgery begins by recognizing the features that already belong to someone rather than imposing a standardized idea of beauty. Whether repairing a cleft lip, reconstructing an injury or performing a facelift, the goal is to preserve identity while restoring function, balance and appearance. His background in public health also made him aware of the global burden of surgical disease—treatable conditions that become disabling because trained surgeons, facilities and equipment are lacking in some parts of the world. Cleft lip and palate, war injuries and facial trauma may require an operation rather than medication, yet surgery was long treated as peripheral to international public health. Through Global Surgical Outreach, the nonprofit he founded, Dr. Larrabee and other medical volunteers provide pro bono facial reconstructive care around the globe. Its work also includes education, infrastructure and long-term partnerships with local physicians. He is realistic about the limits of mission-based surgery, however. A visiting team can help the patients it sees that week, but training a local surgeon provides care for years. Often, physicians need focused instruction, equipment or access to techniques not available in their training programs. “We can’t treat every child in the world,” he says. “But we can train the local physicians to treat them.” 44 | sep/oct 2026 reflections
Closer to home, Dr. Larrabee helped build a different kind of network after he started treating survivors of domestic violence. The work began informally when women were referred to him with broken noses, facial scars and other injuries caused by abuse. He repaired them at no charge, then partnered with shelters so referrals could come through advocates who understood each survivor’s circumstances. “You can’t look at yourself in the mirror every day, see the scars of domestic violence and not have them with you, mentally, all the time,” he says. The effort developed into the American Academy’s national FACE TO FACE Domestic Violence program, connecting survivors with surgeons who volunteered their services. In 1996, Dr. Larrabee accepted the American Medical Association’s Major Public Service Award on its behalf, but he is quick to clarify why the honor matters. “It isn’t so much AMA recognition as the reality that we helped so many patients that is important to me,” he says, a sentiment he touches on with each turn of our conversation. One woman, he recalls, whose nose he reconstructed after repeated assaults called him at home months later while another attack was underway. He contacted police who went to her home and stopped the violence. He later treated her again. She eventually left the relationship and rebuilt her life. He wrote a poem about the experience, part of a body of work that has appeared in many publications, including The Lancet.
MEMBER PROFILE
That story is the perfect example of how he integrates the scientific, humanitarian and artistic sides of his life. Surgery restored the woman’s face. Poetry helped him reflect on what the injury and recovery meant. Both required him to look beyond the physical problem to the person living with it. His collaboration with Faigin grew from the same conviction. Faigin, who cofounded the Gage Academy of Art, spent his career analyzing how muscle movements and proportion communicate emotion. Dr. Larrabee studied his books, took his classes and published articles with him, including “Artists Examine Aging: How Attitudes Have Changed” and “The Art of the Smile.”
WE CAN’T TREAT EVERY CHILD IN THE WORLD. BUT WE CAN TRAIN THE LOCAL PHYSICIANS TO TREAT THEM.
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Dr. Larrabee shares life with his wife, Amy Smallman Larrabee, who helped manage the business for years and worked to organize the cleft missions, including recent ones to Ethiopia. In addition to the couple’s four biological children, they’ve adopted six kids from Costa Rica, Colombia, Mexico and Kazakhstan. Their younger children grew up swimming, celebrating birthdays and generally enjoying their time at Bellevue Club. As he looks toward retirement in the next year or so, Dr. Larrabee expects to step away from operating, but not from the work itself. He plans to remain involved with Global Surgical Outreach, to mentor physicians and travel on future missions as an organizer, teacher and photographer. He also wants more time for poetry and photography. The operating room may have been the center of his career, but his larger contribution is the network around it: surgeons teaching surgeons, physicians crossing borders to care for patients and artists helping doctors to see more clearly. All this good work ensures that Dr. Larrabee’s impact and knowledge will resonate loudly for many generations to come.
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P R I VA T E T R AV E L
What it’s like to circle the globe by private jet, with the freedom to focus on the moments that make travel meaningful.
"Around the World in Eighty Days" was so 1872. What if I told you it’s possible in less than a month, and that the journey itself is every bit as memorable as the destinations? As an expedition leader for TCS World Travel, my job is to shepherd guests from one awe-inspiring place to the next on private jet journeys across the globe. The company has been operating these expeditions for more than three decades, connecting some of the world’s most extraordinary destinations. Its Around the World itinerary links places as varied as Machu Picchu, Rapa Nui (Easter Island), the Great Barrier Reef, Angkor Wat and the plains of East Africa. What’s it like? In a word, surreal. One day you’re watching the light shift on the white marble dome of the Taj Mahal and the next, a herd of elephants is crossing the dirt path in front of your safari vehicle in Kenya. You check off a life list of wonders in under a month: ascending Machu Picchu’s ancient citadel, visiting the moai in Rapa Nui, snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef, seeing the sun rise over Angkor Wat (the world’s largest religious monument), standing at the feet of the Great Sphinx of Giza, wandering through Marrakech’s vibrant souks—and those are just the highlights. Moments in between are filled with quiet connection, unexpected discovery and encounters few travelers can experience.
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The Experience When I’m asked what makes these expeditions different, especially by those who are hesitant about group journeys, the answer often comes down to access. Some visits take place after public hours. Others are shaped by guides, scholars or hosts who bring a more personal understanding of the destination. One of my favorite examples from a past expedition is the Valley of the Kings, an ancient Egyptian royal burial ground in Luxor. This remarkable archaeological site can draw thousands of visitors a day, and moving through the tombs' narrow passageways during opening hours can feel claustrophobic. We returned after the crowds had departed, when several tombs were opened for the group. Without the daytime noise and congestion, guests could linger over intricate wall paintings and ornate chambers in a setting that felt almost suspended in time. It's the kind of moment when history feels vividly present and difficult to put into words.
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And this type of access extends far beyond one destination. Guests might enjoy an elaborate dinner with traditional dancers at a temple in the Angkor complex or a tour of Rapa Nui led by an archaeological scholar. On other itineraries, they may arrive by vintage car at an 18th-century palace, have lunch on Bolivia’s salt flats beside an installation created for the group, step inside the kitchens of renowned chefs or receive a blessing at a Buddhist monastery. Those are often the memories guests carry with them long after the trip ends. The landmarks may inspire the journey, but it’s these unexpected moments—the conversations, private meals, invitations and time spent with local guides—that leave the deepest impression.
The Care Even the best-laid plans can’t account for everything the world may throw your way. Weather changes, unexpected closures and other surprises are simply part of travel, but the ability to adapt quickly can make all the difference. On one expedition, we departed Iceland early to avoid an approaching snowstorm. On another day, a last-minute museum closure required us to reshuffle the schedule. These adjustments are rarely visible to guests, and that is often the point. They simply learn that the day will unfold a little differently than planned. A large team keeps the journey moving. The expedition leader oversees logistics and daily coordination, supported by assistants who manage everything from luggage transfers to administrative details. A dedicated physician travels with the group, while a professional photographer captures the moments along the way so guests can stay present. Onboard experts—including historians, scientists and journalists, along with local guides— provide deeper context for each destination. For guests, much of the routine work of travel disappears. There is no need to coordinate transportation, make dining reservations or spend time researching which activities best suit their interests. Luggage appears in each hotel room and is collected before departure. Meals are arranged, and the expedition team offers recommendations based on what each guest enjoys most—whether someone wants to dive deeper into history, seek out a hidden corner of a place or simply slow down and take in the moment. After years of leading journeys around the globe, I’ve seen how the most meaningful takeaways often come from moments of curiosity and connection—a conversation with a local guide, a glimpse into daily life or a deeper understanding of a history that once felt distant. Travel can make the world feel a little smaller and, in doing so, helps us approach it with greater empathy and appreciation. The greatest luxury is not simply seeing more of the world. It’s having the time and freedom to be fully present in it.
Meet Your Guide Amanda Zurita is an expedition leader, writer and endlessly curious traveler who has called Seattle home for nearly 20 years. With a background in classical studies and a passion for history, culture and exploration, Amanda has visited more than 75 countries and led private jet expeditions across the globe. She strongly believes that thoughtful travel can be a force for good—that the more we see of the world and all who inhabit it, the more inspired we are to care for both.
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The Jet When boarding the custom-configured Airbus A321LR, guests are greeted with “Welcome home” rather than “Welcome aboard.” After several weeks of returning to the same aircraft, the phrase begins to feel surprisingly accurate: The crew becomes familiar, guests settle into their preferred routines and the cabin provides a consistent point of return between stops. Unlike a commercial layout that would hold hundreds of passengers, the aircraft features just 52 lie-f lat seats arranged two by two, each with an ottoman that makes it easy to pull up a seat and continue a conversation. It’s not unusual for friendships to form somewhere over the Pacific and continue long after the journey ends. An onboard chef prepares in-flight meals tailored to individual preferences, and on-trip experts present live lectures offering insights into the destinations ahead. Piecing together far-flung locations on commercial flights would require lengthy layovers, complicated connections and considerably more time in transit. The aircraft flies directly between stops, with expedited airport security and minimized waiting wherever possible. More of each day can be spent exploring rather than moving through terminals.
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R E F L E C T I O N S SUMMER CAMPS! And what a summer it was. Our excellent Club staff kept junior members busy all season, from basketball and tennis to photography and beyond. Campers sharpened their skills and made new friends. These snapshots capture just a bit of the fun.
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Once you know the history of Mercer Island’s Luther Burbank Park, you’ll never experience it the same way again.
p h o t o g r a p h co u rt e sy o f r o n e d g e . d i s cov e r e d by t h i s w r i t e r o n t h e l at e h i s t o r i a n pau l d o r pat ' s e xc e l l e n t b l o g, s e at t l e t h e n & n ow v i a pau l d o r pat.co m LUTHER BURBANK IS A LITTLE SLICE OF PARADISE. Families picnic while kids swim and dogs live their best lives frolicking along the shoreline. Near the middle of the park, however, an abandoned concrete foundation covered in graffiti stands in stark contrast to the lovely bucolic landscape. It’s a vestige of the juvenile reform school and working farm that once occupied the land. That foundation is laden with a secret and slightly spooky energy that is almost palpable to those sensitive to such things. That spooky feeling is nothing new for Mercer Island. Local lore says that for generations, members of the Duwamish people came to the island to hunt and gather food but never stayed after dark. One tradition warned of a dangerous spirit that lived there. Another said that the island sank beneath the lake each night and rose again at dawn. In 1904, Civil War cavalry officer Major Cicero Newell moved 30 boys and 10 girls to a tent camp on the property, officially opening the Parental School in 1905. Over time, the grounds filled with dormitories, classrooms, barns, orchards, pastures, a hospital, laundry and steam plant. The children attended lessons and worked the farm under a strict, semi-military system and were chained, beaten and severely punished for trying to escape. On a cold November night in 1904, 13-year-olds William Kiger and Albert Cook decided to risk it anyway. Shackled together at the ankles, they carried their chains in their hands so they wouldn’t clank. At the shore the boys climbed into a leaking rowboat. For hours, they paddled and bailed water until they 58 | sep/oct 2026 reflections
reached the opposite side of the lake at dawn. Railroad workers cut away the chains, gave them jackets and let them go. Neither boy was recaptured. Other boys escaped, but all were found by the authorities and returned. The school was renamed Luther Burbank in 1931, after the famous botanist credited with introducing and popularizing the 'Himalaya Giant' blackberry in North America, a plant now so aggressively invasive it is considered a threat to native ecosystems across the Pacific Northwest. The name change did not soften the disciplinary methods of school officials, however. Under longtime superintendent Willis Rand, punishments included reduced meals and beatings with a razor strop, practices that eventually fell out of official favor, though a documented case of physical abuse occurred as late as 1963. After the school closed in the mid-1960s, most of its wooden buildings were destroyed. The old brick dormitory and steam plant survive, along with the foundation of the dailry barn. Broad, bare and strangely out of place, the concrete ruins are a reminder of a darker history that haunts the island to this day.
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