Bryn Athyn College Alumni Magazine Spring/Summer 2017 | Page 13

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LIFE OFF THE
BEATEN PATH
KATYA GORDON’S SAILING ADVENTURES
By Sasha Silverman
A
t 32 years old, Katya Goodenough Gordon
(AA ‘89) did something few young mothers
could fathom. She and her husband, Mark,
left the “safe harbor” of their traditional life
in Minnesota, sold their home, and bought a 34-foot
sailboat. With their 2-year old and 4-year old daughters
and some basic supplies, Mark and Katya set sail for an
epic adventure to the sunny Bahamas. The round trip,
which lasted a year, proved immensely rewarding, as
well as challenging and even hilarious at times; Katya
captured many of the moments in her book, Big Waves,
Small Boat, Two Kids.
Since their return from that first adventure, Katya
and Mark have made it possible for hundreds of cu-
rious adventurers, including Bryn Athyn College stu-
dents, to join her family on their sailing voyages and
experience the wonder of nature for themselves.
Katya’s Early Influences
Zest for adventure weaves through Katya’s DNA. Her
father, Rev. Dan Goodenough, brought outdoor recre-
ation to the forefront of College social life. Dan, a BAC
alumnus, not only served as a religion professor, and
later dean of the Theological School from 1973-1991 (and Presi-
dent of the Academy from 1991-2001), but he led College students
on various expeditions: from weekend trips through the wooded
paths and waterfalls of Pennsylvania, to month-long backpacking
adventures in rocky Montana and Wyoming. Katya remembers
these hikes fondly, remarking that these trips helped her forge her
longest-lasting friendships.
Katya attended Bryn Athyn College for two years, during
which she remembers gaining a strong sense of the importance of
Katya's book,
Big Waves, Small
Boat, Two Kids
details her year-
long trip to the
Bahamas and
can be found on
Amazon.com.
B RY N AT H Y N A LU M N I M AG A Z I N E
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