People Feature | Stephen + Sarah Larsen
Concluding this wonderful series of incredible humans that I’ve crossed paths with along the way is a local couple to Colorado Springs. They’re humble and wonderfully influential. If you meet them in person, make time to get to know them. You’ll be enriched I met Sarah through social media a little over a year ago, maybe? And her husband in the months to follow. Justin and I so enjoy their company, their children and the kindnesses they bring into our lives. I chose to feature them in this series because I respect and admire the way they tackle life, their work ethic and the way their family interacts. Sarah is kind but strong and Stephen has a remarkable heart with a lot of determination. I’ve loved getting to know them and I hope you find the same relatability and admiration for them that I have. You can follow Sarah @sistersinco on IG. xx-k
Q: “What are two things you would want us to know about you as individuals?”
Stephen Larsen: “I left a career in banking to be a firefighter. He used to work for CalFire where he was gone for weeks and months at a time, fighting large forest fires. Now he works for the Colorado Springs Fire Department.”
Sarah Larsen: “Stephen has swam in every ocean, he commercial fished on the Bering Sea for two seasons and hiked twenty-four 14'ers in one summer. He's bad ass.”
Sarah: “I am a full-time mom and part-time consultant for a non profit called Heroes of the Nation, an orphanage/school campus in Kenya with 480 children. I have been working with them for 10 years and love that children are supported through a college education.
Stephen: “…Sarah ran a tea room as a high schooler. Like a full-on tearoom with 100 costumes, two and a half hour parties, history lessons, dancing lessons and a three course tea. She's able to multi-task like no one I've ever met and she is kind.”
Q: What are your days filled with, Monday through Friday as well as your weekends?
Sarah: “Our schedule is pretty unusual because of Stephen's schedule where work falls on different days of every week. It means intense work days, recuperation days if he didn't sleep at night, and then four day stretches of no work. Stephen is also happiest when there's a project to work on - building an Airbnb, redoing a camper, etc.Sarah has learned to keep rhythms in place for the kids while also being flexible so we can get family time on days off. It requires a lot of intention. We juggle like most people do!”
Q: 4. “What was your career/or the thing you're building/contributing to now look like previous to meeting this person?”
Sarah: “We married young and basically grew up in life and careers together. We started marriage in a 15 ft by 17 ft studio with our motto being 'live poor and travel.' Our first focus was adventure, and careers would come a few years later.
I’ve always had a love for developing countries and children at risk so my work as a consultant brought the pieces together. Stephen has always had a conviction to be in a career that served others, so firefighting was a natural fit.
It wasn't always so clear cut. Stephen started a career in banking and after success and promotions on the way, he came home one day and said that he really wanted to be in a career with long-term significance. We made the decision together for him to leave banking (although we had just purchased a home and first baby was months old) and pursue fire fighting. We knew in our gut that following passion was more important than living comfortably. Those years were intense, but they were also fulfilling. We're grateful for the sacrifice made then that led us to where we are now.”
Q: “How does the other encourage you or challenge you?”
Sarah: “Stephen helps me find my passions and pursue them. He helps me think outside of the daily, mom life. I'm super grateful for that”
Stephen: “Sarah helps me find joy in daily perspective. She celebrates the little things and finds the positive.
Q: “Do you often see eye to eye? Can you explain the yes or no a little bit?”
Sarah: “Yes and no. We both have similar convictions on lifestyle and goals. We believe in sacrificing for others, living intentionally and raising our children well. Underlying beliefs run deep. With that said, we're both different people with different personalities. In our relationship - We try to laugh often, not take things too personally, and choose to see the good in each other. When fights start escalating, Stephen is really good at diffusing.”
Q: “Can we hear about two of the goals you set for 2019?”
“Our second goal is to set a goal after finishing the camper.”
Stephen + Sarah: “Finish our vintage camper! After tent camping last summer, Sarah's request was to have a place where we could store things in order to cut down on loading and unloading time. The purchase was part of our desire to set a lifestyle with our kids. It's been a complete overhaul (original camper had bullet holes, water damage, and mice infestation). We've had to gut it completely, and even put on new metal siding. We still have a lot to do this month. With four camping trips plus two weeks in Montana planned for the summer, time is ticking.”
Q: “How do you wind down at the end of the night?”
Larsens: “Scotch.”
Q: “How do you grow as a team?”
We try to get regular date nights where we can plan and talk. But let's be real - sometimes it's not easy to have a planning/dreaming session after a long day with kids. Trips together have always been a time for refueling and refocusing. We come back with a new vision on life. We've filled our home with items from our travels to help us remember those moments of clarity and connection.
