Welcome to Our Blog!

The Wandering Gnome, Papa Gnome, and the brother gnomes all at the highest point of New Mexico (Wheeler Peak)

Wazzzzzup Fellow Gnomes,

I would like to introduce you to our community blog. I have created this space to bring our community members together. It is a space to share adventures & pictures, funny stories, your love for beer, or simply to introduce yourselves to this wonderful group of people. Please submit any stories and pictures to wanderinggnomebrewing@gmail.com and we will do our best to include everyone’s content.

But first, a little backstory…

I come from a diverse background. My mother (The Great Dame) was born in Port Said, Egypt while her family roots are tied to Lebanon and Greece. My father was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, today-the Czech Republic or Czechia. I make the distinction because it is relevant historically, but also because I want to help you save face. The Czechs enjoy their independence and generally won’t be too amused by the mix-up of their country’s name. To put it into American terms it is a bit like calling the United States, the British Empire.

~Steps off soapbox and gathers his thoughts~

My great uncle [pictured on the right] traveling for the first time since the fall of the Soviet Bloc to see his brother (my grandfather) in New York City in the 90's

Right, so… back to the important stuff… Back in the days of Czechoslovakia there were many limitations. One of those limitations was being unable to travel (at least without permission from the government). Part of the reason my grandfather “illegally” moved my grandmother and father out of the Soviet Bloc was due to the lack of freedom. Getting yourself out of the Soviet Bloc is no cake walk by the way (a story for another day). My grandfather deeply enjoyed spending time in nature and that was passed onto my father and aunt. Once my two hooligan brothers and I were brought into this world, that tradition continued. Growing up we travelled a lot. Both my parents saw great value in exposing us not only to our roots, but generally to the world around us. We went to Lebanon, Greece, Egypt, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Italy, Mexico and many more countries. Let’s give them a quick hand clap because that isn’t easy with three pieces of work in tow.

The Wandering Gnome climbing towards Montana's highest peak (Granite Peak) with mountain goats following close by [not pictured]

A little over a decade ago, my father had the crazy idea of trying to climb the 50 States’ tallest peaks. We definitely enjoyed hiking, but we grew up in the Northeast. Let’s be honest, the mountains in that area are not exactly the most challenging thing in the world. Our response to this far from brilliant family idea: “F@ck it”. We weren’t complete idiots, however. We started with all the peaks in our backyard (the Northeast). In 2017, we started branching out West and hitting some of the top 10 State peaks. If there is one transferable lesson from hiking to brewing, or just life in general, it is that no matter how much you hurt or fail, you can push yourself a lot further than you think (safely of course). We have been stuck in lightning and hailstorms at 10,000+ feet, never started a hike on time (thanks Papa Gnome), witnessed breathtaking sunrises, glissaded down mountains (look this up it is too much fun for your own good), and had our pole straps munched on by mountain goats. These are my most cherished memories: spending time in nature, completely disconnected, with the people I love most.

The Zeman boys at the top of Colorado's highest peak (Mt. Elbert)

If you have made it this far thank you for sticking around. I will be getting into some of my core trip memories from 2023 throughout the rest of the year.

Yours truly,

The Wandering Gnome