The Good Life – July-August 2017

I've really learned from traveling,”
he said. "When you travel to Haiti
or south Sudan and you see 2-yearold
kids on the verge of starvation,
it changes how you view that
situation. When it comes right
down to it, those parents are like
you, they're like me — they want
their kids to survive and do well.
That's all they want. That's the one
thing everyone has in common."
In his spare time, Wallevand offers
his knowledge through teaching
TV documentary and reporting
one night a week at MSUM. When
he’s not chasing his latest story,
traveling to foreign countries or
embarking on a mission trip, you
can find him relaxing with family at
the lake.
Someday — when he decides to
retire — Wallevand doesn’t plan on
slowing down. "I'd like to continue
teaching, continue with the mission
work and traveling," he said.
Until then, he’s living the good life.
"The good life means the Midwest,
lakes, family, friends, hockey and
faith," he said. It’s about taking
advantage of the beautiful place he
lives — fishing, skiing and spending
time with loved ones in Otter Tail
County where he grew up.
Recently the “good life” has taken
on a new definition: the opportunity
to live another day. After prostate
surgery, Wallevand waited 7 days
for pathology results following
surgery. Thankfully, the report came
back with good news: the cancer
was contained in the prostate and
removed during surgery. Wallevand
got lucky but urges other men to get
PSA levels checked during yearly
physicals; without his checkup,
Wallevand’s story may have had a
much different outcome.
For everyone, the good life
means something different. But
sometimes, it’s as simple as the
blessing of more years to live and
the opportunity to keep sharing the
stories you love. •
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