Subaru Stories: From Paddle Boarding Adventures to Pre-Op Assessments

Photo credit: John Carlano

Subaru owners are fanatically loyal adventurers–signaling each other with a peace sign salute as they pass and referring to their cars as ‘Subies.’ Subaru Stories follows the journey behind 10 Philadelphian health professionals connected by a common thread: Their car. Where it takes them after work? That seems to be very different…

Barb Notte is always on the move.

Starting her day with 20 minutes of meditation, then 30 minutes of exercise, Notte drives an hour to work at Bryn Mawr Hospital for her job as a clinical nurse for the pre-operative assessment department. After work, she likes to spend time with her family, paddleboard in Marsh Creek State Park, take yoga classes and walk her Scottish terrier Phoenix.

Notte doesn’t mind her busy schedule and commute in her Subaru Forester.

“Bryn Mawr is a wonderful place to work and it’s worth an hour’s drive in the comfort of my Forester,” Notte says. “I transport my stand-up paddleboard on top of my Subie to my favorite places with confidence I’ll arrive safely.”

Notte owned her first Subaru Outback in 2002 and her son drove an Impreza for 12 years, so she knew what to look for her when buying her Forester in 2014.

“All wheel drive was the most important feature,” Notte says. “I liked the silver color, seat warmers, moon roof, sound system, Bluetooth and roomy back seat. The roof rack made it easy to carry my paddleboard. The cup holders are great, too!”

Notte is a certified holistic nurse and master teacher in Reiki, teaching Reiki to fellow nurses, patients and staff through the Integrative Therapies Department.

“Reiki is a Japanese relaxation therapy that reduces pain and anxiety and promotes balance and harmony to the human energy system,” says Notte.

Notte was inspired to be a nurse in third grade after learning about the people on the island of Molokai, Hawaii who suffered from Hansen’s disease, identified in the early 20^th century as leprosy.

“Compassion and caring for the whole person – body, mind and spirit – has driven my entire nursing career,” Notte says.

Always a fitness fanatic, Notte and her husband John typically drive to Havertown to visit their son Jonathan and his wife Tricia, where they go on hiking excursions and let their dogs play together. Her other son Greg lives in Redwood City, California with his wife Jessica and their kids – Notte’s favorite passengers – Cody and Sienna. When Notte retires, she plans to take a cross-country trip to visit them, stopping at National Parks along the way.

Notte’s Forester has previously handled long drives through all kinds of weather – surprisingly, all in the same trip.

“Last October, on a drive to Richmond, Virginia to visit friends, we literally drove through four different weather events,” Notte says. “We had sunshine, wind that spread leaves all over the road, hail the size of marbles and then driving rain. We knew we were safe in the Subie.”

Subaru supports and thanks the entire medical community in the Greater Philadelphia area. For more information about finding the right ride for you, click here.