I'm Leaving

7/27/11 I'm leaving. That's basically it. I love you all. Wish me luck, talk to you soon!
:-)

<-- Beautiful sunrise from the Rochester airport.

View out the window over the Cascades -->

The Final Countdown

Two more days, people. My flight leaves Thursday at 6am from Rochester (to save money). My best friend Marisa is going to see me off at the airport, mostly because my mom hates driving at night... or in the rain, or in traffic, mostly in general. Haha, love you Mom! Anyways, my flight leaves with a transfer in Chicago, and then lands in Seattle at about 11am their time (three hours behind New York). Once I'm in Washington, my trek to get to Alderleaf is going to take just about as long (let's hope that ends up being an exaggeration). I'm going to board the bus system at the airport and be bussed around for about an hour and a half--transferring numerous times with all my gear. Once I get off the bus, I'll be in Sultan, which is the closest stop to Alderleaf. However, closest does not mean close. I will then have to lug all my stuff approximately four and a half miles down the road to Alderleaf's campus. On a positive note, I won't be carrying everything for the full year, just enough for the two weeks of the permaculture intensive. The rest I'll be having sent in the mail to my yurt, once I'm moved in.

On a separate note, I do not know if there will be internet available during the permaculture program, so there could be about two weeks lacking in posts. I will, however, make sure to take plenty of pictures to put up once I get into internet territory.
For now, tootles.

Saying Sayonara

Friday was my last day of work at Primitive Pursuits (for a while, at least). It was one of those bittersweet moments in life that everyone goes on about... guess this is my turn. You have all become not only a wonderful group of friends, but also a second family. And like a family, though I did not choose you, I find myself loving each and every one spirit. If given the chance, I would choose you all a hundred times over again. You have all challenged and guided me through some of the best, and some of the hardest, times of my life. I can only hope that the people I meet this coming year are as full of that excitement and love for life that you all have shown me throughout these years. To all of my family and friends out there, whether reading this post or not, know that I care about you more than I can put into words. Wish me luck on my journeys, as I wish you luck on yours.

Like Mother Yurt Daughter

Just as my mother did back in her college days, I will be living in a yurt (a yurt community actually, called Mosswood Hollow). My yurt is twenty feet in diameter and a short 2-5 minute walk from Anake's "campus," land which they call Linne Doran. For those of you who pictured me ruffing it in a debris shelter for the year, sorry to disappoint you. Although I do hope I'm out hiking, camping, and sleeping outside as much as possible, my yurt will be pretty comfy-cozy throughout the year. I will have electricity, a toaster oven, and even a mini fridge. In addition, there is a main house on the property, built for retreat gatherings, that will provide some of our other amenities. The layout of the main house is such that one side is where our bathrooms are and where the porch wraps around providing internet access. The other side is where folks eat, meet and stay when they're attending a retreat. There's even a hot tub we can use when the retreaters aren't using it!

I also now have an established roommate to live with for the year--a wonderful young women named Michelle, whom I have talked to a few times over the telephone. She is an environmental journalist working out of Seattle, and is participating in the Anake Outdoor School as a way to reconnect with nature and spend some time outside of the office. She seems really nice and I am excited to get to know her better. A few days ago she took a trip up to Mosswood Hollow to see our yurt and take pictures for us. These are some she emailed over: the entrance to Mosswood Hollow (above), the main house, our yurt overlooking the pond, and inside our yurt.

Introduction

For those of you who do not already know, in less than ten days, I will be heading off to the beautiful, rainy state of Washington. I have signed up for two programs: a 2-week permaculture intensive with Alderleaf Wilderness College, and a 9-month program with the Wilderness Awareness School called the Anake Outdoor School. Both of these programs will be taking place about an hour northeast of Seattle, adjacent to some extraordinary chunks of forested heaven.
If you're curious about what I will be doing or want to check the programs out prior to my descriptions, here are their websites:
http://www.wildernesscollege.com/permaculture-summer-semester.html
http://wildernessawareness.org/adult/residential_program.html

Either way, websites or not, I will periodically be posting about my life in Washington to all those interested. At first I was against a blog,--seemed a bit cheesy I suppose--but after reading and very much appreciating some of my friends' new blogs... I decided to go for it. If not for you guys, then at least for me.

At this point, I'm just getting together last minute gear, packing (haha), and having some last hoorahs before I leave. I've attached a picture of my bedroom floor... you can see my progress in the whole packing department. :-)

I'm going to be really busy for the next week, so if you want to get in some good times before I leave, be in touch with me asap.

For now, cheers.