Sunburns at the Portland beach! sunshine!

Willard Beach
South Portland, ME:)

Dav and Stina (friends from Cali and the Grand Canyon)

Emma:) Fellow Outdoor Classroom staff at Chewonki- I love this woman!
We are flare flamingos together:)

Barnicles! They are now one of my favorite sea creatures- have you ever seen them eat? They eat with their legs. and their legs are pink. can't get much cooler.

feet on the ferry

tide pools:) algae and mussels and crabs and periwinkles (sea snails) and green crabs and lots of great slippery seaweed:)

Maine Mazed Coast

Introducing...
The Maine Coast!

I finally got my dad's old camera to work, so here are a few photos:)

This is the view from the Camden Hills- one of the only places on the Maine Coast around 1000 ' tall instead of 100 '. It's about an hour North of Wiscasset where I live:)
One of my housemates Ruthie and I went mountain biking and backpacking here last weekend!

The Maine coast is crazy cool; "wicked cool" would be the Maine lingo-lots of islands and inlets and crazy water ways and islands- the end of the last ice age 12,000 years ago...
left knobby hills and steep valleys and tonz of meltwater moving through valleys..

...this is how it was explained to me: the coast is a sponge that was compacted during glaciation and is slowly expanding upwards... I'm no geologist, but the coastline is pretty sweet eh?
Ruthie and our little home:)


View from our Tent...Europe's out there somewhere...

Flight of the bumble bee...or is it black fly? maybe mosquito?
the bugs were plentiful at sunset

Mountain Biking...sand, rocks, mud, rusty water pipes, you name it...Good times...

yay for trees.

yay for a view outside the trees:)

oh ya, the sun doesn't set over the ocean over here...Still gettin used to this East Coast stuff.

Girl time on the beach

This is me, Leah T., and Ruthie our friend and co-worker Emma's graduation last Sunday- We had to represent Chewonki love with plenty of flare for everyone:) Good times.

I'm keepin pretty busy, this is my last week of encampment before I go through wilderness trip training and life guard training- In July/August I'll be leading some 1 week canoe trips and a 3 week backpacking/canoe trip on the Appalachian trail...

Excited for a trip to Cali in about 2.5 weeks!
That's it for now, gotta go prep for my lessons for my last week of Outdoor Classroom of the Spring!

Wonderings and Wanderings

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

I almost forgot. how ironic. I don't feel like I did anything super extraordinary to celebrate our mother earth today; my job is being an environmental educator, does that count as showing my appreciation for our ever-giving planet?

I have a feeling that teachers are chronically sleep deprived and therefore, quickly develop extreme dependencies on highly addictive substances.

like caffeine. and sugar...

hmmmm...I've stayed clear of coffee so far, which I am pretty proud of considering...
That little battle I might could deal with (bad grammar intentional), but this whole dialect of acronymese-a language I have detested since my frequent exposure to it in the Non Profit world...I don't know if I can handle much more of it...In the outdoor education field it seems to be creeping into my life more and more all the time...I was tossed a whole bunch more in my first aid class this weekend- HELP!

This week is a special week because I'm working with 1st and 2nd graders rather than 5th or 6th graders...they're excited about everything and go home at the end of each day rather than camping out with us for four days straight; a luxury. This week I am also working with Doug, a senior staff member from last year that knows what he's doing; yet another luxury....I'm learning lots and am feeling like I don't know what I'm doing most of the time, which can be kind of frustrating. Luckily with first graders who are on vacation camp, it's not too daunting- We mostly play fun games and do cool eco- activities outside all day...sounds easy right? Somehow this still takes lots o planning.

I'm learning that a lot of teaching, if not most of it, has to do with group management and lots and lots of forethought and planning-especially with 1st and 2nd graders- "oops, I peed my pants", "wait, I forgot my coat", "do you know where I put my water bottle?" "She pushed me" "I'm confused" "I need a bandaid" "I Lost my drawing and poem ( I somehow lost them already in the past 60 sec walking between point A and point B)"...

Any of you out there with pointers should feel free to share your infinite wisdom...
Especially about behavior modeling, positive language, discipline/consequences, and group facilitation.

Besides thinking about how to improve my teaching and facilitation skills, I'm feeling energized with the warmer weather- Maine is springing to life!
Flowers are emerging. Frogs are spawning and croaking like crazy!
Birds are nesting. Pastures are greening and vegetables are growing.
The sun lingers and a season of challenge and mystery awaits...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ticklypig/2082452308/

Oh ya, went to Vermont this past weekend-super great place! Went to School for International Training for a grad school open house in Brattelboro, then a Wilderness First Aid Class in Burlington- fun cities. Lake Champlain is breathtaking. More reasons Vermont is cool: close to French Speaking Canada, they make REAL maple syrup, they're stoked on good cheese, and they have the fanciest rest stops I have ever seen in my life. Check this out. Plus, topography- hooray!

And, people are super friendly, eco-savvy, and I admit, a little hippish:) You can see past the endless and beautiful mixed forests to mountains + big chunks of rock in the medians along the highway.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulmoody/337938878/

I'm thinking about Grad school at School for International Training in Brattleboro maybe next year? They've got some really cool programs. They also are tres cher, so who knows what next year will bring...Thinking about Peace Corps or Fullbright, or maybe more teaching?
Anybody heard of cool programs?
Definitely have got the travel bug itchin' to get out and about in the near future....Would love to get back to West Africa to work with women/girls, dance and do art...am also hoping to get to South America for some dancing and Spanish lessons...Who knows?

Back in Time...

So I moved! to Maine! It snows here. In April! It's finally melting- or so it seems...and mud is everywhere! One of the staff gave me yellow mud boots with bumble bees- that makes me smile.:)




Check out this interactive map of Maine! I'm still learning Maine geography, and history and everything else for that matter...Apparently they have annual dog sled races, sand castle contests, potato and blueberry blossom festivals, and I'm sure there's gotta be some kind of Lobster feed at some point during the year...



So I live on a "neck". at an environmental education institution. on a farm. in the woods. near a town called Wiscasset, about an hour north of Portland, in the state of Maine, on the East Coast of the United States of America.



Bye bye Sunny California! No more West Coast for me...at least not til November...Well actually, that's not quite true. Once I find an affordable plane ticket, I'll be flying out to California this summer to go to two weddings- four wonderful friends from Humboldt State: Lisa and Jesse, and Miles and Daniele!

I'm super psyched for that. I do miss my Oakland pals and my Warwick Palace and well, the diverse richness of the Bay...might comment more on that later...
All my love to my Oakland posse!


For now, I work for a place called the Chewonki Foundation. I think that's one of the funnest words to say ever. isn't it? try it: Che-wonk-ee:)
There are three meals every day that I don't have to cook. interesting. We eat together at round tables with different people every day: teachers, high school students, environmental education teachers, and other Chewonki staff day in and day out...
I live in a house with 7 other staff...The Warren House. That's next to the Betty Decker House and "Packout" - the magical place where all the gear and food for our encampments with kids lives...tents, peanut butter, tuna fish and wannagens- yes wannagens. I don't know if that's how you spell it, but I'm learning a whole new vocabulary living in Maine- such fun words they have here.
I'll explain about the wannagens later.

My life is getting more structured all the time...which means that it's 11:19 and I need to go to bed. it's past bedtime. still getting used to that. breakfast is at 7:15 every morning, meetings at 8, then staff training stuff til 5:30 for the next two weeks...then outdoor programs and lessons with kids five days a week...so it begins...the life of an outdoor educator.

I'm excited to start learning how to make lesson plans and scheming up fun ways to incorporate art and culture and creativity into environment and science lessons!
woopee:)

Now that I am super far from most everyone that I have ever been close with, maybe I'll want to write in my blog more often:)
And maybe all you people that love me will be motivated to write me cuz you'll know a little bit more about what I'm doing on a daily basis...(hint hint, write me comments and e-mails and stuff if'n ya wanto:)

lots of love!

okay, bed time for reals.
good night maine!

Vision Videos and Amazing Grace!

First, have you ever wondered where the song amazing grace originated?
It's the most recognized hymn in the world I think...I always thought it was an African American Sprititual from the Southern U.S., but it actually was written by an Englishman slave ship merchant... Read about it here.
I just watched the movie "Amazing Grace", which is a British film "based on the life of anti-slavery pioneer William Wilberforce" in England. It's an amazing true story about a man who fought for the abolition of slavery for years in the time between the American and French Revolutions. Highly recommend it. Youssou N'Dour (our favorite Senegalese singer- remember, I met him backstage at his concert in SF a few weeks ago) plays a slave who bought his freedom and helps provide evidence for the inhumanness of slavery with his personal account about coming across the ocean on a slave ship and all the horrors he witnessed.

I think it's pretty cool that the film makers chose a respected, world renowned African man to play the part of the African slave.

Goree Island, off the coast of Dakar, Senegal, was on of the ports for the slave trade...and a place most Senegalese don't like to visit unless they are among the small community that lives there. I visited the house of slaves when I was in Dakar- they kept the slaves there on Goree Island in insanely cramped quarters (while their captors lived lavishly in the spacious quarters above them) before they were taken to the ships where they would go across the sea to experience even more cramped-ness, suffering and despair...
It was powerful to link both sides of the story and learn about a few amazing people who fought to abolish slavery in England...

The door of No Return, House of Slaves, Goree Island, Senegal

The movie is a great history lesson, but also sheds light on the fact that slavery does still exist today, especially for children in places like SouthEast Asia. This site has a list of organization partners and those working the end modern day slavery once and for all. For all the teachers out there, they also include discussion guides to supplement the movie. Pretty cool.

Besides watching movies, latley I've been working on finding my quest (and a new job.)
I'm getting close! I'm making a video about my personal vision for my life, which I'm really excited about! I'm almost done and will post it soon!

I learned how to make the video from a great presentation I went to last Thursday by a guy named Malcom Cohan- he's a crazy enthusiastic guy from Australia that came up with this easy, yet incredibly profound and creative exercise that helps people find their purpose, or quest, and help make our dreams reality!
that's him--------------------->

I know, sounds kind of bizzare impossible and maybe you even feel a little skeptical.
But I promise, it's magical and it works! If you don't believe me, try it yourself.
Or if you do believe me, definitely try it yourself.

Even if you don't believe me, watch Malcom's vision video for humanity here.

Start making your own movie here- you need to register, then he gives you all the software, online tutorials, and instructions to create your very own vision video=your own personal expression for what you truly want out of life. It's totally free! Detailed instructions here.

Info about some of his initiatives to help chronically depressed, elderly, disadvantaged youth, etc, go here.

Let me know what you think!

Any of you that were making vision boards for New Years with me have got to try this!
This is truly magical!

If you do make a video, please share it! Once other people know what your vision is, we can help each other make our visions into reality!

Into the Wild...and right back out again.

So I'm in Utah- still!

The snow is beautiful, the roads are slippery, my friends and family are nice and fun.
I'm glad to be alive. I'm glad to have a break.

I have been having a nice time- look how beautiful it is here!

Sundial Peak and Lake Blanche, Big Cottonwood Canyon,
Wasatch Mountains, SLC, UT

Went snowshoing up this trail today with Jen, Mark, Lisa, and Cheryl:) So snowy!
(We didn't quite make it to the lake....)

Made some jewelry with mom.

I saw a great movie tonight with my aunt Janet- Into the Wild.
You should see it- I think you can rent it even.

You've probably heard of the book by Jon Krakauer

<-----------------------------------------------

(same guy that wrote Into thin air about Mt. Everest)


I haven't read it yet, but the movie was excellent as is the soundtrack
(songs by Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam).
This is Chris Candless, the real guy who lived in an abandoned bus in the Alaskan Wilderness...


His story reminded me a little bit of Glenn and my adventure this summer- it's great when you have nothing but you, your walkin feet, your pack and the kindness of strangers to keep you goin...

The message I got out of it is: we need to live our lives to the fullest with confidence and courage, overcoming fear and doubt by challenging ourselves to go out of our comfort zones, be spontaneous, and go on adventures!

I'm working on that.

As this year comes to a close, I am looking for a new job, a real one even- full-time with benefits. Scary thought I know. What about adventure?



It's hard to find the balance between having flexible work hours, having time to travel and adventure while having no dental insurance (current situation), and working 40 hours a week with benefits, but working five days a week, 8 hours a day and not having time to travel very much (full-time job reality).
Trading sponteneity and adventure for security and predictability.
hmmmmm...

Those loans, those teeth, those eyes, that rent and that food...I'd like to take care of those things.


There is a potential job here in SLC that I am considering, but not sure yet.
Tempting wilderness...plus cool friends and lots of family.

Am secretly hoping to find something in CA- I really like Oakland a lot! I've applied a few places.
On verra...
I think it would be good for me to work full-time for a year or two and take care of all those things, then save money for traveling and apply for some scholarships to do cool community building/art/environmental projects abroad. Maybe get a Master's eventually?

How's that for a plan? I'll work and then travel. Maybe I can just keep switching off?...

I want to write a New Year's post in a day or two with some of my goals and dreams and hopes for this next year.

In the meantime, here are some beautiful photos of Utah's mountains by David Whitten.


Big Cottonwood Creek, Wasatch Mountains, SLC, UT

Ridgeline between Little Cottonwood and Big Cottonwood Canyons,
Wasatch Mountains, SLC, UT

Twin Peaks and Dromedary, Big Cottonwood Canyon, Wasatch Mtns.

Big Cottonwood Canyon, Mt. Raymond and Gobbler's Knob

Snowmen, Sailing, Senegalese Singing and a Circus!

It's December already! I miss the snow.

(Save a Snowman!- "a fun, positive approach to solving the climate crisis. " Check em out.)

So Here's a little peek into my life:

I have 8 housemates. We need to find one more. We had a birthday party for Kat this weekend-and had lot of fun together. also lots of cleaning and cooking and eating and dancing:)

Kat is 24- happy birthday!

I live in a big beautiful, cold, drafty, un-insulated house.
I have a sink in my room, it doesn't work.
The air is getting colder outside and crisper. This comforts me somehow.

I guess I feel comforted that we still can distinguish between seasons with all this global warming and climate change happening. I admit that I love sunshine! And warm weather in October and November can be pretty nice...but it just doesn't feel right.



I've been working a lot. Good and bad. One of my jobs is working for an environmental non-profit called Earth Team, helping expand their Green News Online magazine- all for youth (middle school/high school). Really cool program.

My other job is helping do market research for my other boss (Allison's) husband for a little while to make some extra money and to bide time till we find funding for a cool experiential art exhibit we want to do about global warming and climate change...

I can finally pay off some of my bills, or taxes, as the case may be, but have not been exercising as much as I should. There's something wrong with this picture...our bodies are sacred and need to be taken care of, yet so often I deprive it and my mental well-being for "work."


I need to resolve this. It's important to take care of our bodies and souls- that's all we've really got when it comes down to it, isn't it sad that we neglect ourselves?
I think this might be a bigger society-wide problem...don't you think? Why do we work so much?

They don't work as long in Europe, and have longer vacations than us Americans in the U.S. ...Why?

I heard world-renowned singer Youssou N'Dour sing this weekend! for free! His voice is amazing! He's on Time's top 100 most influential people of the year, doing great things to help children, to fight aids and malaria through music. check out his webiste and hear some music.
(Let me know what you think, he's so popular in Senegal- people listen to him all the time on their stereos!)

Anyways, the concert started with everyone sitting in their chairs and ended with everyone out of their chairs and dancing- aisles full, dancers showing off their stuff on stage: dancing in provokative response to the drummer's beats. Very Senegal, so good. Then, we got to meet him back stage! A bit intimidating, but he was so laid back- we even got our picture with him!
And I got to speak Wolof and french with some of the band members which was really fun:)
I am inspired by the dancing- I want to take more West African dancing-so high energy and fun and free!....

On friday Glenn and his friend Brady finally left to sail to Mexico!! They went past the golden gate into open ocean for the first time and made it to Monteray Bay yesterday! They are hanging out there for a few days to wait out a storm before they continue...smart guys...Hopefully he'll get his own blog together soon, then you can read updates from him:)

I feel sad he's gone,

but so excited and happy and content all at the same time!

( I miss you Ella!)

He's traveling out of the country- that is an adventure that everyone needs to take- to find out more about themselves and the world. This makes me happy and excited for him. Tinge of jealousy, but way more happiness and excitement for him. I love traveling, and I'm glad to have had time to travel on my own....now it's Glenn's turn.

I'm going to have more Krystal time, which I'm excited about and need. I'm also excited to have more time to hang out with new friends, get some more work experience, do more art, more dance and find new things to do in the Bay.

This will be a good time for both of us.

The night before Glenn and Brady left, Caroline (Glenn's mama) treated us to Cirque de Soleil!
watch the video, so cool! It's a circus, but French Canadian style- can't get much better than that.

unicycle dancing duo

wheel of death- these guys are pumped with adreneline, lots of ego and lots of guts!

fastest moving hands I've ever seen, juggling 12 rings while bouncing a ball on his head and wearing a sliver suit! is he for real?

tight rope balancing act on bicycles!?- with a guy chillin in a chair on top...no problem!

balance balls- and people, and more balance balls, and more people- they just keep on stackin'

- watching this show made me awe at all the potential we humans have. it showcased a myriad of life's issues in a very physical way: humor, fear, love, passion, risk, balance, training, concentration, illusion, flexibility, passion, expression, creativity ...amazing. All with a live band and singer, amazing lights, crazy clowns all inside a big huge tent!

wow! really cool.
If you ever get a chance, scrounge up some cash and go!....

...So It's winter and I'm in california-

I got to go swimming with Caroline and hiking with my new friend Diana today- alhumdulilaay!

Joaquin Miller Regional Park in the Oakland Hills:)

This is right next the Mormon Temple, beautiful views of the bay.

All in all, Life is pretty good.

It's still weird to have no snow and flowers growing...It's Hibernation time- I'm ready to curl up by the fire and read books. And sleep.