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Posts from the ‘US’ Category

Aug 31

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Arrival in Doha

After finally making it to NYC yesterday and delivering my uncle’s passport, I went to Brooklyn for the afternoon to spend time with another  aunt and uncle.  We went to the brooklyn bridge park and walked along the water front with views of the Manhattan skyline and the statue of liberty in the distance.  Quite the nostalgic view for my departure from the country.

Big shout out to Ed and Hillary for feeding me and getting me to the airport – it made for a relaxing departure – seeing as my mind was far from relaxed.  to-do lists, running through what was in my pack and what was not…  my mind was full.   Then, the full gravity of what i am doing and where i am going hit me when i got in the Qatar Airways line.  I quickly could tell that i was not like the others.  I definitely was the only dirt bag in line, with my chacos and my backpack.  I recieved lots of stares from the predominantly indian and middle eastern crowd – men and women mostly dressed in salwar kameezes (is that the plural form?).

On the screen, it showed where we were in real time and how that corresponded to day/night.  I seem to have bypassed wednesday – I will depart for Kathmandu in a few hours (and by few – i really mean about 4).  The Doha airport seems to be mostly centralized around a huge duty free shopping area – it even includes a car!  All the signs are written in arabic with an english translation below.  Men are walking about in traditional arabic dress, long white flowing gowns and checkered head-dresses.  There are some women in burkhas.  I am trying not to stare, though I am intrigued.

I had dreams about school on the flight over – thinking of everyone at Ren, hoping the first day was awesome.  And hoping all the alums are starting school and doing great.  much love everyone — next time i will check in from kathmandu!

Aug 30

I don’t like you, Irene.

Besides the craziness of the flooding in NY and Vermont, Irene is messing with my life more than I would like.

I weathered the storm with my fabulous friends Matt and Jess – good food, good tv and some fun walks in the wind and rain.   Plus I got to say goodbye (again and again) to Jess (other Jess) and Brant – which was super nice.  Prolonged goodbyes seemed to make saying goodbye not as hard (because each time I said goodbye, it seemed I would be making plans to hang out again).

The new plan was to drive to Albany today to meet up with my father (because all train service was canceled – so he was going to take a bus).  But on my way to Albany, he called to say that buses were not running either.  so some guy was driving him and a few others who were trying  to get to the area….

Fast forward a few hours and they were still trying to get around the floods.  I was sitting at the Albany area, stressing about packing.  Finally, he called to say there was no way around and they were headed home.  So, I headed to my mom’s house – sad that I did not get to say goodbye to my dad.

There was fear that i would not be able to get into the city — flooding, trains and buses out — but good ol’ Metro North is up and running, so that is helpful.  So, I  will take a train into the city and then head to JFK.

sounds smooth, right?

Nope, not yet.  My aunt called — my uncle left his passport in upstate NY, he is in the city and he flies out tomorrow.  So, I am headed back to Albany, pick up the passport and then headed into the city.

good times.

oh, and everything  (which seemed like not all that much) is NOT fitting in my bag….  this is making for an exciting everning…..

Aug 28

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Irene….

My plan was to head to New York today to see my mom, have dinner with my grandfather and then meet up with my dad tomorrow before heading to the airport for my 11:30 pm flight (sunday evening)…..  that was my plan until Irene asserted her will with 80+ mph winds….

Now, I am unclear on when I will leave Northampton.  I am meeting up with my dad on Monday morning for the car swap and then I fly out of NYC on Tuesday evening, arriving in Nepal on the morning of the 1st — two days after the original plan and a day after Katherine arrives.

At first, this morning, I felt frustrated.  I want to leave – or rather – I want my adventure to begin.  I have been staying with friends all week, I haven’t fully packed yet, I am living out of my car.  I am ready for some semblance of normalcy (or at least living out of a backpack versus out of my messy car).  i don’t want to loose out of any time in Nepal.  I want to get out there!  But – I am fairly powerless in setting my own schedule against a hurricane.

Irene is reminding me to take everything in stride.  I could be stranded at some developing world airport without any friends in sight.  I could be in a lot worse places than with dear friends sharing a great meal, waiting to see how irene will impact us tonight.  I will get to Nepal this week, I will get myself packed and ready to go and I will begin my adventure (or wait, did it already begin?)

So, thanks Irene – thanks for reminding me to let go of my expectations and just jump on for the ride.

Aug 24

Outward Bound

I just finished instructing an awesome outward bound course with 9 awesome young adults and a great co-instructor.  I had 22 days to hike and paddle the mountains and lakes of Maine and while I felt really present in my time out there, I did spend some time thinking about my next expedition.

We spent some time talking about the history of Outward Bound – and how Kurt Hahn wanted to created a school that helped people realize their potential through challenge, both physically and mentally.  He believed that through adversity we learn what we were made of.

The name Outward Bound comes from the term used for ships heading out of the safety of their harbor into unknown waters.

I think that I am outward bound.

Jul 28

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what now?

really quick update….

I have moved out of my apartment, all of my stuff is either being used by the person subletting, in storage or in my car.  My car is full of clothes for course, clothes to bring on my trip and clothes and gear to be sent to Argentina for climbing.  And there are a lot guidebooks in the back.

I leave for my 22-day outward bound course on saturday.  out until august 20th.

then 8 days later, I get on a airplane.

hard to believe it is all happening…..

Jun 27

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A different identify

When I had a dog, I loved being a dog-owner.  Besides missing my hiking-traveling-frisbee-road-trip-backpacking companion, when I had to put my dog to sleep, it was strangest to get use to not being a ‘dog-owner’ any more.  For so long, I had a been a ‘dog-owner’.  That was who I was.  I was the person who went home to walk my dog.  I was the person who took their dog hiking.  I was a person with a dog.  And then… suddenly, I wasn’t.  I was a bit lost those first couple of weeks.  Who was I?  What was my new identity?

Right now, I kind of feel that way.  The school year is over.  No more teaching, no more grading, no more planning and rushing to the copier first thing in the morning to prep for class.  No more 5:15 runs going over the lesson plans in my head.  That has been my identity for the past 5 years.  Teacher.  Renaissance.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I am quite alright to not have any more grading.  But, now the question is – what is my new identity?

traveler?  explorer?  itinerant?  vagabond?  wanderer?

Two months until departure.  Just sayin’…..

Jun 7

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Dedication

This blog is dedicated to my crew and all my students at the amazing Springfield Renaissance School!

Last night was our second graduation.  Second year of 100% college acceptance.  I am so proud of our accomplishments and so proud to be a founding teacher at this school.  As I tell my crew of my travels, I hope that they will travel with me next year.

Each day, I ask of my students to dig deep, think deep, question the world, each other and to push themselves.  Now it is time that I do the same.

In the letter I wrote to my crew, I included this Mark Twain quote which speaks to me and is what I hope my crew learns from my adventures next year!

“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Jun 4

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Bucket Lists


This post is dedicated to Lindsay and Sarah.

When I was in India a few summers back on a summer-teacher-sabbatical with two friends who also happened to be colleagues, I remember sitting in our room during a home-stay trek we were on.  We were in the top floor of the one-house ‘village’, listening to the monk chant in the other room, and playing with the ‘village’ child.  From our room, we had a view of Stok Kangri, the highest mountain in Ladakh and later watched the moon rise above the mountain.  It was a crystal blue day, one of those high alpine days that make me love the mountains.

Not sure how or why we started, but we each started to make a life list.  You know, the things you jot down that you hope some day you will do.  The big dreams.  Now, 3 years later – I realize that all 3 of us have been able to manifest many of our dreams.  This upcoming year I will be living so much of my life list (trek in the andes, climb a 20,000 ft. peak, travel for 6 or more months, trek in the himalayas, learn Spanish by immersion).  And the really fun think about bucket lists?  There’s always more to dream.

What’s on your life list?

May 29

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Introduction to Planet Aurora

I leave in 3 months.  There is so much to do in that time – bags to pack, shots and meds to be taken, bank accounts to be sorted out, sell my car, pack up my stuff.  Sometimes it is a little overwhelming pulling together all the details.  But then I think – oh yeah, in 6 months, I will be climbing Aconcagua.  Or maybe, in 3.5 months I will be trekking in Nepal.  And the stress and anxiety fades into the background just a little.

So, here are the details….

I leave on August 28th and fly to Nepal.  There I will meet up with my good friend Lisa from college who lives there and my good friend Katherine will be arriving the next day.  Katherine and I plan on trekking while in Nepal.  Right now, we are deciding between the Annapurna Circuit or the 3-passes trek.  Both sound amazing.  Maybe we can do them both….

Katherine is in Nepal for 6 weeks and I do not have a set itinerary other than flying out of Delhi, India on December 18th.  At some point, I will make my way to India.  After spending a month there a few years ago, I know I want to go back and explore more – though hard to choose where!  Varanasi, Calcutta, Rajasthan, Chandigarh…. the list goes on and on.

But, on Dec. 16th, I will fly to Thailand for a 5 day lay-over on my way to Vietnam.  I know it is super short – but I bet I can eat a lot of really good thai food in those 5 days.

Then I arrive in Vietnam for 2 weeks.  I plan on going to the Mekong Delta, Da Lat for the mountains, Nha Trang for the beaches, and Hoi An.  New Year’s on the beach?  sure, sounds good.

Jan. 6th I depart for Buenos Aires, Argentina.  I arrive on the 7th to meet up with friends in order to attempt a climb of Aconcagua (one of the 7 summits).   Between traveling to Mendoza for food, supplies and permits and then being on the mountain – our hope is to be back in Mendoza in late January/early February, drinking fabulous Argentinian wine, celebrating our successful and safe climb!

From there, I plan to head to Patagonia for some trekking and more climbing.  And here is where the plans start to get a little up in the air….  I know that I want to travel north up the Andes, eventually to Peru.  Somewhere in there I hope to volunteer and go to language school.  And lots more climbing and trekking.  And Salar de Uyuni.  Huayhuash Circuit.  Cordilla Real.  The list goes on and on….

I don’t have a return ticket yet, though I will be making that decision sometime in the next few months.  Most likely the end of May, beginning of June.  My budget is tight for next year and I will need to return for work (school?  Outward Bound?  World Challenge?)

So, there you have it friends….  that is the plan.

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