Time Off

I return to blogging after some time off.

I apologize to my faithful audience, I will be more consistent. I do like the blog as a form and now more than ever I have the time and the motivation to spread my digital footprint and contribute something to the NSA's Utah Data Center, so here goes...

Some people post to facebook or twitter or instagram or whatever every few minutes, I choose to occasionally write a blog. The idea is to be more informative, but I can not help become self-reflective and sometimes personal here as well.

Since last July, I have been without full time work. As I look around to my closest friends, most are married and hold a secure job, many are starting families [anyone else sickened by the barrage of babies on the facebook - I mean I am happy for all of my friends that want to start a family, but I also see my brother's view that what is so great about adding another mouth to feed and another consumer to this world anyway...] and buying (or bought) a house, and there just seems to be a bunch of symbols of stability and certainty around.

Not for me.

I am in another place. Currently without many of these things, but still content. Sometimes I look to other 30 somethings like Paula in Argentina or the minimalists for comfort, and sometimes I just mope. And then there is affluenza -- at least I am not in danger of contracting that!

I am also slowly turning the page to begin again lately as I gain some experience in the adventure travel/ tourism/ outdoor education sector. I have always wanted to guide since my summer with RK and Wigger Mullins' Trails Wilderness School in Kelly, Wyoming.

So in closing, for whatever reason, I feel as though I have to do some listing...over a year since I have really checked in though... so, let's see. I have:  (not in chronological or any particular order)

• finished a masters program - yea grammar in context!
• taught year two of Language and Literature IB diploma program to a group of largely ungrateful privileged teens in a school with an administration more concerned with keeping the status quo and social structure of the school intacted than helping and training international teachers and resolving conflicts with students / parents --- (WOW, over five months ago and I suppose I am still a little bitter)
• tutored some extremely grateful brothers some English and two students the GRE and GMAT exams -- fun to get back into the academic/ lesson planning/ beating the test metality - expecially when the students appreciate what you are doing.. much more rewarding (note about me as a teacher: as I apply to elite international schools: the important thing to do to get the students to appreciate you and to respect you is that YOU - I mean me - have to respect and feel confident in yourself and that the students should appreciate your work because you are doing something meaningful in their lives - I got down on myself as a teacher in the last few years and I am starting to gain my professional confidence again and it feels good)
• split with my girlfriend who continues to work at the school
• studied for and pass the Spanish DELE Exam, level B1 - five years of living in Ecuador and I made it to lower intermediate ... hmmmm
• applied to guide jobs, international teaching jobs, and more
• got PUBLISHED at the matador network.. now ALL I have to do is finish that Ecuador story too!
• had and amazing, rejuvenating, perspective getting, family seeing visit to PA (and the northeast) in the fall

• gone on some trips with pedal for change and rayna
• biked over 720 km down the Ecuadorian coast
• guided a group of eleven middle schoolers to some of the most amazing coastal preserves in Ecuador

the farmhouse