It is True What They Say

September 30, 2010

One thing that I really enjoy about the place that I am at is the great amount of variety that I have the opportunity to participate in. These past two weeks were a prime example.

Tuesday the 21^st: Teach 2^nd graders about trees – twice

Wednesday the 22^nd: Teach 4^th graders about trees

Thursday The 23^rd: Teach 4^th graders about trees again, teach college students about challenge course facilitation

Friday the 24^th: Leave for a surf trip in SC with college students

Sunday the 26^th: Return from Surf Trip

Tuesday the 28^th: Teach Kindergardeners about Insects

Thursday the 30^th: Teach college students again about challenge courses

I am surprised I had a voice left after it all. With everything jammed together with little prep time, sometimes I am amazed that it all works. Laura was a huge part of the environmental education pieces coming together. She has the background for it and experience to knock it out of the park. I was really just her assistant. But to experience something like that, with such intensity, I can easily walk away testifying that the old saying is true – if you want to learn something, teach it. I learned more about trees in that week then I had ever learned before.

And in the middle of it all I got to go surfing and see old friends in SC. Was it absolutely exhausting? Yes, no doubt about that. Was it rewarding? No question. It was worth it.

Number 49

September 5-16, 2010

Yes, I have just meet one of my life goals, crossed another thing off of my ever growing bucket list. The goal: go to all of the 48 lower-continental United States before the age of 30. At age 29 on September 6, 2010 it happened. I crossed the Minnesota state line, my 49^th state.

The reason for driving all the way from Collegedale, TN to Ely, MN: class. Yup, that’s right. For my graduate intensive this semester, 8 of us piled into the Excursion and drove 30 hours to Ely, MN where were spent 6 days in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

The preparation for the was a little bit stressful as the Seliga canoe #20 has to be ready to return to its home at Camp Widjiwagen. I was over at Nelson’s hours before our departure to finish some of the final touches and load the trailer.

The trip as a whole was much more relaxed compared to the last intensive. The wilderness country was so peaceful and untouched. We say bald eagles almost everyday. With little rain, our group of nine maneuvered the lakes and rivers well as a different person was the leader each day. We covered almost 50 miles total including close to 5 miles of portaging.

Because the Boundary Waters are a formation of a bunch of little lakes, many of the islands have to be traveled on foot. Granted the distance wasn’t too long at once but our gear was not exactly light. The Seliga canoe weighed in at 88 pounds dry. For a person of my stature, every step was conscience and I walked along a rocky trail with a 17-foot canoe on my shoulders. The team effort that surfaced happened quickly as we found our rhythm. With three people to a canoe, one would take the canoe, one would take one pack and tent, and the other would get a pack and the paddles. Most of the time as person could carry the canoe the whole way. But when the portage was long, we used techniques we learned to switch without setting the canoe down. For the proper etiquette with a wood-canvas canoe is that the bottom of the canoe can only touch water and air. Never should the bottom of the canoe touch the ground. This meant that when we approached land, our feet always got wet as we stepped out of the canoe before it could hit the ground.

With the wolfs hollowing in the distance, I would lay in bed at night with the satisfaction that I had everything I needed after all long day of physical activity. And then in the very early ours of the morning, be woken up to go catch a glimpse of the northern lights was an amazing treat. Another experience crossed off of my list. I look forward to the days ahead when more of those goals are reached.