Back like a Bad Habit

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack........!

............on my own blog.

Okay, so it's not very impressive. I say I'm back like a "bad habit" because I have a bad habit of starting blogs, maintaining them for a few months, forgetting about them, coming back to them, deleting thing, starting new ones... you get the idea. I decided to come back to this one because it already exists and I don't feel like making another one. It was intended to just be a blog about my summer in the woods, but why not just continue along? I'm still in the woods, sometimes.

That being said, I feel like I need a new name. It's not summer, and I'm writing this from downtown Boston.. sooo... suggestions, please!

Here are some highlights since my return from the woods:

• ROAD TRIP & GUNS. Immediately after my season ended, I went to Pennsylvania with Adam to spend some time at his grandparent's house. Major highlight: I shot a gun for the very first time.

Terrifying / Kinda fun

• I GOT A REAL OFFICE SPACE. I started my new position with MassLIFT-AmeriCorps (Massachusetts Land Initiative for Tomorrow), where I am the Community Engagement Coordinator for the Bay Circuit Trail at the Appalachian Mountain Club until the beginning of August, 2015. Try saying that 10 times fast. Next time someone asks me what I do I'll just throw a business card at them and tell them to figure it out themselves. It's great, though. The transition period was a little rough, but thankfully I had a little while to get settled before our AmeriCorps orientation at Harvard Forest in Petersham, MA.  It was an intensive week of orientation to all things MassLIFT-AmeriCorps. There was a lot to wrap my head around, and I'm still trying to do so a month and a half later. We also attended the Land Trust Alliance Rally in Providence, RI, and were able to attend really cool workshops relating to our service.

Walking tour of Harvard Forest

So official!


• I WALK AROUND THE WOODS A LOT. Most of September was spent orienting myself to my new position, meeting lots of new faces at the AMC, connecting with people in the Trails Dept. that I knew from my position this summer, and learning the ropes of the Bay Circuit. This meant many field visits where I met people of importance (regional reps, long-term volunteers, etc.) and walked around the woods with them. October finally saw the start of some of my projects. I will complete 6 "capacity building" projects in my service year here, and once the groundwork was laid out I was able to progress on some of those projects. I still feel as though I'm orienting myself, but now I'm orienting myself in these projects, not just in my position as a whole. My time is split about 50/50 in the office and in the field - not too shabby. I have had the opportunity to meet many fun, quirky, dedicated folks, as well as see parts of Massachusetts I would never have otherwise. I've also really ENJOYED the hidden gems of Eastern Massachusetts, something I never thought I would say. Don't worry New Hampshire, I still love you so much harder.

Taken on a scouting hike at Walden Pond

•  FALL IS HERE.... though the weather of September and much of October didn't feel like it. It's finally cooling off! I made it up to New Hampshire to peep the leafs along the Kanc, as well as go apple picking and see the sites of the Deerfield Fair.

Apple picking at Lull Farm

Giant pumpkins at Deerfield Fair

• EMMA KEEPS GROWING UP. Why do kids get old so fast?! Jeesh. Emma turned 6 in early September and started 1st grade. She rides the bus, for goodness sake! I can't believe how time has flown by. We celebrated her birthday with a My Little Pony rainbow cake in our yard with family friends.

Her reaction will go down in history

 

•  I LIVE IN AMONGST THE WEALTHY. Two poor people, namely Adam and I, weaseled their way into Newton. We have been enjoying the new neighborhood in a more "grown up" apartment. Things are finally settling down from the move, and we hosted our first potluck for our REI buddies.

So much food!

• WE FINALLY WENT HIKING. I say that I hike a lot for my job, but really I'm walking on flat ground in the woods. It's lovely, and it's not uncommon to hike 5+ miles at a time, but it doesn't carry the allure of higher peaks. Adam and I finally got our butts up to the Whites and hiked Pierce and Eisenhower on a beautiful day.

Summit of Mt. Pierce

• MY KNEE EXPLODED. Kind of. I took a full swinging step that landed my knee cap square against a giant metal demon on the side of the dumpster for my building. All seemed well aside from a generally sore knee, but things have gotten worse in the past few days. I got X-Rays last night and luckily nothing is chipped or cracked, but I do have some fluid build up in my knee that may need to get drained if it gets worse. Not a huge deal, but it's potentially making me sit out the trip to Mt. Washington we have planned for this Monday. Booooo.

So continues my knee injury saga

And that's what my life has been since I left the woods of the Berkshires. I don't expect to update this nearly as much as I would like to, but I hope to maintain it as I progress in my new position. Happy trails!