On The Road

Friday, 28. October, 2011, I finished my last day of the fall 2011 season on the island in Boston, MA.  I totally enjoyed my time in Boston and loved the work that we did.

After a great season, we had a super fun and amazing last night farewell party and we all headed off the island on the boat Saturday.  Sunday I hung out with Brooke...always amazing!  And Monday, Halloween, a friend, S, and I headed out on the road to Amherst, MA.

The road to Amherst was not as easy going as we had planned.  There was a lot of damage from a snow storm that left a lot of the area without power.  We took it slow and arrived safely.  We stayed with my friend, W, to celebrate his birthday.  It was really different to have a birthday party in an apartment with candles as light and blankets and jackets as heat.  It was a super time and was awesome to visit friends!

Today S and I headed south and met up with a friend I met in Austria in New Haven.  He studies music at Yale and it was just so amazing to be able to meet up with him after three or four years.  On the drive down from Mass it was so beautiful with all the leaves and changing colors of the trees.  So pretty.

After New Haven, if was off to our current location, New York!  Brooklyn to be exact.  My friend, R, whom I also met in Austria, lives here and is our host for the evening.  She took us out to see the city and walk around for a bit.  NYC is such a large, busy city.  I find it very similar to Chicago, but is also very different.  It was so fun to walk around, drink some fantastic (but very sweet) hot chocolate, check out different stores, and document everything with photos!  Such a great day and night!

So, S and I are out on the road making our way westerly.  We have no exact plans and are going as we drive.  Its been a great adventure already and I can't wait for what is to come next!  Hopefully I"ll be updating more over the next couple weeks so keep checking in!  Happy Late Halloween!!  Hello November!

Enjoying A Day Off

Working here on the island, it gets pretty busy.  There always seems to be a group or two here from an organizational club, church, school, etc.  Groups come for one day, two or even three.  We may have a group of 6th to 8th graders or a freshman class from a University here on the island. 

The cluster of folks that make their way here to the island by boat come for many reasons including ways to improve leadership, community, service, character development, or environmental knowledge in their students.  As staffers on the island, we work toward accomplishing these outcomes with different games, initiatives, low ropes, high ropes, scavenger hunts, or outdoor educational experiences such as seed discovery and salt marsh exploration.  Each day is different and each day brings new discoveries and challenges!

I love what I do here on the island, and I truly enjoy working with all the other instructors/facilitators/directors as well.  As fun as work can be, down time is always appreciated as well.  Not only have I found great co-workers on the island, but also great friends in general. 

When we have days off or extra personal time, many staffers head back to the mainland. But there are also times when we all seem to be here on the island together.  Dance parties spontaneously erupt in the kitchen, house movies are enjoyed by all in the lounge, group discussions are started in the quad out on the grass, or simple walks are taken around the beautiful place that we live.  There is rarely a moment to be bored or have nothing to do!

Besides sharing time together on the island, we do occasionally find time to gather in the city.  Recently a group dinner and grocery shopping trip was made, an afternoon farewell to a Ranger who helped with educational programs was organized, and even a night out on the town for dancing came together. 

The island brings people together to work towards building a brighter future for the youth of the greater Boston area.  But it also brings individuals together to form special friendships and unique bonds.  Its a great place to work and enjoy a day off. 

Burger and Egg on a Bagel...always tasty!

B and I out for a night of dancing!

BIG E

I know all about fairs-local, county, state, etc!  However, I'd never been to a fair that brings SEVEN different states for one big exposition!  The Eastern States Exposition, otherwise known as The Big E, is a near three-week long fair that showcases all the wonderfulness of New England and its states. 

Brooke and I made our way to Springfield, MA on a Sunday, the very last day of the fair.  We were able to meet up with the Brown family and have some local guidance to the exposition.  We visited the Brown family's goats, watched some sheep shearing demos, saw the butter sculptures, walked through trade show buildings, and enjoyed the parade at the end of the day.

 The parade was one of our favorites as it was filled so many historically influenced groups.  Also, there were groups with music or candy and even floats that the people threw out bead necklaces! 

Besides the parade and other activities, B and I found the individual state houses to be super wonderful.  Each New England state has its own building that they can dedicate all of their specialties and products from their state in one place.  Rhode Island is known for clam chowder, Massachusetts Dairy Industry offers tasty soft serve ice cream cones for $1, and New Hampshire has some of the best Kettle Corn.  Because each state is rather small and they all have similarities, many of the booths offered comparable products.  However, each state also had very different selections to promote that were unlike the others! 

You can barely tell, but they are making the corn in this little gazebo in a big drum using a wooden paddle!

 One of the big differences about The Big E compared to fairs in the Midwest was the small part that 4-H, FFA and agriculture had during the exposition.  After combining seven states, one would think that there would be a plentiful of youth programs and animal projects represented.  There was a nice building dedicated to the animal shows and another for crafts, sewing, photography and other projects.  Agriculture and the youth of New England were represented, however, there could have been so much more! 

Of course though, B did find a great friend in this wonderful gal who'd just been freed from her heavy fleece.  W thought she looked best after her wool cut with bunny ears!

 Oh, and B and I milked one of the Brown's goats! 

It was a great day at the fair!  It was a new experience and definitely a fun one!!