To everyone who has been checking here, again and again, only to find no news: my apologies and thank you for your patience. For all of our friends, family, and well-wishers, I am hereby reviving this blog.
I had music professors in college who called me "The Wanderer", a less than complimentary nod to persistent tardiness and dissipative focus (and a reference to a Franz Schubert piece). Now I feel proud to wear that badge, stitched to the center of my chest for all to see. Looking back over nearly three years of posts, reflecting on all the cultures, the landscapes and the people we encountered, I am a lucky man to have learned so much so quickly. Keep it coming. There's more planet to see.
As for my silence this fall... Danielle and I are forever optimists, not realists. A change of career, a change of scene, some income stability to open a new chapter in our lives -- it sounded good! In typical fashion, we underestimated everything about the transition: the epic cross-country drive, the not insignificant culture shock, the humidity, the loneliness of working and living apart the first few months, the demands of new workplaces, the difficulty finding reasonable housing, and on and on. Add to that Koa being badly wounded by an aggressive dog, and you'd forgive us for feeling unwelcome.
But all things ebb and flow, and on this balmy Christmas Eve I am happy to report, finally, that we are alive and well. And I dig the new job. I enjoy the students and have been busy crafting a number of ways to get them outside -- outside, literally, and way outside their work-a-day experiences. I am also happy to return to this blog, for it has always been an exercise in gratitude. Gratitude for this very unlikely life, for nature's terrifying diversity and dazzling splendor. I seldom write, for the public, unless my heart is brimming with stories and affection. Today I am feeling more muted, as this is normally a day for extended family, but I'm keen to see what awaits us in 2015.
It's that curiosity that continues to drive me and Danielle. There are standup paddleboards in place of a couch in our new apartment, and Christmas Day will find us camping somewhere remote and unusual. So, you can trust us to continue to amuse and surprise. And I hope that your curiosity leads you to keep checking in, to stay in touch.
Micah
I had music professors in college who called me "The Wanderer", a less than complimentary nod to persistent tardiness and dissipative focus (and a reference to a Franz Schubert piece). Now I feel proud to wear that badge, stitched to the center of my chest for all to see. Looking back over nearly three years of posts, reflecting on all the cultures, the landscapes and the people we encountered, I am a lucky man to have learned so much so quickly. Keep it coming. There's more planet to see.
As for my silence this fall... Danielle and I are forever optimists, not realists. A change of career, a change of scene, some income stability to open a new chapter in our lives -- it sounded good! In typical fashion, we underestimated everything about the transition: the epic cross-country drive, the not insignificant culture shock, the humidity, the loneliness of working and living apart the first few months, the demands of new workplaces, the difficulty finding reasonable housing, and on and on. Add to that Koa being badly wounded by an aggressive dog, and you'd forgive us for feeling unwelcome.
But all things ebb and flow, and on this balmy Christmas Eve I am happy to report, finally, that we are alive and well. And I dig the new job. I enjoy the students and have been busy crafting a number of ways to get them outside -- outside, literally, and way outside their work-a-day experiences. I am also happy to return to this blog, for it has always been an exercise in gratitude. Gratitude for this very unlikely life, for nature's terrifying diversity and dazzling splendor. I seldom write, for the public, unless my heart is brimming with stories and affection. Today I am feeling more muted, as this is normally a day for extended family, but I'm keen to see what awaits us in 2015.
It's that curiosity that continues to drive me and Danielle. There are standup paddleboards in place of a couch in our new apartment, and Christmas Day will find us camping somewhere remote and unusual. So, you can trust us to continue to amuse and surprise. And I hope that your curiosity leads you to keep checking in, to stay in touch.
Micah
Enjoying the Gulf shore.
Exploring the water-logged mangroves.
Encountering the denizens of Florida's pine flatwoods and hardwood hammocks.
Harvesting the sun's bounty. A warm retirement for Koa, and handfuls of oranges.
A subtropical Christmas; the tide's delicate ornaments.
Happy New Year everyone!
