So here’s what I’m thinking…
Either I really need to move to Vermont or I follow [on twitter & blogs] way too many people who live in Vermont. 
I’ve always had this thing for New England. The allure of rolling hills, mountains, roads that aren’t straight, family fun, history, and the love of simpler things I just can’t ignore. That’s one of the reasons I moved out here for school. Now school is over and I can move wherever I want. I’m drawn to Vermont and Colorado.
Vermont is a little more appealing because its closer to Boston. A lot of my college friends are from the East Coast so it would be more likely to see them in the future if I also lived here. I have family who live in Colorado. Family is a really great thing to have close by for a lot of different reasons and I miss living anywhere near them here in Boston. Sure I still talk to them on a regular basis but there are a lot of perks of having a family nearby.
Now, Colorado has bigger mountains, that is for sure. With bigger mountains comes bigger resorts with more tourists and thus more business. Vermont is all about localism. They have all these protections built in for small businesses. You’ll find a lot of people concerned with eating local/organic and visiting the farms their food comes from. Coloradans do similar things but its fewer of them. Colorado has a major metropolitan area (Denver). The largest city in Vermont is Burlington which, from my experience, was just like Boulder, CO.
Colorado Springs is the epicenter for evangelical churches. Vermont doesn’t have this. Vermont has old churches with white steeples. There are a ton of small communities, few stop lights, and much of it is rural. Oh wait, Colorado is like that too.
Now you see where my predicament lies. I’m applying for full time positions in both states with the hope that someone will give me a chance. In either place I’d have to make a lot of new friends. I’d also get the excitement of discovering things to do, cool places to ride my bike/run/hike (I would hike if there were mountains for me to hike on). Really either state would be a cool place to spend some of my time. The idea right now is that my apartment lease ends in August and maybe I should just proactively move to one of these states and then find a job. This is what I would call a leap of faith and that terrifies me. I would so much rather have a plan but I’m learning the life lesson that a lot of things can’t be planned.
Everyone I follow on Twitter or blogs enjoys Vermont although they seem to find it boring from time to time. They do get out there and try to find fun things to do. On the one hand, this might just be a trait of a person who likes to blog or microblog regularly but on the other hand, it might just be an awesome place to live.
What do you think?
Simple Saturday
Saturday was exciting. I thought I was going to have a relaxing day reading, catching up on the blogs I follow, and riding my bike over to Cambridge to check out the early Bastille Day celebrations. Boy was I wrong! Storms rolled in as expected in the early afternoon. The temperature immediately cooled which was quite appreciated after days and days of 90 degrees with high humidity. Since I was planning to leave soon to ride my bike and my plans had been foiled, I decided to go get drenched outside. I put on my rain jacket for good measure but it didn’t end up helping me out too much.
We ended up having flashflooding all along my street. It was funny at first because I’ve never seen such a thing. Watching the drivers decide to drive through or just park was quite entertaining. My roommate and I also talked to our neighbors on the stoop while we watched this weather episode. I walked down the street because it looked like there were waves at the end. Down the street is slightly lower than where I live and it also happens to be at the bottom of two hills (the other hill is closer to my apartment). Thus, this area at the end of the street had very deep water.
There was a basement apartment at the end of the street. The steps that led down to it were filled with water all the way to the top of the door handle. Not only was there water but also mulch. Our street has mulch all the way up and down and it was actually just put in a couple weeks ago. There was mulch all over the street. Back to the basement apartment. The residents were stuck inside with water coming in under the door. We communicated with them through their small window. We asked them if they had any buckets or trash cans. Then we started to get the water from inside the little stairwell out onto the street. This took 3 people 10 minutes to vigorously complete (only 2 people could stand in the stairwell at a time). It was good to help them out even though we didn’t know them.
In just a short time after that, the rain stopped and the sun came out. The water drained from the street. This whole episode occurred in about an hour. This is why I sarcastically say this was a simple Saturday.
Poignant piece by the New York Times
Check out this article from the New York Times:
For a New Generation, an Elusive American Dream
This is an article about Scott Nicholson, a recent college graduate with a liberal arts degree from Colgate, who is trying to find a job. He finds it difficult. He’s picky about the kind of job he’s willing to work but he has the means and the support of his family to stick to the search for something great. The article really plays up the differences each generation (Scott, his father, and his grandfather) dealt with when finding that first job. Apparently millennials, those of us age 18-29, are very optimistic now (because of our nurturing boomer parents) but we will make safe moves for the rest of our careers and earn 8-10 percent less. We are more risk-averse than other generations. We would rather have a steady job than take a better paying job that might not pan out in the long term. I don’t know what exactly the journalist is trying to say with this title. My American dream isn’t to become rich and famous, its to live a happy life where I’m able to support myself and do the things I love to do.
But back to the meat and potatoes of the article. At first I draw some similarities to Scott and myself. We both have supportive families, we both did well in school, we both expect a lot from ourselves, and we both think that things will turn out for the best in the future. But then I really got to thinking and there are a lot differences. For example, my family won’t support me financially for two years out of school. No way! I would much rather find financial independence. One of the many reasons I graduated early is due to my desire to live on my own, on my own terms. Like Scott, when my apartment sublet agreement ends August 31st, I will try not to move home. I’m hoping to have something lined up by the first week of August but in the job search, its not all up to me. I would move home if I had something lined up for the winter and there was a set timeline for me being there. For example, if I work the winter season at a resort, I would move home for September- November and then start work in late November. I would certainly save money that way and I could live at home for two and half months without going crazy. But honestly, I don’t think my family would want me home for even that long though (haha). I would try to find a short term job during that time too. If it comes down to mid-August and I don’t have a job lined up, I’ll set my sights on the mountains. I’ll reassess when that time comes.
While Scott is holding out for a big corporate gig that will put him on a career track, I expect to bounce around a bit in the beginning. I want to spend 2-3 years working at a particular job. That’s enough time to dig in and really form an opinion. In the U.S. cradle to grave doesn’t exist much anymore so it is a normal path to bounce around to gain experience.
Basically, what I got out of this article is that not much has changed since 2008. It’s discouraging, but I will continue work hard and to differentiate myself. Thankfully, some employers have gotten back to me and I’m scoring some interviews. Wish me luck!
Yvon Chouinard knows whats up. He’s making the best out of what he has created. Watch this interview with the founder of Patagonia about how he’s made his business more sustainable. He realized that formaldehyde covered all of his clothes and made the switch to organic. Not everyone would make such a change. This youtube video created by Seventh Generation is split in thirds; one third information about the garment industry, one third mission statement, and one third advertisement for Patagonia. Once you see it, the advertisement kind of melts away and you’re left thinking. That’s right, thinking! I’m thinking about how I can change my ways, how I can get others to see this and also change their ways, and how I can incorporate some of these practices into my business (if I ever own one).
If you liked this, watch the documentary 180* South (check out the trailer here). It’s a great documentary about Jeff Johnson, a climber and surfer, who found the footage of Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins’ 1968 trip to Patagonia. In ’68, they bought a van and drove from California down to Chile. In 2009 into 2010, Jeff started on a boat from Seattle and then their mast broke so they spent a month on Easter Island repairing it. This is not something you write, this is something only real life can throw at you. I recommend you see this documentary (available on Instant View on Netflix). Its a captivating film which is difficult to say about a lot of movies today. The soundtrack is bomb too featuring Jack Johnson, Ugly Casanova, James Mercer, and Mason Jennings (buy it on Amazon for only $7.99).
It reminds me a little bit of “Into the Wild.” Even though I don’t surf or climb mountains, I can relate to the climbers’ love of their surroundings because that’s how I feel about the mountains in the winter. I have this feeling like I need to get out there and live in the mountains as soon as possible. I’m currently working on securing a job at a mountain somewhere so that I can live this dedicated life along with only purchasing (or accepting “free stuff”) items I really need and that will last a long time.
Another similar message is The Story of Stuff. A friend forwarded this to me a couple years ago and it resonated with me. The information was presented in a way that really made sense and helped me move forward in my quest to leave a smaller environmental footprint. Do what you can and question what you’re told.
Update on Project 365
I finally updated my Project 365 photos on Flickr. Here’s the latest:
Check out some of the other photos I’ve taken in the past 10 days. This is one of my favorites:
I kind of wish I took more photos while working backstage at the Dew Tour but I know I wouldn’t be able to post them anyway. Some results from the Dew Tour from the Fuel TV website. I feel like the memories will last. Those were the best days I’ve had working ever. So many great stories, so many small moments of success. Thank you to everyone I met and worked with!
Cool article
Found a cool article about female longboarders in NYC. Check it out here: http://business.transworld.net/39209/features/the-women-of-brooklyns-homage-and-bustin-boards-skate-shops/?cmpid=enews0628
