Cleansing....

Summer is here! A sharp contrast to last week's light, silent snowflakes, the rattle of the present thunder relaying back and forth between the mountains, overshadowing for a brief moment, the splatter of the cold, fat raindrops is a reminder that the afternoon hikes have probably come to an end. These rejuvenating afternoon hikes of the past week, which have precluded me from updating anything, shall now be replaced with the lesson planning that I have been circumventing for the past month as well as the blogging.

So what have I experienced, learned, and grew from in the past week, you ask? TOO much to list off so I will keep it brief...
I have experienced real people and true friends new and even old. My hiking crew of Dawn, Mike, Katie, Joey, Joe, etc. are wonderful, positive additions to my life, that have brought me out of a shell that I have lived in for the past 2.5 years. From the moment my life changes began in December 2005, an outer wall was constructed allowing only a few, persistent people to conquer, and preventing me from being me. Internship, my travelling years at Whitney, and most recently the activities that surrounded my whirl-wind of a first year teaching in Fort Myers reinforced this all consuming barrier that has grown like a weed in the garden of living life. As long as it has stood, it has been demolished by this group at who knew "freedom" could feel so good?

I have learned that a social life it necessary, which is a lesson that began with my international, scuba-diving mermaid roomate who I truly do miss and cannot wait to share in all the fun ASAP!! I have learned that I hide behind commitments at times to exclude myself from the frivolity of comraderie back home and the thought of leaving here terrifies me (and I have a good number of weeks left to go). This chapter of my life is one that shall be of much significance as the author continues to pen it through their own life experiences. Will it be a perfect first draft? No, nor should it be as we learn and grow through both the negative and positive experiences we encounter.

My family is here right now and I am most fortunate to have the most understanding people as my support group. When the decision was made to move out here for the summer, I was eagerly anticipating their arrival, and even worked my schedule so I could spend every waking moment with them that I was not out of work. I now struggle to juggle this seemingly tentative new life with that of the old, with weekends and nights filled with hikes, and sleeping in my 1920 room versus the Air Conditioned, family filled home only a breathe away from the Y. I fear this is an unending battle that I face in the weeks to come as I want to savor as many moments as possible with all those important in my life.

Ok.. done with the poetic.. I know you are here for pictures ;-) Thank you for your interest in my life and experiences and I wish I could share this time with all of you~!!!