On the road again: late September to early December

As I write this, I'm visiting a good friend in Raleigh, N.C. on the later part of my latest road trip. More on that soon.

Last time I wrote, I was preparing to go to a meditation course, visit San Francisco and move out of my apartment. All of that happened.

The meditation course was rewarding and difficult and interesting and many other things. It was probably the single most useful ten-day thing I've done in my life. I got a much better sense of the ways different things have been affecting my life unconsciously (cravings, fear, aversion) and now feel like I have much more choice and peace around what I do and what happens in my life.

Visiting San Francisco was lovely. I got to see a bunch of people I like, do some two-steppin', see Sweeney Todd (again, and yes, I'm looking forward to the movie), face some fears (like acupuncture) and just walk around and enjoy the city. There are things I miss about the place, and I do feel like I really like being in a city with lots of people around and things happening, though I don't feel like I made a mistake moving away from San Francisco.

I packed up my apartment and put my stuff into storage (again) and then went to do a couple weeks of volunteer work at the meditation center where I took my course. I ended up with a couple of manager positions, most interestingly being kitchen manager of six or seven volunteers for about ten days. Challenging and rewarding work, plus three or so hours of meditation a day.

Thanksgiving was celebrated with mom in Burlington, which was pleasant. Then I headed south for a US Rowing convention in Miami which happened this past weekend. I'm now a certified rowing coach and got more ideas about how to find and set up touring rowing, which is something I've wanted to do for years but hadn't actually done anything about besides think. Now I have much more specific knowledge for when I have the time to start doing things about it. And I feel quite confident about coaching rowing, at least beginning to early intermediate rowers for technique, which is another thing I've wanted to do since shortly after I first learned to row.

On the way to and from the conference, I visited Hershey, Penn., Raleigh and Asheville, N.C., Pigeon Forge, Tenn., St. Agustine, Orlando, Miami and Miami Beach, Fla., and Charleston, S.C. I was disappointed I didn't get to see friends who used to live in the south (they've moved), but happy to visit new places. I was most impressed and want to go back to St. Agustine, Miami Beach, Great Smoky Mountains, and Charleston. I was also happy to finally see the Cirque du Soleil show La Nouba at Downtown Disney in Orlando. Again, my favorite act was a trampoline act, and that got me wanting to get back to trampoline classes.

Coming up, I'm heading back up the east coast to visit people and places around Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York city, and then back to Vermont. Over New Year's there's a retreat in New Mexico I'd like to attend. Next spring there are interaction design conferences in Cape Town and Florence that I'm making plans for, and considering spending time volunteering in Cape Town, unless some work with start-ups I know about pans out soon.

End of summer in New Hampshire

It's just past the equinox, the days are noticeably shorter and the leaves are starting to turn and fall, and the chill in the air reminds me of San Francisco.

August was a full and busy month for me, with a bit over a week of assisting at retreats in upstate New York, followed immediately by a two-week home design/build class (architecture and construction for laypeople) at a school in Vermont called Yestermorrow. All of that was really excellent (I ended up with good new friends and a cottage plan) and really exhausting. On top of all that, I was figuring out how to deal with my kaput car. I did catch up on sleep, and my car has a replacement engine.

After a fair amount of reflection (and a bit of agonizing), I've decided to move on from this part of New England. The small town life is lovely, but doesn't feel right for me just now. I'm not sure where I'll end up next (though Boston is pretty appealing), but I'm going to make my professional design work the main driver for what I do next, whether its paid work or volunteering, in New England or somewhere far away.

Before I move on, though, I'll be going to a silent 10-day Vipassana meditation retreat in Western Massachussetts, followed by a trip to San Francisco to visit friends and see a couple of shows. Then back to pack up and who knows...

Catch-up for May, June and July

I missed my goal of posting once a month the last couple months, so this is a bit of catch-up for the last three months.

Highlights:

Dartmouth 15-year reunion, which I could walk to now that I live in town, and during which I got to see a bunch of people I don't get to see much, and a couple people I hadn't seen since graduation, which was a nice surprise.

Rowing four mornings a week with the Upper Valley Rowing Foundation in late June and most of July. It was nice to row with skilled rowers and get some of the really great feeling of rowing well together and feeling the boat move smoothly and swiftly from our effort. I'm getting close to buying a multi-use rowing boat of my own shortly. More about that when it actually happens.

A weekend trip to Pittsburgh to see a couple of friends performing (Clapping Music and a boozy Twelve Days of Christmas were highlights) in Pittsburgh, where I also got a chance to spend some time with Cory who was in from San Francisco.

Fireworks in Boston on the Fourth of July after close to a week's retreat about an hour north of Albany. Another weekend retreat in May in southern New Hampshire that was lovely and fun.

A weekend visit to Cape Cod to visit college friends and their families. A weekend visit to New York City to see a friend, Pilobolus perform, see rowers on a tour stop in northern Manhattan, and get bubble tea (which is hard to come by in the Upper Valley). A weekend trip to Boston for Pride festivities.

Working on construction of a timber frame and straw bale building not too far awayin Vermont on a private camp. That's gotten me thinking much more about building my own place in the woods, enough to sign up for a home design and build class at a school in Vermont called Yestermorrow.

Saw the Big Apple Circus, four performers swinging on flexible poles above the green called Swoon, Ratatouille at the cinema. Tried the flying trapeze with a college friend at the Circus School in San Francisco just before I returned.

April snow storms

The first part of April was spent getting settled and finding my around the upper Connecticut River valley (upper valley for short). I filed taxes (yay, TurboTax). I got snow each of the first three weeks of April. Fortunately the big storm that dropped about seven inches of rain on New York didn't deposit much frozen stuff here before it turned to rain. A nearby tree brought down some power lines with it and we didn't have power for a few hours. I got off easier than many people around here who were without power for days.

I returned to the San Francisco bay area for the latter part of April and beginning of May. I started with the third of three weekend bodywork workshops, getting certified in Active Release Techniques for Spine. It was much easier than previous ones, between simpler material and having been through two of them before. I also was pleased that after this I didn't feel like I needed any more training, just time working with people. That'll start up now that I'm back in the upper valley.

Then I had a week of visiting people, which was nice, even though it hadn't been so long since I'd seen them before I left. The last week was spent at the big interface and interaction conference (SIGCHI) that was held in San Jose. I met some interesting people, heard some interesting talks, and got to visit Google and other sites on a tour. It was a good week, and like the feeling after the bodywork seminar, it felt like time to do things rather than look for more learning. I have a few projects and possible clients for consulting work that I can pursue now, along with looking for regular work here in the upper valley.

I was a bit conflicted about leaving here for California because I wanted to start rowing on the river with the fitness class that I joined. We'd been practicing indoors in "tanks". The day before we were supposed to first go on the water was the day after the big storm, and between fast high water and lots of debris, we didn't go out. Other things happened while I was gone and I ended up not missing any time on the water, and we're supposed to go out on Wednesday. I'm looking forward to that, along with warmer days (no jacket today) and getting my bike going again.

The trees are starting to bud, so pretty soon the forests should be lush. I can't wait to be hiking in them again.

Arrived in New Hampshire

After a scouting trip earlier in March to see that I still really wanted to move (I did) and had a place to move to (I found one), I packed up my stuff into boxes and my car, said farewells, and drove cross country, visiting a couple of SF friends and an ex-coworker along the way.

Today's my fifth day back in New England and I feel like I've mostly gotten the lay of the land, what's different and what's the same, found some interesting stuff to do (especially a series of Pilobolus dance events at Dartmouth), and am eager to start my yoga and (indoor at first) rowing classes Monday.

I'll be revising my resume, networking and figuring out the bodywork scene in the coming couple of weeks before returning to San Francisco for the last of the three core body parts workshops that I'm doing, some visiting, and then my big professional conference (ACM SIGCHI) in San Jose the first week of May.

Big news: moving to New England

A week ago I decided that it's time for me to move back to New England. I plan to move near Dartmouth College (which is in Hanover, N.H.) around the end of March.

February's been a fine month. I got certified in Active Release Techniques to do specific pain and mobility work on people's shoulders out to hands. The preparation for and the time in the class was very challenging -- tons of material and techniques. While in Dallas for that class, I got to see the Bodyworlds anatomy exhibit and visit my friend Lance from high school and his family. I was sick for a week, then I got my permit to practice massage in San Francisco, right after deciding to move.

I'll be looking for interaction design work around Dartmouth and beyond, and I plan to practice bodywork in Vermont.

While I am a bit sad about leaving people I love and places and things I like in San Francisco, I'm really looking forward to being back in New England.

Retreat, boot camp, massage, resume

Highlights for January:

Starting at a retreat in Russian River where I was helping run the retreat and where I learned a bunch about my attachments to things with sentimental value.

While I think I was getting somewhat fitter and more agile by playing Dance Dance Revolution, I wanted more and signed up for Boot Camp SF outdoor fitness, and have been running, doing push-ups and other stuff in and near Golden Gate Park, mostly at 0:dark:30 in the morning. I've noticed that I can do more and faster there, and I definitely feel stuff happening in my muscles (and unfortunately, joints). I have a couple more weeks then I decide what to do next.... more of the same or yoga or something else.

I also completed a two-week Swedish Massage intensive class that prepares me to practice massage in San Francisco. The class was fine and I got lots of good practice and I've started the paperwork to get my Certified Massage Therapist credential with the city. In early February I plan to learn some more specific Active Release Techniques that I have had good experience with as a client.

I've revised my resume (after seven years!) and will be looking for work in earnest in the next weeks.