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...