So it begins...

How to begin?

I’ve always been a big fan of bullet points, and since most of what follows will be meandering, abstract, and/or nonsensical thoughts, perhaps it’s best to get a few concrete facts down:

*I have a hard time remaining in one location. Even during the times when I have a mailing address of my very own, I tend to bounce around (my personal record: from February 2010 to March 2011, I never stayed anywhere for a continuous 3 weeks before taking a trip somewhere).

*My current location is in what is referred to as the Driftless Area, a place along the upper Mississippi in southwest Wisconsin and northeastern Iowa, and is a place I seem to migrate to every summer. After graduating from college I lived and worked here for a year before going to graduate school. Now that I’ve graduated with my MA, I’ve returned for the summer as usual. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

*I live in my cousin’s basement and love every minute of being a part of her chaotic household. Between five energetic kids, five dogs, and three puppies, there is never a dull moment. Considering the fact that a part of me still dreams of one day having a household as full as hers, I take constant mental notes of how she keeps everything together.

*I love my job. My official title is “Natural Resources Interpreter,” and if they made this position a permanent deal, I would happily stay in my cousin’s basement forever. An average day includes at least one hike through beautiful bluff country that’s packed with warblers, woodpeckers, oak and hickory trees, spring-fed streams, and all the cool fresh air a girl could ask for; my day also involves a lot of coffee drinking and talking about anything from the types of trees in the park to the best restaurant in the nearby towns to what the big lumps of dirt are on the ridgetops (answer: Native American burial and ceremonial mounds, if you have two hours to spare I can tell you more than you ever wanted to know). On weekends I lead hikes and bird walks and sometimes a kids’ activity all meant to convince people that nature is awesome and we should be more aware of how we're connected to the other lifeforms on this beautiful planet. All this set a stone’s throw from the Mississippi (no exaggeration, the drive to work includes a stretch of road where I could reach out one side of the car and touch the bottom of a 400 foot bluff and have a drop off into the river on the other side). Fantastic.

So why do this blog? Because I’ve reached a point in my life where it’s hard to keep everyone updated, and mass emails means I forget people. That’s the practical reason. The other reason is that I’ve also reached a point in my life where I’ve developed a fear of forgetting. I have a really awesome life, and I’ve met some really awesome people, and I’ve had some pretty awesome experiences…and if I know nothing else for sure, at least I know this: I don’t want to forget any of it.

So here goes.