"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived"
Henry David Thoreau, Where I Lived, and What I Lived For
Named after the Algonquian work for tree eater the Adirondacks are worthy of any tree-esk name you give them. Although Adirondack was originally introduced as a derogatory term describing the indigenous of the area, it is quite fitting for the land where wild eatables line the trails and captivate the children's curiosity. I have been consistently learning about the new ecosystems and local plants all round me, as well as a little taste of the history of the area. Despite all this new learning, the breath-taking beauty of fall's variety of COLORS that the foliage offers takes the cake for my upstate New York experience. I found myself on a daily basis picking up leaves or vibrant colors-trying to find the one that I could call my favorite. What my students learned to recognize in the searches I sent them on for my favorite leaf is that all the colors are AMAZING and their is beauty in every shade, even if they struggled to find my absolute favorite.
To give you a little insight, I picked the site on the shores of Lake George with the Adirondacks in my backdoor not only for the fall colors, but also to get some slope back in my life and a chance to explore the hills with kids at my heels. What has been best about my experience here is the look of the kids' faces when you mange to rangle them 1,000 or so feet above the lake for an expansive view. Nothing has worked better to brighten a kid's impression of and outdoor experiences and hiking. Nothing. With little restrictions and boundaries all adventure was possible and the little ones took that chance and ran with it-quite literally. More than any other season I found the kids' enthusiasm and energy rejuvenating and keeping me coming back for more.
Beyond my experience with the kids getting active in life outdoors I have been able to explore the area a bit. One of our first weekends we spent on a whitewater raft adventure on the Hudson. Being by the water as the leaves were starting to reach peak was so refreshing and needless to say BEAUTIFUL! Another weekend was spent hiking to a "high" peak in the Adirondacks for a "360" view when we really got a nice jaunt into the rain clouds. It seems that every time I hike for a view I find the clouds... it was still great and quite an adventure. The rest of my weekends and free time very fairly nomadic visiting the Nature's Classroom homesite, friends around the North East, Maryland, and North Carolina (I know that doesn't fit), and just getting to know the overall vibe that New England has to offer.My last adventure in the Adirondacks was spent staying a few nights in a yurt and summiting Buck Mountain-located on the other side of the lake- where I got to see one of the best views of the expansive range and why there is some sort of magic here that brings in some good people.
I have also found that I still crave a stable community. There are eleven of my coworkers here and on a weekly basis we may have as few as six to as many as 18 coming and going from other sites. A few really great and inspiring people, but here was no consistency of homes to visit or dinners to be made. Lucky for me, it allowed me to visit the people in the Echo Hill community that now call the north country home. I found in my last weeks in the great North I was traveling a few hours to visit some lifelong Hillian friends to go wander around farm, trick o' treating, thrift store shopping, or a good ol' Rockfish fest. My nomadic fall may not reflect where I am in my life's adventures
. Interestingly enough, a friend keeps telling me that every time he sees me I am getting closer and closer to settling and not living my life on three month contracts... I have a few adventures and things to check off my bucket list before I get ahead of myself on that one. But as I do live by my bucket list, my fall in the North East can now be checked off.
It is important to reflect that I feel intensely satisfied. After this fall I can easily say that I am living my life, and living it how I want to be. No matter how obnoxious it can be constantly on the prowl for new opportunities or how much I may stress out my family, I couldn't ask for much more. I wear a smile on my face daily from the amazing experiences I have had, inspirational people I have met and call friends, and the drop dead gorgeous places I not only see-but work and live.
