"There are no such things as still lifes"

I've been here for six weeks.  Enough time to register my car and find the scenic routes to and from the places I'm prone to go to and come from.  I know not to leave my raincoat at home - even in the 'dry season'.  I even know a bunch of trees and shrubs in the Northwest forest; more than I ever did in the Mid-West or New England.  My feet are wet, figuratively - although literally as well, with a new sense of place.

The San Juan Islands from the top of Oyster Dome

Realizing I was actually leaving Chicago brought about a persistent and somewhat strange sensation in my chest.  There was a tension between the pull of a new place and the roots which had just managed to take hold of the Illinois topsoil.  I can't honestly say that tension has relaxed and I imagine I'll feel something like it as long as I have fond memories of any two places.  But going back to the realization of my impending westward move, I wanted to find a way to reflect upon, understand and share the tensions of life as I move along the way.  It didn't start, however, with the tension I describe above, a tension between two simply geographical places, but instead the tension I feel as changes in my geographical place create tension in my interpersonal or social sense of place.

My partners in learning at Mount Baker

I've been asked countless times in recent weeks to share 'where I'm from' with new acquaintances.  There's no short answer for that question and the longer it gets the more I'm reminded of the people that add meaning to each place I've called home.  This is why I'm putting together a space to reflect upon and share my experiences.  While the idea for this blog started as a way of addressing a simple need to stay in touch and report out on my adventures the last six weeks of procrastination have given me time to add a bit of depth to my goals here. 

Paddling Diablo Lake

So let me introduce you to "Along the way..." where there is no destination but plenty of places to be.  As such, I can't say the purpose of this forum is explicitly tied to my experience in graduate school or in Washington.  Far be it from me to know where I'm going with this.  But for the immediate future I expect to share stories and thoughts about learning and teaching and generally having a good time with life.   I hope you can find something here for you and if you do, please let me know.  I expect that will add to the lovely tension that keeps our connections with person and place healthy.

Much Love,

Colby

The sun does occasionally shine on Rainy Pass

 *Post title credited to Erica Jong