Transitioning

To what few dedicated readers I may have left, thanks for sticking around. I know it's been a whole month again since my last post, but let me just say, transitioning back to mainland life is no small feat.

On that note, the last month has been a whirlwind of transitions. The first and most tangible was learning to wear long pants and socks again. The latest and most daunting is my decision not to work for the Evergreen Campus Children's Center again. Learning how to ski has been my most recent obsession, since I made it back to the mainland before the season's end.

The focus of my research for the rest of the year is alternative education. This includes schools on reservations, Waldorf schools, community schools and alternative programs held within public schools. I have spent a couple days at Chief Leschi School in Puyallup observing the culture and language teacher in action. She spends merely 30 minutes a week with each class of 4th - 6th graders and increasing her contact with students is an uphill battle. It seems that even at a school designed exclusively for students of tribal membership, culture takes a backseat.

I have decided to continue writing in this blog to chronicle the progress of my self-education and my travels. I've found that skiing is an excellent excuse to travel. Last weekend, I went to Taos Ski Valley and experienced the beauty of dry snow in comparison to Washington's soggy slush. The views were great, too, and I've posted a few photos above.

I fear my northwest home may provide a disappointing lack of variety in my subjects, but I invite you to continue reading about my adventures as I write, and thank you for paying attention!