STEP

A few days before leaving Fernandina, a good friend and I went to visit our old home in Yulee. It's been almost three years since the STEP base ran its last course, but it still seems to pull old instructors there to reflect. For me, it was the where I started my career with Outward Bound and it was the place I called home for my first six months in Florida. I was living out of my car and instructing courses, and meeting some of the most amazing individuals (students and staff alike) that I had ever known. It was a wonderful time of my life. And before I knew it, a 3 month internship turned into a nearly five-year love affair with this organization, its mission, and its community.

Going back was kind of strange, almost like seeing a ghost. Everything is still standing, but without the people and the passion that ran it, it was a car without an engine.

Ropes course

Climbing Wall

Mailbox

Caitlin at the Mushroom

The flag outside the mushroom

The compass on the stairs

The mushroom

What remains of the Blue Peter flag, at the end of the mudwalk.

Caitlin's reflection at the Mushroom.

My reflection.

The place holds so many memories, and the feeling of being a part of it is difficult to describe. It was nice to see it one last time before leaving. It wouldn't have felt right driving out of Florida without returning to the place that brought me here.

Week One

Oh my it's been a long time since I've posted anything. 

Well here we are, back in an even-numbered year. I tend to like the evens better than the odds, and this one should be a doozy. This is a year of transition, and as such it's going to be harder than ever to keep up with family and friends, or for them to keep up with me. I started the year off in Florida, but where I'll end it is still a big question mark. 

So what better way to kick off the year than with a project I've always wanted to do: chronicle my year with a photo of the day. Hopefully this will give me the same thing to do every day, no matter where I am. And hopefully I can break my trend of not finishing projects I started :)

So without further ado...WEEK ONE OF 2014!!

January 1 

Charleston, SC

I had spent New Years in Charleston visiting a good friend and her family, and I always love crossing this bridge. It was unfortunately cloudy this day, but the bridge was still awesome.

January 2

Fernandina Beach, FL

It was a gloomy day, marked by packing boxes at the place that I've called home for the last 4 years. It's super bittersweet, as it's been over a decade since I've lived anywhere that long and what a good home it was. I'll see it again in February for a hot second as I retrieve my things before heading north.

January 3

 Sunset Island, Everglades City, FL

The docks of the NCOBS Everglades basecamp. You can see my friend Cal in this picture, and hopefully you can also understand how Sunset Island got its name.

January 4

 Sunset Island, Everglades City, FL

The gloom continued as we prepped for course. This is a picture from my bedroom looking out to the yard.

January 5

 Sunset Island, Everglades City, FL

This was course start day. We had 8 military veterans arrive for course and the sun came as well. This is a picture of the main lodge of basecamp.

January 6

 Sunset Island, Everglades City, FL

I've taken a lot of pictures in the Everglades but the one I really want to get is of an Osprey carrying a fish. This one is almost perfect, next time I'm shooting for one that's not just the silhouette.

January 7

Fakahatchee Island, Everglades, FL

My co-instructor Jay snapped this one of me watching the whitecaps out in the bay. We had 30-knot winds the night before and the temperature dipped into in the 30's. It made for some cold, cold paddling that day.