Hello Again.

It's been nearly a year since I posted on this blog. I don't know what happened to me. I think graduate school has stifled my ability to reflect and be still. Each day I arrive home from work, I have a multitude of tasks to accomplish, all of which do not seem too appealing. I don't have time to write. I don't make time to think. I don't make time to read. But, my intention here is to not make you think that my existence in Milwaukee is gloomy. To the contrary, I've enjoyed the social life that I've built up around myself in this fine city. And because I'm writing this blog in about thirty minutes time, I will give you a brief update as to what has transpired since my last post, all the way back in September.

School: University, as I alluded to above, is ironic in that I feel intellectually stifled most of the time. I have to cram so much information and literature into my mind that I often feel as if I'm forgetting while I'm reading. It's not really any fun. The school experience has been exactly what I expected: specialized to the point of irrelevance. Being a graduate student of history has forced me to read pages upon pages of "material" that really has to do with one thing only: people. Throughout the summer (and the semester for that matter) I've been attempting to get my mind into books that expand my knowledge. I seem to have found a passion for birding, ecology, agriculture, and sustainability. Not that I wasn't interested in these topics prior, but now that I've  lived for a year in the rarefied environment that is "historical scholarship", all I've wanted to learn about has been the natural world around me, not the social, political, or economic realm that is my study. The fellowship has been going well and the people in the program are fantastic. I've done well grade wise and I wrote a thesis paper that I'm proud of and interested in--I wrote about the settler experience of Americo-Liberians from 1822-1846 (not that anyone would be interested).

Work: I've been at the Adult Learning Center for nine months now. I've adjusted to the job and have begun to realize that my organization is rather boring (in a good sense). We are a very simple nonprofit organization. Our only goal is to enhance the education of adults within center-city Milwaukee who have had (or still have) barriers to academic achievement. There are only 11 employees at the center, and only 1 of which is full time. My day consists of assisting and counseling our adult students with "outside-of-school" problems. This means I write a lot of resumes, make phones calls to social service nonprofits, and assist with college applications. The job is OK, but I feel as if my talents aren't being utilized to their fullest potential. I'm also not too thrilled with working such a sedentary job. I seem to sit way too long in front of the computer, feeling my body weaken into a flabby pulp. I volunteer every Friday at an organization known as the Urban Ecology Center as a bike mechanic. They have a fleet of over 35 bikes that they rent out to people in the community. The bikes need weekly tune ups and repairs, and I'm delighted to help. Nothing relieves my stress like being able to use my hands and actually DO something of tangible value. It's been a nice change of pace from the rather cerebral environments of the Adult Learning Center and Marquette.

Social Life: Jamie and I have developed a pretty solid (and diverse) group of friends in the city. We're a part of a community garden, located right across the street from my place of work. We're harvesting our peas and beans at this moment, and I've been battling the rapid growth of the brussel sprout plant, which seems to have ambitions of being the sole plant in the bed. I might have to kill him before his time of glory arrives, as his massive leaves keep blocking the sun light for our desperate bean plants. Jamie and I also have bike riding friends. Nearly every weekend, I am on my bike going on a long-distance ride (60-90 miles) or am planning a bird outing or a hike. I love the active lifestyle that is to be had in Wisconsin and I've enjoyed getting to know the ancient, enrapturing call of the Sand Hill Cranes. Every Thursday night I get together in a section of the city known as River West to play music with a group of guys. We play what we term "mountain music." We have two guitars, a banjo, and spoons and washboard  (me). It's been quite a fun experience and I relish the release of music after a long day of studying and work. We recently played our "first official gig" at a dive bar called the Irish Knot. It went well. The thirty people in attendance loved the music and gave us a lot to smile about. Aside from the pouring sweat and the late night, I did enjoy playing for people that were appreciative--the free drinks all night didn't hurt either :). Anyways, after that show, we were invited to come back to the Irish knot and play and have since received to other bar "shows" in River West. Looks like my "music" career has finally taken off :)Oh, and yes, our band name is "Pay The Devil."


Plans for Next Year: Being the dreamer that I am, I've been thinking a lot about my future. I have only have one year left in Milwaukee, which has me a tad nervous. Jamie and I are getting pretty exhausted from the two-years-there-two-years-here trajectory our life thus far has been on, and I think both of us are FINALLY (gasp!) coming around to the idea of "settling down." I don't know where that will be, but we do have an idea of what our life should be like. To sum it up, we want to live simply, holistically, and have a damn good time. This might look like a life in the city, with a garden, and a strong social life. Or, this might look like a homestead nestled in the hills of some Appalachian state. Either way, we want to grow food, learn skills, pursue art, and be healthy. One thing that is for certain for next year, though, is our planned cross-country bike trip. That's right, Jamie and I (upon my graduation from Marquette) will hop on touring bikes and ride all the way from Seattle, Washington to Maine. I've never been West of the Mississippi River and have never even sniffed the Rocky Mountains. What better way to experience both than on a cycle!? We're going to be riding a route known as the "Northern Tier": total milage: 3,000 miles. I can't wait.