Hey gang,

The past week was remarkably eventful. Fate blessed with me with 12 of the most rambunctious hellions the Austin area has to offer. All but two of these children are overly hyper, prone to temper tantrums/meltdowns, rude, snotty, and hard to control. Leaving work felt more like a retreat than a drive home. Over the weekend my co-counselor Laura and I held a strategy session at Thunder Bird Coffee in order to quell some of the chaos. I had the day off today, and I heard the kids were better...hopefully their behavior will continue to improve.

I'm a little sad to see this weekend come to an end. Ursula came up and we, along with Wouter and co., hopped around the hill country in search of the restaurants, bars, and experiences every true Texan must visit/partake in before they die. Wouter and Ursula decided to begin this mythical quest of experience via Texas Monthly Magazine, which featured an article titled "Texas Bucket List: 63 things to do in Texas before you die." Despite the reminder of our inevitable doom, the bucket list thing is really, really cool. Here's a list of what we did, in chronological order:

Swam at barton springs pool
Ate dinner at the Gristmill in Gruene
Danced at Gruene Hall
Woke up real early and went to Snow's BBQ in Lexington (it's only open one day a week)
Floated the Guadalupe River in New Braunfels

Everything we did seemed to compliment eachother in some way. Floating felt great after stuffing our bodies with beef, and country dancing fit in well with a country meal. The only thing I feel disappointed with is my dancing skills, which I thought progressed more after lots of thinking and mental practicing. I guess the only way to get better at something is to actually do it.

I'm currently hanging out in my room. To pass the time, I've been playing some guitar, reading, and working on this blog. I've come to really enjoy the hours I spend by myself, working on various hobbies and striving for self improvement. The co-op is great because I don't have to eat by myself, and there are always people around to socialize with if I so choose. But, as I implied, I've really come to value my "alone-time," if you will. I don't really understand why, but I feel as though a bit of solitude is very good for me right now. Very soon, for instance, I'll start learning spanish (via a fellow co-opper's rosetta stone) and planning more for next semester and beyond. I believe I will remember this summer as one filled with learning, growth, and self searching. The thought of that makes me :).

This week will be jam packed with stuff as well. Going camping with my group on Thursday, and then going to Fort Worth with Ursula on Friday. I will update later

Ciao,

Tim

Beyond...

It has been a while, and there is no way I can describe everything that has happened in the past 1 1/2 months. Long story short, I've moved down to Austin, TX, where I live at a student run co-op and work as a camp counselor at the Austin Nature and Science Center.

At first, adjusting was not easy. Washington DC and Austin, TX have completely different vibes to them. The people are different, the ebb and flow of the cities polarize one another...the two cities have pretty much nothing in common, which is somewhat ironic given that they are both capitol cities of some kind. On top of that, my job at the ANSC could not be more different than my internship in Washington. Now, as opposed to the spring, I work outside, with children, teaching them how to have fun in the outdoors, while cultivating a sense of respect for the environment around them. That isn't exactly a press office intern's job description.

Despite some initial difficulties--which i think came about because I was adjusting so much-- I'm really fond of my job. I've learned so much about the hill country--i.e., where to go, what to do--, and so much about myself (I'm good at rock climbing?), thanks to this job. Simultaneously, I feel like I get to make a positive difference through my role as a camp counselor.

Strangely, the more I like this job, the more I miss my last one. Working in DC was occasionally taxing, but it was also somewhat addictive. I now yearn for the hustle and bustle that was once the source of occasional stress. And, needless to say, I miss constantly being inundated with matters concerning politics and policy. Perhaps in the future, I'll find a career path that allows me to combine the best aspects of both of these lives.

More to come soon..I have a lot of goals for the summer and the next semester, and I haven't even begun to talk about my living situation. So, barring some strange occurrence, I will be writing again very soon.


Best,


Tim