Ecoventure 2009

The weather will eventually get colder, the leaves will change and fall. It's destined. We learned this in elementary school, it's called the four seasons, and in Virginia we experience all of them. But, what are you going to be doing this fall? Going to school on a regular basis, dragging yourself to get out of bed to go to work on time? Never fear! I can be your regular scheduled entertainment, so to speak. Well, in October, at least. I'll be experiencing the magnificent outdoors with extraordinary people, film makers, and discovering all that there is to discover in the wilderness we all call Shenandoah National Park.

I'll be camping out, backpacking, hiking, canoeing, and helping work on a documentary in the glorious valley. This documentary will education the public on how we are impacting the environment and our beautiful valley. I'm not going to try and muffle my emotions, I am ecstatic! I'm looking forward to learning and connecting with nature and my fellow peers. I camped out as a kid, loved every minute of it and I wished I could stay longer! Mind you, Girl Scouts never spent a month camping, but we learned the tools of the trade in those short weeks. It's going to be an experience and as cheesy as it sounds, I can not wait! I'm curious to find how much I will change after this Ecoventure, or if I do change. We are all working diligently to prepare for this adventure, but I'll be sure to keep you posted on our progress!

Below is a quote that our Leader of the SU side of the Ecoventure, John Copenhaver, sent to us. I feel that it provides a well in-sighted point of view and what we are about to enter through this great opportunity.

“Do not burn yourselves out. Be as I am—a reluctant enthusiast . . .

a part time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half

of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure.

It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it.”

-Edward Abbey

Here is a link to a The Downstream Project's blog which has some more information about what our prospective roles are in this project! Be advised when you click around you will find the main site which has previous documentaries that have been done on the Shenandoah Valley.

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Yeah, I like being...

I talked to an owner of a hostel the other night, at trivia night. (for those of you who don't know a hostel is like a bed and breakfast, just in the hikers world.) He was an elderly man with a very profound connection with people and nature. He had a certain charisma about him as he spoke, that seemed to light up the room. (at least in my eyes) It's safe to say he grabbed my attention. Although I do not personally know him, the conversation that we had is still rattling throughout my head. We were talking about "the trail" and his experiences. He said he has been apart of three groups on his travels throughout the trail. These groups I decided to label based on their characteristics as; the hurry bodies, the beings, and the stragglers. He said the "stragglers" would travel the trail for about a week, not caring about where they are going. These were the ones who pretty much just wanted to get away for a weekend and get hammered. Their money was gone in about a week, and they didn't really stay on the trail that much. The next group he mentioned was the hurry bodies, these people were so concerned with getting to the destination that they didn't party that much and didn't take notice of their surroundings. He said he didn't get to truly enjoy the trail like he wanted in either group. The final group he mentioned was the beings. He said the "beings" were the perfect fit for him. He got to enjoy the trail and have a whole lot of fun along the way. He said those people didn't care how long it took like the hurry bodies to get from point a to point b, and they had plenty of money and supplies to last for a while unlike the stragglers. As he told my friends and I this, I kept trying to classify myself into one of these categories. It has been said a steady pace wins the race.

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