It's a good thing that I'm too lazy to take and add pictures; with Alyssa and I coming home and the entire packing/unpacking process in midstream, the house looks like a stuff-bomb went off in every room. I'm culling through everything I own, giving bags and bags away to rummage. This is much more enjoyable than I had thought; its a weight off of my shoulders to own less things. I still own SO MUCH! I put four boxes of books in my parents attic for storage, and a whole box of clothes that I don't need now. I'm wondering... if I don't need them now, do I need them ever? Maybe I'll get rid of those next time I'm home.
I have two streams of thought about all of this; first, the example of my dad, who, being thrifty and handy, likes to keep things around that might be useful. Mostly this adds up to lots of piles of junk, but whenever we need something... walla! He either has it already or can cobble it together with wire and duct tape. I have a hard time throwing away things that could, someday, be useful, or could be turned into other, more wonderful things, if only I had the time and inclination. It seems like a great way to save money and keep things from the trash! But, of course, I don't have anywhere to store useful things. I'm mobile right now, and I will be for a good couple of years before I have anywhere to keep my own piles of junk. And really, when I think about it, I'd like to be as unattached to things as possible. I've been throwing out all kinds of sentimental things this week, knowing that my memories and feelings about the people and experiences they bring to mind are not, in fact, the things themselves. I have the example of my friend Kelley, who lives so happily and so purposefully with so very little.
Today I get to see my very wonderful friend Anna, run some pre-farm errands (buy sunscreen, bike helmet, tennishoes, embroidery floss...) and then try to make the house livable again before I leave tomorrow. Yikes!

Graduation Day!

Today's the day--one end, and one great big beginning. After four excellent years at Gustavus Adolphus College, I'm graduating for good. Thanks to all of my friends, mentors, and teachers; you've really made a difference in my life! For the occasion, here's a poem of mine. I read it at last night's candle-light service for the other seniors. When I wrote this three years ago, in an attempt to work a difficult french form, I had no idea how appropriate it would be today. (As a side note, an edited version of this poem is the text of a new commissioned piece for Baritone and piano by composer Libby Larson, to be premiered at the Gustavus Sesquicentenial kick-off celebration on September 30.)

Turn, Turn,

we turn and turn and turn around again
to find some light, and in the turning find
that where we are is where we've always been

we reach our arms out, blind, to find a friend
then love and lose and turn, release and bind,
we turn and turn and turn around again

and ache to find our home, a love to tend,
and finding one turn back again to pine—
but where we are is where we've always been

then breach the gap and hold the tear and mend
the burning need and then: another time
we turn and turn and turn around again

and turning hate the ties and tear and rend
for bitter freedom, then we turn the mind—
and where we are is where we've always been

we turn until we come round right, and bend
to loss and grow more wise, more lined,
still turn and turn and turn around again
still where we are is where we've always been.

Hello Goodbye, Hello Goodbye...

It's been about a year since I've last written here (yikes!) but as I leave one home and find another, I want to refresh this as a way to keep in touch about my adventures. Here's the scoop: I graduate from Gustavus Adolphus College on Sunday. Next Wednesday, Brendan and I are moving in at Squash Blossom Farm (squashblossomfarm.blogspot.com) a very lovely little farm outside of Rochester. We'll be helping out with the cows, chickens, and garden and running a farmers market stand with yummy fresh sourdough bread. Hoorah! We're getting really excited for the brand new adventure. Both of us are really committed to changing food systems and can imagine farming in our future, but we haven't farmed a day in our lives and have no idea how we'll like the work. We're thinking of this summer as a sort of farming sampler platter, a chance to test it out. In the fall I'll be moving back up the Camp Amnicon (www.amnicon.org) for a year-round internship. As excited as I am to go to the farm, it's hard for me to NOT be going to camp this summer; after three summers of guiding, Amnicon is really a true home for me. I'm glad that I'll be going back in a few months, and that I'll get to see an entirely different side of camp life.