Crew leading with EarthCorps is definitely my favorite new experience of the year! It's perhaps one of the first jobs where I don't watch the clock, or even think about counting hours...it's the kind of job that you just want to give and give to! And the only thing at a loss seems to have been my blog :) Time and energy are focused into 6 am wake-ups, but then my days are fueled by the emotional, interpersonal, and environmental problem solving constantly requiring my attention. It feels selfish to enjoy a job this much...I get to be needed. And that is a great feeling!
All that said, I left off on the blog with my first ECI crew...here are some pictures from an amazing 2 weeks on Mt. Rainier doing trail work, followed by my last week as their crew leader in the backcountry at Gravel Lake. As you can imagine, these types of work trips have a way of bonding crews together in deep and interesting ways...
After wrapping up my short few months with my first crew, I took a few weeks off to come back home before beginning round 2 of crew leading with ECG...I got to see Elizabeth in Iowa, my family in Chicago, be in my childhood friend Crystal's wedding in WI, and then stay home for a few relaxing days...
Upon my return from touring the midwest, I was happy and excited to join the ranks of ECG, the nearly identical corps program that runs opposite from ECI (what I did last year, and what I jumped back into this summer). I now have a brand new, shiny crew, of all Americans (our internationals come in March!)...so far it's been an amazing few months working with them. They are positive, and hard working, thoughtful, and hilarious. I heart them :) We have had some incredible projects so far, including trailwork, installing erosion control, planting steep ravines, leading volunteers, and grubbing acres of blackberry <--not everyone's favorite, but I still get a kick out of it!...and I was trained on using a chainsaw, too! What a rush! Here are some crew pictures...let me introduce Rachel M. (Indiana), Marcus (New Jersey), Jennie (DC area), Stephanie (Michigan U.P.), Rachel S. (Portland) and Chris (MN)...
For all the excitement and joy this year brought, it was not without it's share of challenges and sadness as well...one of the most intense experiences I've ever been through involved the loss of one of my crew members. Igor was from Russia, and one of the 3 internationals on my first crew. He took his life in October, and left us all wondering what more we could have done to help him, and what it must have been like for him to be in the kind of pain that led him to that decision.
I think about him every day, but it's overwhelming and often too painful to dwell on for long without more and more questions and regrets coming to mind...people have told me since that "there is nothing we could have done", "this was bigger than all of us", etc. But I honestly don't believe that completely...I believe that sometimes it only takes one person to change a life, and that our connections to one another can make all the difference in the world. Getting a glimpse into Igor's heart, as his mentor, I know how deeply he could be touched...that said, I must find rest in knowing this was his plan, and not my own...
For his service I was able to speak a eulogy of sorts, and here is what I wrote:
After a week of running memories over and over again in our heads, I think most of us recall the very first interaction or conversation we had with Igor. For me, it was about Lake Washington. He talked about jumping in the cold water with a huge grin on his face, and I knew I'd made a friend.
A few weeks later, I was delighted to have Igor placed on my crew. Spending every day of every week together, it didn't take long for us to brand ourselves the "meat crew"...inspired by Igor's very own gourmet lunches, often consisting of salmon, or steak...and finished off by none other than a bar of chocolate. It was then at Mount Rainier that we discovered his love for butter and nutella, and his unfortunate distaste for bland Thai noodles. But his appetite aside, it was his warm, mischievous smile, his full-body laughter, his sense of humor, his respectful and considerate demeanor, his passion for relationships and romance, and his big heart that I came to love and admire about him.
He loved to tap dance. Sing. Swing a pulaski. And support his crew in both strong and subtle ways. A favorite memory happened one afternoon, at the end of a long day of knotweed injection. We were crossing the Snoqualmie River, in our bare feet, pant legs rolled up, trying not to get too wet. Everyone was carrying large boxes of equipment, boots, and herbicide. After stepping on a slippery rock, someone dropped a bin of rubber gloves that quickly went rushing downstream...within seconds, Igor, having already made it to the other side, was running along the bank of the river and then heroically flung himself back into the water, fully clothed, diving chest deep after the bin. It was awesome. And then months later he would do it again during a week of camping at Gravel Lake...he and Tolulope happily braved the cold alpine water and swam a large log across the lake to where it was needed. I would not be surprised if Igor slept in those little black swim trunks of his, as he was always prepared and suited up for that next body of water to jump in.
Igor told us up front that he was a quiet guy, which to me made the moments he really opened up that much more meaningful. He was so intentional with his words, and most often moved to speak simply by the passion and intensity with which he experienced his thoughts and opinions. One subject, however, that always got him freely talking was love. He quickly became our resident "Love Doctor", and we'd run all sorts of relationship questions by him. Without hesitation he'd present a solution to any problem we could think up, with a wisdom and confidence far beyond his years.
We all know Igor spent a lot of time in his head. I feel extremely lucky, however, to have been with him during several of his "epiphany" moments where those deep and enlightening thoughts candidly burst out of him....moments where I witnessed him processing and learning and growing up before my very eyes. One afternoon he shared with me the realization that if he was in a situation he could not change, he still had the ability to change his attitude about it, and make it into something meaningful. And as he struggled to make sense of his past, present and future, our whole crew witnessed his moment of clarity in deciding to switch his course of study from History, to Psychology. It was thoughts, and emotions that he was passionate about.
His joy and relief in those moments of bright clarity will stick with me forever. At one of our very first crew meetings, Igor told our crew how important the friendships, that we were on the brink of forming, would be to our futures...he reminded us that we were all working to save the environment, to protect the same earth, and that we would need one another to network and share ideas, long after we parted ways beyond EarthCorps.
I was so deeply touched by his kind, pure, and hopeful heart, and find myself deeply saddened that our inevitable parting happened before any of us expected. None of us were ready to let Igor go. The timing of his decision to leave breaks my heart...but at the same time I am deeply grateful...grateful that we got to share life for a while. Grateful that he stayed long enough to make us a stop on his fascinating and passionate journey through this world. Igor, I can't quite understand where you are in this moment, but thank you for all that you were, and all you will continue to be within each of us. We love you and miss you.
So...initially, Igor's time as a part of my life was only meant to last a few months. He would have returned home, along with all the other internationals that come and go from EarthCorps, and I'd only hope to see him again in future travels...but now, Igor will remain with me forever. If I am to find a "bright side" in the aftermath of this deep sorrow, it is that I am now closer to Igor than I ever, realistically, would have been. It had previously been a dream of mine to work on the Great Baikal Trail in Siberia, which is linked to an organization from which Igor came, and now I am even more dedicated to make that a reality some day...here is one more picture of our crew with his parents, who flew back so we could all be together. They are lovely people, and were a reflection of Igor in so many ways...the EarthCorps family truly extends across the globe and laces itself in and out of the hearts of countless cultures and communities. These circumstances were an unwelcome yet powerful testimony to that...
Along the same theme of EarthCorps being the perfect environment for life-changing friendships and relationships, next I will talk about my dear an amazing friends Gina and Isabelle :) The thought of these ladies lights up my heart, but the sadness is that they no longer live in Seattle. We found enough lucky stars to keep up together a year after our program ended last December, but I guess all good things must come to an end...and by that, I mean they will NOT end, but this season of time will, as a new one is in the works...here are a few picture from our last few months as a trio :)
As for the future "in the works", Gina returned to Virginia with intentions to save money and start grad school in the fall, and Isabelle will have traveled across the globe and back before she hikes the Appalachian Trail in 2010, and starts grad school in Denmark. The best part of this story, however, is that we have magically arranged our crazy schedules to allow for 9 days of road-tripping together in February!! As Gina flies back to drive her car cross country, and Isabelle needs to be delivered to begin hiking in Georgia, we will start in Seattle and I am taking a week off of work to drive south with them through California (think Redwoods...Big Sur...Yosemite, etc.) and ending at the Grand Canyon!!! WAAAA! Talk about the trip of a lifetime :) My heart and brain explode at the thought of how great this time will be together with my Gina and Isabella!!!!!!!
In other news, my mom and brother came a for a nice visit after Thanksgiving...spent a day downtown Seattle and riding the ferry, then drove to the coast for a few days! Spending time in Astoria, and Cannon Beach, OR. Pictures...
Shortly thereafter, I had a lovely Birthday and turned 27! Yay!! It was a great day, and I felt showered with love from my EC family, as well as friends and family from afar :) As a gift from my parents, I got signed up for some extra dance classes! I have been going once a week to jazz classes at a studio nearby. I LOVE IT. Seriously, makes me so happy! And as I start a new year without a lot of the close friends I've had since starting EarthCorps, I hope to focus on dance :) I'd like to start going twice a week, and start working on some of my own choreography...something to keep me active until the snow melts off those beautiful mountains of mine!
And speaking of mountains, I'll wrap up this post with some favorite 2009 hiking pictures...
I am happy to say that I climbed the dreaded Mailbox Peak 3 times this year! (an infamous hike (atleast to me!) as it gains 4,000 ft. elevation in a mere 2.5 miles) In our last attempt for the season Gina and I made it a few hundred feet from the top, but the snow became blizzard-like and we lost the trail. So now that hiking season is slowed down, I'll head into the winter with hopes of giving snowshoeing and/or skiing a try, as budget allows :) Although for now I am happily giving both my hiking and work boots a rest, and am at home for 2 weeks of holiday relaxation...full of cats, snow, old friends, family, the twilight series, cookies...! And then I am back to Seattle January 1 to continue working with my awesome crew, to save the planet one plant at a time :)
A safe and happy holiday to you, as we bid farewell to oh-9 and welcome in oh-10! Gonna be another exciting year indeed :) Peace, love and trees! alliemay :)
p.s. Gina, Isabelle and I have plans to summit Rainier in 2011! Let the training begin...
