Seattle Since September

A bit of background is in order.   A quick recap of the past several months will provide a firm footing for understanding the story I’m living in now.  I graduated from Wabash College (a small all-male college in Crawfordsville, Indiana) in May 2007.  I then made my third annual migration from Indiana to Montana, where I worked seasonally as a raft guide on the Yellowstone River.  It was amazing work.  I met incredible, inspiring, passionate people, kept in close contact with the rhythms and cycles of the natural world, & led a simple life.  I gained a deep respect for rivers which I plan to cultivate for the rest of my life.

Originally my plan following the summer was to travel to Ecuador, spend 3 months working on organic farms & soaking up a new culture before settling in to the business”real” life.  However, at the end of the summer I witnessed the end of a two relationship with my proposed travel partner (& former girlfriend).  I learned a lot from the relationship & am happy that parts of it have been salvaged, but it was time to move on & my plans changed accordingly.

Fresh outta college with no attachments the world was in front of me, full of possibility.  I weighed my options for a while.  Considered staying in Montana, thought about moving home to Indiana, but eventually chose to toss my hat into uncharted territory and move to Seattle.  What an abrupt decision - I’d never even seen Seattle before moving!  However,  I can recall a few factors that played into the decision.  I had a close friend (Nate) living on Whidbey Island  (in the Puget sound just off the coast from Seattle), who I knew I could stay with as I got my feet underneath me and established myself in a new city.  In researching Seattle I recognized a city with a vibrant culture, close access to the outdoors, and an environmentally progressive mindset.  Not a lot to go on, non-the-less the decision has proven fruitful.

I spent a month with Nate enjoying Whidbey Island.  I hiked, biked, went to the fall farmer’s market, hung out at Nat’s coffee shop, caught a couple great movies at the Clyde Theatre, and made some good new friends in Micah, Dan, & Jess.  I was making weekly trips into the city looking for work & an apartment.  I struggled for several weeks - felt restless, frustrated & purposeless.  I applied at a bunch of businesses & followed a lot of promising leads.  For a while I entertained the idea of moving to Egypt & becoming an Au Pair for a friend of our family.  Eventually I ended up accepting a job at an organic market in Seattle.  I simultaneously found an apartment in Greenlake, an amazing neighborhood within a five minute bike ride from my new job.  I moved in with two guys about my age, Zane & Chris, & they have proven to be great room mates.  I’m also obssessed with the neighborhood I’m in.  Nearby Greenlake park provides the outdoor fix I need, & I’m within easy walking distance of the library, a great mexican restaurant, a phenomenal local pub, & the best bookstore/bakery I have ever set foot in.

Regarding work, I accepted the job at the market with the realization that it would probably not be my life’s work.  I planned to keep my eyes open for other possibilities, & in doing so I came across my current job.  Since Christmas time I have been working as a woodturner for Seattle Stair & Design.  We are a small company of committed craftsmen creating custom built staircase.  I spend most of my time on the lathe, making balusters, newel posts, spiral stair columns, caps, & finials.  The work has proven challenging yet rewarding.  It is exciting to be using my hands again (making use of my sculpture degree), creating beautiful functional objects.  I love working with wood & am excited to be learning all the skills that entails.  My work fulfills me, & I feel blessed to have found something which I consider to be my calling, my vocation, at such a young age.

Thats my life at the moment.  I have a job I enjoy, a great home with good roomies, close friends nearby, and an awesome city with plenty of culture to experience and explore.  I honestly couldn’t ask for more.