The Dream...

In the Fall of 2002, while we were taking a vacation in Nova Scotia, we made the decision that it was time to follow some of our dreams. This meant saying goodbye to Vermont and the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps where we had both been living and working since 1998. JJ gave a 10-month notice that she was going to retire from the VYCC in August of 2003 in order to go to graduate school. Paul also gave the organization notice that in April of 2004 he would be leaving the VYCC.

So the summer of 2003, we were co-directors of the VYCC field program. Then in August JJ left for Minnesota to attend Minnesota State University, Mankato to get a Master's in Experiential Education. Paul stayed in VT to wrap up the field season and continued working with the Corps through the winter to ensure a smooth transition with both he and JJ leaving Director positions.

In May of 2004, JJ will be finishing up her schooling in Mankato, and we'll be starting a long road trip. The final destination…Alaska. Our current, off-the-cuff, very tentative route takes us from the Midwest to the Northeast, down the East Coast a bit then West to Colorado and Oregon, North to Washington, East to Montana, then into Canada and up the Rockies to Dawson Creek and the official start of the Alaska Highway. Let us know where you'll be during the summer of 2004, and we'll see if we can coordinate a visit.

Where in Alaska we'll end up is still a bit up in the air, but we are interested in finding a place to live where we can experience the "real Alaska." Teaching somewhere is a possibility; however, we're quite open to other employment possibilities. If we don't have anything lined up before we get there, we'll most likely settle in Fairbanks. If you have any contacts or resources in Alaska, please send them our way.