So, to say that nothing significant has happened to me since I went to the SOA/WHINSEC vigil would be a lie. A lot has been going on, but not really anything that has made me want to really sit down and hammer out some eloquent blog.
So what has happened? I completed another wonderful year of snowboarding and another not-so-wonderful year of school. I made new friends, got presented with some awesome opportunities, taken a couple great trips (all over Michigan, Chicago, Pennsylvania, Florida), learned a lot about myself, became even more radical, and turned the ripe age of 21. It has truly been an incredible year.
I am sincerely looking forward to the next year of my life. Just last week I became part of the Smokin' Mad Love family, which is an incredibly exciting thing for me. Smokin' Mad Love is a mainly longboard company out of Grand Haven and they have asked me to rep their product, which I really couldn't be more stoked about. I feel that this will lead to some really amazing adventures. I have also recently accepted a summer job at Camp Woodward! Seriously? How rad is that? For three weeks (but I am hoping for more) I will get to share the stoke of skateboarding and snowboarding with campers from all over the country. I will get to work with kids and skate some of the best skate parks in the country. But really... How rad is that?
I also face a lot of changes in the next year. I have officially made the decision that I will not be going back to school next year. While college has, undoubtedly, made me a more well-rounded, knowledgeable person, it has also, at many times, made me feel numb. I feel like I have spent so much of the past three years of my life writing meaningless papers when I could have been out truly experiencing life and doing something with meaning. It is a heartbreaking experience to have to turn an "at-risk" (I hate that term, but it will do for now) elementary schooler, who wants to do nothing but hang out in the safety of your house, away from your door so that you can go back inside and write the exact same paper that 25 other people are writing. A paper that will be read by one person and than thrown away. I cannot continue to dedicate hours of my life to projects that will not ever be shared, and, honestly, do not deserve to be shared. From this point on, I pledge to only do that which is meaningful. I will not waste any more time... there are more important things I can do with my short time on the planet.
So what is next? What will I do with all my time. Part of me just wants to hang out in the hood. To never leave... My heart bleeds for this hood and I want to be a part of it. I want to help create the feeling of empowerment that only comes with strong community. I truly believe that radical change will be achieved by those in the hood, but only after they wake up and begin to fight the true oppression that they face. As much as I want to stay in the hood, I realize that that would be a mistake. I need to see the world, or maybe just this country, and if I stay here now, I will probably never leave. I need to get out now before it is too late. Those who leave can always come back, but those who stay can't always leave. So I am going.
As of right now, it is looking more and more like I will be heading to Tahoe come fall. I have some really great friends heading out that way, and It seems like too great of an opportunity to pass up. I hope to find a job as a full-time snowboard instructor at one of the 12 resorts that exist out that way, and just snowboard a lot. I plan on only being there in the winter, and returning temporarily in the spring. I just do not want to stay in one place too long. I am not entirely sure how Tahoe will mix with my activism, or even if I will have an opportunity to be an activist at all, but I am interested to see how that plays out in a completely new environment. There is oppression everywhere, unfortunately, I am sure I will find it in Tahoe as well.
In order to make that move, I will be forced to make a lot of sacrifices, which is an unfortunate bummer that I will simply have to deal with. I have never lived far away from my family. I am sure missing my family and friends will be one of the hardest realities of moving out west. I will obviously miss my hood and grand rapids as a whole. I seriously love this city so much. I love knowing every nook and cranny, every tagger, and where to find the best coffee. I have been presented with some awesome opportunities for the next year here in grand rapids as well that I will have to turn down. For one, I have been offered a management position at Pando. That is so awesome, and I would love to accept it and work for one of my favorite places ever, but I just cannot do it. I am also bummed about potentially not going to be able to participate in all the awesome things Smokin' Mad Love will be doing, but hopefully they will still be able to use me wherever I go. Moving is not going to be easy, but I really do need to do it. I refuse to be stuck here forever. I need to free myself now.
So yeah, that is what I have been up to and what I will be up to in the next few months. It is going to be good. When this stuff gets rolling I may be posting more, for better or for worse.
Until next type. (haha, yeah, i just made that up... that is totally going to be my sign-off signature thing.)
