Clean underwear (after the Ohio incident...I will never forget them again). Three lighters. Scrounged birchbark. Tent. Sleeping bag snug inside plastic. Journal. The Horse and His Boy. Stove. Fuel. Steel Wool. Three water bottles. Can opener. Knives. Emergency Insulating Layers. Clean socks. Wool Socks. Boots. Sandals. Missions/Global Relief and Development reading. Two pens. Four tennis balls. Travel alarm clock. Watch. Z-Rest foam pad. Hat. Three t-shirts. A pair of shorts, pants, and swim trunks. Four packstraps. String. Tales of the Kingdom. Bar of soap. Deoderant? Nah. CupBowlSpoon. Rain Gear. Sweater. Glasses case. Emergency Whistle. Compass. Map. Bandanna.
All that in one backpack! And I act like I'm packing light.
Tomorrow: we leave on ten-day STEP. My pack is ready. Am I?
We'll see...
...tomorrow.
Dan
ps--it would be so cool to get back from STEP in ten days and find an email from you. such events pretty much make my week. just a thought...
-dlh
29 June 2004
22 June 2004
So, basically, this summer I have no days off. Sorry mom...we're looking at half-days scattered here and there, July 11th and maybe the 12th; it looks like the 25th-26th is clear so far, and then it's STEP II until the end of the summer at August 6th. Then it's back to Houghton by the evening of the 12th for Highlander.
Here's the recap: I'll be leading groups/prepping for STEP/leading STEP every day this summer except July 11th, 12th, 25th, and 26th, subject to change should outside groups decide to sign up for the ropes course. Naturally, those days will be filled with the revelry of writing papers from the Tanzania semester.
Note to the world: I'm looking for a way to leave Houghton the afternoon/night of August 6th in order to visit home in Michigan. If someone would like to loan me a motorcycle, I'll pay for gas, change the oil/brake fluid/spark plugs, and do my best to tune it and clean it up, and have it back by August 12th.
In the news, today is the last day before the final plunge: tomorrow we begin first STEP: our six-day hiking program for kids too young to go on the ten-day trips. Into the adventure!
Here's the recap: I'll be leading groups/prepping for STEP/leading STEP every day this summer except July 11th, 12th, 25th, and 26th, subject to change should outside groups decide to sign up for the ropes course. Naturally, those days will be filled with the revelry of writing papers from the Tanzania semester.
Note to the world: I'm looking for a way to leave Houghton the afternoon/night of August 6th in order to visit home in Michigan. If someone would like to loan me a motorcycle, I'll pay for gas, change the oil/brake fluid/spark plugs, and do my best to tune it and clean it up, and have it back by August 12th.
In the news, today is the last day before the final plunge: tomorrow we begin first STEP: our six-day hiking program for kids too young to go on the ten-day trips. Into the adventure!
21 June 2004
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
the next person to make uninvited insinuations, leading inquiries, comments, hints, suggestions, or snide remarks about the present or future prospects in significant relationships with the opposite sex will recieve a rude, swift, painful yet just kick to the mapumbu. It's none of your kitomba business. Thank you for your time.
the next person to make uninvited insinuations, leading inquiries, comments, hints, suggestions, or snide remarks about the present or future prospects in significant relationships with the opposite sex will recieve a rude, swift, painful yet just kick to the mapumbu. It's none of your kitomba business. Thank you for your time.
So, in contrast with the last spate of lengthy, thoughtful blogs, I will now indulge in verbal brain vomit. Life is good. I just got my Tanzania pictures yesterday, and they are worlds better than I had anticipated. As soon as possible, I will be putting together an online album. Until then...here's a little photodocumentary on my hair.
short. smooth. suave. shiekh.
still well-trimmed... (why are his eyes glowing red?)
hmmm...that's a lot of hair...
and.....BUSH-TESTOSTERONE-MADNESS!
with a deft trim...balance regained!
ummm...that was really random. Toodleoo!
short. smooth. suave. shiekh.
still well-trimmed... (why are his eyes glowing red?)
hmmm...that's a lot of hair...
and.....BUSH-TESTOSTERONE-MADNESS!
with a deft trim...balance regained!
ummm...that was really random. Toodleoo!
13 June 2004
630 alarm clock
631 bleary response: snooze
636 snooze again
642 snooze again
644 shorts, shirt, accumulated sweat from a week's running.
645 bandaids over blisters, socks, running shoes.
650 the morning air is cold
655 centerville road. i am at the head of the pack. barely. heart bubbles with glee.
700 still centerville road. still uphill. still at the head of the pack. adjust to longer strides. pulling away from the pack. i love this.
710 downhill; finally, joyfully, playfully.
720 walk. stretch. shower. stretch again. apologize to calves.
800 wait for breakfast.
830 feeling lean, mean, hungry and very impatient for breakfast
900 Breakfast! appease the empty stomach!
and so the day begins. it will end at seven, or eight. we will teach each other new group games. we will sing camp songs. we will talk: group dynamics, alpha males, scapegoats, runaways, medical emergencies, blister care, bear bags and favorite trail recipies and 101 ways to make tuna helper and pasta taste different the 42nd time around. then the ropes course: setup, tear down, gear rescues, cutaway rescues, emotional rescues, debriefing techniques, framing by isomorphs, alternative scenarios, spotting, belaying, and playing.
lunch. dinner. cocoa puff bars and mezo-tech bars and why salsa is God's gift to the backpacking chef. Leave No Trace camping, the toilet talk, keeping order on the trail, building shelters, lightening safety, bear safety, solos, maps, compasses, fitting backpacks and chosing menus. exhaustion.
night falls. staff bonding. risk, settlers of catan, rook, xbox, master and commander. olympic diving. laughter.
1000 open the climbing wall. music. ropes and knots and ATCs and crash mats. give kids the harness talk and the helmet talk and set them loose on the wall. watch and laugh and remember what it was like to be in high school. make obstacle courses with chairs and ropes and tennis balls and crash mats when the kids leave.
midnight. close up. drive home. sink deeply into sleep, with a smile for wonderful days that leave you tired enough to sleep wonderful nights.
631 bleary response: snooze
636 snooze again
642 snooze again
644 shorts, shirt, accumulated sweat from a week's running.
645 bandaids over blisters, socks, running shoes.
650 the morning air is cold
655 centerville road. i am at the head of the pack. barely. heart bubbles with glee.
700 still centerville road. still uphill. still at the head of the pack. adjust to longer strides. pulling away from the pack. i love this.
710 downhill; finally, joyfully, playfully.
720 walk. stretch. shower. stretch again. apologize to calves.
800 wait for breakfast.
830 feeling lean, mean, hungry and very impatient for breakfast
900 Breakfast! appease the empty stomach!
and so the day begins. it will end at seven, or eight. we will teach each other new group games. we will sing camp songs. we will talk: group dynamics, alpha males, scapegoats, runaways, medical emergencies, blister care, bear bags and favorite trail recipies and 101 ways to make tuna helper and pasta taste different the 42nd time around. then the ropes course: setup, tear down, gear rescues, cutaway rescues, emotional rescues, debriefing techniques, framing by isomorphs, alternative scenarios, spotting, belaying, and playing.
lunch. dinner. cocoa puff bars and mezo-tech bars and why salsa is God's gift to the backpacking chef. Leave No Trace camping, the toilet talk, keeping order on the trail, building shelters, lightening safety, bear safety, solos, maps, compasses, fitting backpacks and chosing menus. exhaustion.
night falls. staff bonding. risk, settlers of catan, rook, xbox, master and commander. olympic diving. laughter.
1000 open the climbing wall. music. ropes and knots and ATCs and crash mats. give kids the harness talk and the helmet talk and set them loose on the wall. watch and laugh and remember what it was like to be in high school. make obstacle courses with chairs and ropes and tennis balls and crash mats when the kids leave.
midnight. close up. drive home. sink deeply into sleep, with a smile for wonderful days that leave you tired enough to sleep wonderful nights.
04 June 2004
So. Houghton has been so kind to place their classroom computers in lockdown so that no one can install and play games on them. Fair enough. But I can browse the internet, and watch slideshows of Tanzania pictures* roll by on the projection screen. Good enough. The hunt for a massively powerful, unsecured computer suitable for my gaming whims continues.
It has been almost two weeks since returning to the Untied States, and I almost feel normal. Almost. To be candid, I wonder if I will ever feel normal again. I'm stuck somewhere between a vanished (and probably illusory) carefree childhood and a one-year countdown to the very scary reality of...freedom. It suddenly, irrevocably, becomes my turn. Choose and go and make something of your life and I, for one, am not ready.
Thankfully, this worry will soon be drowned out by other, more pressing stressors, and then I will get tired of stressors and get on to the more important task of enjoying the good labor and good leisure in front of me. Sunday STEP training begins, and I am, as usual, timid, overwhelmed, and about to bolt, but holding on and gritting teeth.
For the uniformed (aka...those who were not lucky recipients of my support letter) STEP is a summer ministry of Houghton College. We take groups of 10 local children who otherwise would never be able to dream of affording an outdoor adventure program and go on a backpacking trip that includes rock climbing, a solo reflection experience, ropes/challenge course and cooperative games experience, and an emphasis on personal growth and maturity. I get to lead these groups all summer; it's a great opportunity to do my favorite thing: help people talk through and deal with personal/social problems and grow. If the kids get to see Christ in me or my co-leader...so awesomely much the better. For many kids, we will be the only Christians they get to know beyond the stereotype.
So...I'm excited. If you are, or want to be, email daniel.holcomb@houghton.edu and I'll attempt to tell you more. We rely heavily on the support of generous people, through encouragement, donations, and prayer, so feel free to write and join in.
That's all for now; for those of you expecting or demanding letters, they are coming, especially after watching the Tanzania slideshow. For those of you not...maybe there'll be a surprise...
Dan
* password: tanzania
It has been almost two weeks since returning to the Untied States, and I almost feel normal. Almost. To be candid, I wonder if I will ever feel normal again. I'm stuck somewhere between a vanished (and probably illusory) carefree childhood and a one-year countdown to the very scary reality of...freedom. It suddenly, irrevocably, becomes my turn. Choose and go and make something of your life and I, for one, am not ready.
Thankfully, this worry will soon be drowned out by other, more pressing stressors, and then I will get tired of stressors and get on to the more important task of enjoying the good labor and good leisure in front of me. Sunday STEP training begins, and I am, as usual, timid, overwhelmed, and about to bolt, but holding on and gritting teeth.
For the uniformed (aka...those who were not lucky recipients of my support letter) STEP is a summer ministry of Houghton College. We take groups of 10 local children who otherwise would never be able to dream of affording an outdoor adventure program and go on a backpacking trip that includes rock climbing, a solo reflection experience, ropes/challenge course and cooperative games experience, and an emphasis on personal growth and maturity. I get to lead these groups all summer; it's a great opportunity to do my favorite thing: help people talk through and deal with personal/social problems and grow. If the kids get to see Christ in me or my co-leader...so awesomely much the better. For many kids, we will be the only Christians they get to know beyond the stereotype.
So...I'm excited. If you are, or want to be, email daniel.holcomb@houghton.edu and I'll attempt to tell you more. We rely heavily on the support of generous people, through encouragement, donations, and prayer, so feel free to write and join in.
That's all for now; for those of you expecting or demanding letters, they are coming, especially after watching the Tanzania slideshow. For those of you not...maybe there'll be a surprise...
Dan
* password: tanzania
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