Every new position presents its own challenges and they are often very different from the expectations that you enter with. When I signed up for this 10 month AmeriCorps term at the Squam Lakes Association I was sure that this position would be a physical challenge. One of the questions asked during the interview was “are you able to hike at least 8 miles in a day”. For me, 8 miles was near my upper limit for a day of hiking. I pictured myself going on long trailwork hikes everyday and I worried about the physical exhaustion I would experience. However, the physical aspects of this job have yet to pose any real challenges for me. Instead, the most difficult challenge has been staying focused and maintaining productivity on office days while I am stuck inside working at my desk space with the beautiful view of the lake and mountains beckoning me to come outside and play.
10 months can seem like a long time in some places. At my last position as an environmental consultant I spent most of my time in cities at sites contaminated with petroleum and/or chemicals left in the ground from past decades of industrial growth and development. I had a nice big office with a window and exposed brick walls. I had a huge loft apartment to myself in a former mill building, and all of the local conveniences of city living. But in spite of the comfortable lifestyle, eight months was just about all I could stand. I had this unshakable feeling that I was living in a box. Just another box in a large array of them called an apartment building. Working in my office was just a different box to spend time in, and when I was out working on a site, I was still stuck in a box formed of fences, buildings, and rules and regulations. Ironically, living here at the SLA in a 2 bedroom cabin with 5 other people, this is the least confined that I have felt for as long as I can remember. Now, nearly 3 months or a quarter of the way through my term of service, everything still feels fresh and exciting. Perhaps this is because our daily tasks change somewhat with the seasons and we are always learning new skills, but I have a feeling that this will be the shortest 10 months of my life.
On a day off from service at the Squam Lakes Association, catch Eric on the mountain shredding on his snowboard. Learn more about Eric here!