So, two summers ago I attempted to start a blog about my adventures at Outward Bound. Unfortunately, I was not a dedicated blogger, and my blog quickly became just another forgotten document on the Web. I've decided to attempt a blog once again, to not only update people on my travels west over the next month but also to input stories that have happened on my courses in the past year.
I finished my 7th course yesterday down in Key Largo. Today, my wonderful co-instructor, Liz, and I drove north to Fernandina Beach to the beach house, beginning the first leg of my epic journey that will ultimately take me to Fairhope, AL; Allen, TX; Albuquerque, NM; the Grand Canyon; Yuma, AZ; Phoenix, AZ; Arches National Park; Provo, UT; Denver, CO; Tulsa, OK; and back to Fairhope for a week of work before heading home for Christmas.
Both Liz and I were exhausted when we pulled up to the beach house at 6:00pm. I think we both could've gone to bed right then. Course can definitely take a toll on you, and I think for me all the emotion and exhaustion that builds up on course comes crashing down on me once it's done.
It was definitely sad to say "good bye" to our kiddos last night. Despite the craziness on our course with the weather and angry kids, I really fell in love with these kids. We went through so much together that no one else other than the people there will ever be able to understand: six days of continuous rain, an epic storm that woke us up at 7:00am with drenching rains/40+mph winds/lightning, a medical evacuation of all students and instructors, a buggy as all hell solo w/no downtime, and an awesome last night paddle from the South Joe chickee to Coots Bay. They were, and are, survivors.
In fact, one of those little survivors is the inspiration for the name of my blog. One of my students, Brandon, introduced me to a whole new vocabulary while I was on course. Brandon would always tell me that he "been" (pronounced "bin"). If I got it right, "been" means that someone's done something; they've been there, done that. One of my other students, Joshua, took this and said one day he would get a tattoo that said "Outward Been," especially after all the adventures we had gone through.
Other words that have crept into my vocabulary as a result of this course include: tip (means "I agree"), herbing (means "That's crazy/stupid/bogus"...at least that's what the kids said), posting (means "hanging out"), and fire (means "awesome"). I also now love to say "Nah" now in the most annoying voice ever as a result of my student Matt. I think that one might stick.
But I learned so much more on this course than new words. I'll just have to include the anecdotes from this course throughout my posts in the coming weeks, as I don't have enough patience to write it all in one sitting.
The next few days will be spent at the beach house with the fabulous Liz, Caitlin, and Rachel (once she gets back) before I head to Fairhope on either Tuesday or Wednesday (depending on how I'm feeling). Already have a to do list, including paying a toll that I missed today while driving (oops!) and washing my ridiculously dirty car that has not seen much love in the past month. And lots of running! Gotta get back in shape!
Now, though, time for sleep.
"A ship is safest in the harbor, but that's not what ships were made for." Here I go...Outward Bound!
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