What to do next isn't very glamorous

I am still not employed since my PCT hike. I have searched job listings each day and sent out resumes, but I have not had any luck yet.

I did get a lead on a temporary, part-time job listening to whales on audio tapes. I will probably end up doing that for a few months. I think this will be a good thing. What I ought to do is go back to school and take a few classes. I am lucky to have time and money to do this. I could improve and freshen my skills and have more options. All that time walking on the PCT wondering what I could do next and the answer ends up lacking any glamor or adventure. Well, maybe there will be some adventure. You never know.

It always seems like such a great idea to quit a job and be free. But after a while, I feel like I need something to do. It will be a long time before the next semester begins. I need to find more volunteer jobs. Perhaps I could volunteer with the election campaigns. I wonder if they can use people who do not make phone calls or solicit in any way.

Once the semester starts, I will probably take computer classes. I wish there was more I could do or something new. But I cannot think of anything that consumes me enough to get an advanced degree. I would like to learn more about plants and maybe work with them. Perhaps I will also take horticulture classes with the computer classes. Maybe I could combine the two. Too bad I missed this semester's classes. I could have taken a plant identification class. Perhaps with plant identification skills and database skills I could do something.

Meanwhile, my PCT book is coming along. I am cleaning up my writing and adding details that I never wrote down. Next week maybe I will have a chance to read a portion of it in my writing class and get some critiques. I think I am going to need an editor. There is a lady in the class who is willing to swap editing for web design. I feel like it has been so long since I did any web design that I can barely remember how to do it. I do remember some things because I decided to redesign one of my own web sites and was mystified by all the mistakes I had made. I suppose working so much, I did not have time to care about it and just threw it together. Still, it falls short of excellence.

Resolutions

I haven't posted in a while. I guess I had little to say. I was also on vacation. Vacation gives you time to think. So here are my resolutions for the New Year:

1. Do some career exploration


2. Reduce consumption of material things


3. Go backpacking more

1) It may turn out that my career is just right for me. After all, we make an environmentally beneficial product and it's a good company. I just feel a little overwhelmed by spending so much time on the computer.

2) I'm going to purchase fewer new clothes, even fewer used clothes. I'm going to try to live more simply if I can. I already live pretty simply.

3) I haven't been backpacking in a long time. And with my favorite places closed and all burned up, this can be a little difficult. But the fact is that I have a chance to go backpacking every weekend so why not do it? I've still got good places I can go. I could go to Blue Canyon. I can go and get away from stressful things in my home life.

I just returned from a trip to New York. I have decided that I don't like the kind of travel that has you flying in planes and staying in hotels. It's just too stressful and too corporate. And too wasteful. Backpacking makes me feel alive and reminds me of the true meaning of being human. I need to do more of it. No need to go to the far reaches of the Earth to have an adventure. It's all right here in my beautiful backcountry.