the Ashland update

Some have been asking for more detail about the move to the great northwest, so here goes. Last week while I was there interviewing I was offered and accepted the job that I really wanted, found a place to live and negotiated the start date to be October 8th. This allows time to make a weekend trip back to IA to see Gram before heading west so I am very happy about that. It will be a bit more of a challenge getting around from Ashland and the snow has already started to fly so I plan to hole up there, get settled a bit and enjoy some travel free time for a few months. I will be driving out there next week and plan to stop in ID to see A. Becky and the gang. I'm really looking forward to that as well. I should be in Ashland by next Thursday - WOW!

I hired movers to take the stuff from storage. Oddly enough it will end up costing me a bit less to have someone else move it than if I did it myself. I am ticked about that because I was dreading moving all the crap out of storage and driving a U-Haul cross country. The movers will be here tomorrow and I'll see them out in OR sometime in the next 2-1/2 weeks.

I found a place to live that is about 5 blocks from downtown and work. I will be working downtown and am looking forward to being back in the mix. I was lucky and found a decent sized apartment in a house that has been divived into 3 units. I am glad that I will get to live alone and in a house - best of both words. There is a big yard too so I'll have lots of chances to dig in the dirt, sit outside, bb-q, etc. It is in the neighborhood / area that I really wanted to be in too so I'll get to walk and ride my towny bike everywhere - woohoo!

Now, about the job. I will be working at a small landscape architecture firm called Covey Pardee that focuses on urban design and public works projects. Some of it will be new (the urban design, commercial type projects), but some if it will be old hat (the public sector parks, streetscapes, marketing, proposals, getting cut sheets set up, etc.) It should be a good mix and I am looking forward to the opportunity. I feel very fortunate to have found a good paying job with long term potential (quite possibly partnership if things go well), in an office that focuses on the work that I love to do and in a town that I want to live in :)! When I get there I will be working on a couple of school projects, creating a web site, and putting together marketing material. I'm not a big fan of chasing work, but since I love to talk and my new boss is a bit more laid back...looks like I'll be hammering the phone and making some contacts in neighboring communities. I am really excited to get started and back to "reality".

More really cool stuff about Ashland - I can mountain bike and trail run from my front door, skiing is 20 miles away, there are 3 organic grocery stores in town, there is a reservoir running distance away for a hot afternoon cool off swim, there is a ton of amazing road riding, there's salsa dancing twice a week at one of the local restaraunts, there is a lot of art and theatre, its only 5 hrs from San Fran and 7.5 hrs to Seattle. I will keep updating this list as I discover more.

I can't even begin to describe how I feel about this change. It feels so right and so natural and I am glad I was able to be open to it. Thanks for all the support so many of you have given me throughout this past year. It means the world to me!