Things I did:
Got introduced to the Bariloche bouldering gym. SCORE.
Started an eight-week course on climate change and global warming, with a global focus but also
pertinent to Bariloche\Argentina. All in Spanish. Wow.
Am volunteering at Colegio Del Sol as the curtain person\ techie for the kids' end of year musical
play
Went skiing at Corre Catedral one day. No Poles. On Purpose. On Tele. Awesome.
Pictures and videos to follow chicos...
Abrazo,
Kev
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Friday, September 3, 2010
Hola De San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina!
Back to the land o' lakes, and I'm not talkin' 'bout Minnesota...
I landed safely, touching down shortly after 1:45 pm in Bariloche, only to have my friends Maria & Eduardo pick me up at the airport - que bueno! And after that? We went to El Colegio Del Sol, where Pili is a 4th grade teacher...
Her students remembered me from my last visit to which a few exclaimed ''It's Kevin! Kevin is here!'' and, as Pili had her back to the classroom door, she looked over her shoulder in GREAT surprise! Yesssss..... Together again Otra Vez!
Before departing for Argentina, I climbed for three days with some good friends from North Carolina, and then headed up to Morgantown, W.V., where I saw MORE good friends. Our friend Forrest's band (The Soul Miners) played through the night as we boogied and caught up. I had the good fortune to meet the fiancee of my good friend Mary Brys, el, se llama ''Christian.'' The next morning it was breakfast at Bob Evan's and it was off to visit Greg and Emily Corio and their little boy Bryce, who is getting bigger by the day!
Speaking if getting bigger by the day, Pili's daughter, Margarita? Wow. SO BIG! I will post some pohots to follow this post...
After a slightly stressful drive home, due to the long story of me losing my wallet for 24 hours, I finally made it home to Manassas, where my parents still live. Reason being for my stressful drive is that during the time span of my lost wallet, I cancelled by bank card, thus nixing my ability to withdsrawal cash from an ATM. Therefore, writing paper checks is such an archaic method of payment with today's technology, that there were a few close calls with a quarter tank of gas, at 1130 pm, with an electronic check proceessor that repeatedly rejected my paper checks... ARGH!!!! FInally, I sucked it up and went to a BP. I know. BP! I get it... but at midnight after driving for over 7 hours back and forth across all of WV and VA, I just told myself it was a private gas station, subsidizing their fuel stock from before the oil spill, and that... they couldn't be held accountable for something that BP, HALIBURTON; and TRANSOCEAN did to our earth.
So... that was that, and then I made it to my folks house, several hours later.
Life down here? Is going to be exciting. It is still darn chilly in the mornings as Spring attempts to make an appearance only in the afternoons... it is still dark until about 815 am, and
Well, that's just the quick update, more to follow you crazy peeps I care about so much!
Until then, Hasta luego!
Kev
Super Margarita!
The House! Small, but comfy - beautiful!
Margarita is ready for school!
I landed safely, touching down shortly after 1:45 pm in Bariloche, only to have my friends Maria & Eduardo pick me up at the airport - que bueno! And after that? We went to El Colegio Del Sol, where Pili is a 4th grade teacher...
Her students remembered me from my last visit to which a few exclaimed ''It's Kevin! Kevin is here!'' and, as Pili had her back to the classroom door, she looked over her shoulder in GREAT surprise! Yesssss..... Together again Otra Vez!
Before departing for Argentina, I climbed for three days with some good friends from North Carolina, and then headed up to Morgantown, W.V., where I saw MORE good friends. Our friend Forrest's band (The Soul Miners) played through the night as we boogied and caught up. I had the good fortune to meet the fiancee of my good friend Mary Brys, el, se llama ''Christian.'' The next morning it was breakfast at Bob Evan's and it was off to visit Greg and Emily Corio and their little boy Bryce, who is getting bigger by the day!
Speaking if getting bigger by the day, Pili's daughter, Margarita? Wow. SO BIG! I will post some pohots to follow this post...
After a slightly stressful drive home, due to the long story of me losing my wallet for 24 hours, I finally made it home to Manassas, where my parents still live. Reason being for my stressful drive is that during the time span of my lost wallet, I cancelled by bank card, thus nixing my ability to withdsrawal cash from an ATM. Therefore, writing paper checks is such an archaic method of payment with today's technology, that there were a few close calls with a quarter tank of gas, at 1130 pm, with an electronic check proceessor that repeatedly rejected my paper checks... ARGH!!!! FInally, I sucked it up and went to a BP. I know. BP! I get it... but at midnight after driving for over 7 hours back and forth across all of WV and VA, I just told myself it was a private gas station, subsidizing their fuel stock from before the oil spill, and that... they couldn't be held accountable for something that BP, HALIBURTON; and TRANSOCEAN did to our earth.
So... that was that, and then I made it to my folks house, several hours later.
Life down here? Is going to be exciting. It is still darn chilly in the mornings as Spring attempts to make an appearance only in the afternoons... it is still dark until about 815 am, and
Well, that's just the quick update, more to follow you crazy peeps I care about so much!
Until then, Hasta luego!
Kev
Super Margarita!
The House! Small, but comfy - beautiful!
Margarita is ready for school!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Going abroad... Going aboard...
Friends,
Hello. After noticing that it has been yet nearly another year since my last post, an update is in order. Speaking of order, a new approach to this blog is in order - in celebration of my next upcoming adventure,, I will be posting more frequently with videos and photos, to portray more of my everyday rhythm while in Patagonia, but for now? Sit right back, and I will catch you up on exactly what has been going on in life...
photos: Kevin Shon 2010, top to bottom- 1. Climber Staff Training, 2. Climbing with Students at Table Rock 3. 2010 All Staff photo! The Hills of Appalachia as viewed from Ginger Cake Acres near Table Rock 4. Chinese Checkers in the Philip's building at Table Rock -night time entertainment 5. Climbing with friends Kelly and Jen on the North Ridge Route, Table Rock 6. The Hills of Appalachia as viewed from Ginger Cake Acres near Table Rock
I am wrapping up my fourth summer season at the North Carolina Outward Bound School (www.ncobs.org) as I prepare for some Fall/Winter work in Patagonia (which is their Spring and Summer). I will be posting photos/video over my next consecutive posts offering but a mere glimpse of my time at both our Table Rock and Cedar Rock base camps.
After I slowly organize my cabin and my car for the big trip out of NC for the Fall, I will head first to Table Rock on August 25th for our Staff appreciation celebration at NCOBS. I will then head to the New River Gorge for a few days of climbing. Then, after a quick visit with my parents in Northern Virginia, it will be off to Argentina for the Fall/Winter.
Pili and I are excited to be together again- we have been patiently waiting to be reunited while we commit to our professional passions. This Winter (from here on out referred to as "Summer," due to being in the southern hempisphere), will be an amazing opportunity for us to be together while also being able to actuate our professional passions as well as our relationship!
The loveliest folks waiting for me back in Patagonia...
Hello. After noticing that it has been yet nearly another year since my last post, an update is in order. Speaking of order, a new approach to this blog is in order - in celebration of my next upcoming adventure,, I will be posting more frequently with videos and photos, to portray more of my everyday rhythm while in Patagonia, but for now? Sit right back, and I will catch you up on exactly what has been going on in life...
photos: Kevin Shon 2010, top to bottom- 1. Climber Staff Training, 2. Climbing with Students at Table Rock 3. 2010 All Staff photo! The Hills of Appalachia as viewed from Ginger Cake Acres near Table Rock 4. Chinese Checkers in the Philip's building at Table Rock -night time entertainment 5. Climbing with friends Kelly and Jen on the North Ridge Route, Table Rock 6. The Hills of Appalachia as viewed from Ginger Cake Acres near Table Rock
I am wrapping up my fourth summer season at the North Carolina Outward Bound School (www.ncobs.org) as I prepare for some Fall/Winter work in Patagonia (which is their Spring and Summer). I will be posting photos/video over my next consecutive posts offering but a mere glimpse of my time at both our Table Rock and Cedar Rock base camps.
After I slowly organize my cabin and my car for the big trip out of NC for the Fall, I will head first to Table Rock on August 25th for our Staff appreciation celebration at NCOBS. I will then head to the New River Gorge for a few days of climbing. Then, after a quick visit with my parents in Northern Virginia, it will be off to Argentina for the Fall/Winter.
Pili and I are excited to be together again- we have been patiently waiting to be reunited while we commit to our professional passions. This Winter (from here on out referred to as "Summer," due to being in the southern hempisphere), will be an amazing opportunity for us to be together while also being able to actuate our professional passions as well as our relationship!
The loveliest folks waiting for me back in Patagonia...
I will be living this Summer in Bariloche, Argentina instructing some Outward Bound courses, as well as working for a local elementary school in Bariloche, Colegio Del Sol, developing an environmental education curriculum for their grades 1-6 programming. All of this is also building towards something bigger; a new high school will eventually be built by the same board of directors overseeing El Colegio. It will be an eco-school (http://www.eco-schools.org/) and the dream vision is for me to be develop curriculum for this school as well, using the elementary school as a pilot. This would mean full-time in Argentina for several years down the road- after a master's degree and a few other stops along the "voyage" I began after graduating from WVU (www.wvu.edu) nearly 5 years ago. CRAZY! I never would have thought this was where my adventure was leading, but everyday I am reminded that once I think I have hit the peak, the summit, I see that there are more, off in the horizon, both figurative and literal.
The figurative peaks? Will be the stuff of catching up in person, or over phone. The literal peaks? I will attempt to continue my new passion of photography and try to post some photos from my climbs in the Andes this Summer in South America.
Stay tuned for more stories, and i will stay tuned for yours.
The figurative peaks? Will be the stuff of catching up in person, or over phone. The literal peaks? I will attempt to continue my new passion of photography and try to post some photos from my climbs in the Andes this Summer in South America.
Stay tuned for more stories, and i will stay tuned for yours.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Viva La bariloche!
Que Tal hombres?
Estoy en Bariloche, Argentina por los maises de Octubre y Noviembre!
The weather here is simply smashing (rainy, cold, snowy, amazingly spring!). I hope to upload some photo and video to showyou a bit of my encounters here :)
Meanwhile, I am taking Spanish lessons, about two times a week for two hours per session, and I am helping out around the NCOBS base here. Lucila, my boss is simply amazing. Actually, now that I think ofit, every single person I have met so far is ABSOLUTELY amazing. I have a bike to borrow to ride the several kilometers to my lessons, lvie near a bus stop on the outskirts of downtown, and I am really happy here right now. I hope, soon, to be able to type all of this in Spanish. I am attemptingto upload a video on to Facebook right now that shows you some of the high winds and snow, but ... alas, the internet esta no rapido. So, we'll see what I can whip up.
Hope you are well, I will also be thinking hard (hopefully without hurting anything), and posting to my other blog Gradus ad Conscientia. A Blog about education and expriential learning.
Chau chau for now y grande abrazos!
-Kshonito
Estoy en Bariloche, Argentina por los maises de Octubre y Noviembre!
The weather here is simply smashing (rainy, cold, snowy, amazingly spring!). I hope to upload some photo and video to showyou a bit of my encounters here :)
Meanwhile, I am taking Spanish lessons, about two times a week for two hours per session, and I am helping out around the NCOBS base here. Lucila, my boss is simply amazing. Actually, now that I think ofit, every single person I have met so far is ABSOLUTELY amazing. I have a bike to borrow to ride the several kilometers to my lessons, lvie near a bus stop on the outskirts of downtown, and I am really happy here right now. I hope, soon, to be able to type all of this in Spanish. I am attemptingto upload a video on to Facebook right now that shows you some of the high winds and snow, but ... alas, the internet esta no rapido. So, we'll see what I can whip up.
Hope you are well, I will also be thinking hard (hopefully without hurting anything), and posting to my other blog Gradus ad Conscientia. A Blog about education and expriential learning.
Chau chau for now y grande abrazos!
-Kshonito
Monday, September 28, 2009
There are other summits the horizon now shows...
Hello all,
Broadcasting from Everglades City, Florida...
Kev here, and I will start off saying this is gonna be short. But, more to come without a doubt. So, am in pre-course prep at NCOBS for our International Leadership Semester. This means I am the Florida phase instructor who is doing most of our prep (packing out gear, food planning and packout, route selection, curriculum development, etc.) before the semester proctor, Calvin, arrives.
After my buddy Calvin shows up, wehave one day to meet up, hang out, chat and chill and organize what our course vision will look like. Sounds easy enough... perhaps? Then we expedition for two weeks, over 70 miles from the Southwestern tip of the Florida mainland northwesterly towards Everglades City. Good stuff..... We will then wrap up the Florida phase and fly south to Patagonia... Specifically, to Bariloche, Argentina where Calvin and the students will take it from there, mountaineering and Alpine climbing and such. I will be their logistics support and live at our basecamp there in Bariloche and re-ration their resupplies, climb in my off time, and attend Spanish classes.... with dreams of returning for more work (hopefully some Backpacking and Service courses we offer down there...)
That's the quick and skinny for now.... photos, stories, and aspirations to come- one of which? ..... (applying to Grad. school.......!!!)
Much love,
K
Broadcasting from Everglades City, Florida...
Kev here, and I will start off saying this is gonna be short. But, more to come without a doubt. So, am in pre-course prep at NCOBS for our International Leadership Semester. This means I am the Florida phase instructor who is doing most of our prep (packing out gear, food planning and packout, route selection, curriculum development, etc.) before the semester proctor, Calvin, arrives.
After my buddy Calvin shows up, wehave one day to meet up, hang out, chat and chill and organize what our course vision will look like. Sounds easy enough... perhaps? Then we expedition for two weeks, over 70 miles from the Southwestern tip of the Florida mainland northwesterly towards Everglades City. Good stuff..... We will then wrap up the Florida phase and fly south to Patagonia... Specifically, to Bariloche, Argentina where Calvin and the students will take it from there, mountaineering and Alpine climbing and such. I will be their logistics support and live at our basecamp there in Bariloche and re-ration their resupplies, climb in my off time, and attend Spanish classes.... with dreams of returning for more work (hopefully some Backpacking and Service courses we offer down there...)
That's the quick and skinny for now.... photos, stories, and aspirations to come- one of which? ..... (applying to Grad. school.......!!!)
Much love,
K
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)