12-13-12 Last classes

Yesterday was my last science class with Robert and my last field instruction. The field instruction consisted of sledding and laughter. But science was another story. A lot of people at Conserve says that they like Andy better as a science teacher because he is funny and really energetic, but I think that Robert and Andy can't be compared. They are so different, and I like both of their teaching styles. Robert is a terrific teacher. I love the things that he teaches, but the end of our class was slightly morbid, but quite interesting all at the same time.

We were talking about the repercussions that globalization has on communities and the "economic state of our happiness." The process of transition came up and we started talking about transitions through life and transitions from Conserve School to home life. Robert said that it was very important for us to accept these transitions in our life, whether it be from a teenager to young adult or from old age to death. Teahelahn made a very good comparison between the community at Conserve School and the communities around the world that are transitioning into a new type of community. Here at Conserve we live in a bubble. We are removed from billboards, the neon lights, and the screams of noise that penetrate our lives. We are incredibly happy here. The communities that are't globalized tend to be a happier culture. I thought this was very interesting. Just recently, I asked Maeve what she thought she would have been doing if she hadn't Mattie and I and hadn't come to Conserve. Her response was something along the lines of: "I never knew I could be this happy. I would have been unaware that this state of happiness could be reached."

I think that she is very true. I have found people here that I feel closer to than I do with people at home.Many people here realized that their friends at home are nothing like who they really are when they went home for Thanksgiving.  The entire semester has changed many of our lives forever whether its because we have realized what we want to do in the future, what we are really passionate about, or that we really can't live without the wilderness. I still have people at home that I am incredibly close to, but I never knew I could be nearly as happy as I am with the special people that I live with everyday. If you think about it though, it's hard not be close to people when you see them constantly. We live, breath, eat, and explore together. Not it's time to see whether we can weather the transition together and dream up our next destination.