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Being a self-employed forester has its advantages. Although I am officially a resident of Georgia (which, incidentally, will go for Hillary this election), I’m free to work anywhere. Summers in the south are miserable enough for those who work indoors and commute to work in an air conditioned car. Working in tick-infested woods through the hot and humid summer is even worse. There are alternatives, and I take advantage of them.
Each summer, I pack my truck and drive diagonally across the country to some destination in the Northwest. This year’s work took me to Idaho. In other years, I’ve worked just about anywhere in Washington, Oregon, or Idaho where there are trees.
All of my work locations are in the US, but in many ways they are worlds apart. I’ve noticed that I develop a different mindset depending on where I am. I jokingly say that I have dual citizenship of the two regions of the country. In Georgia, I have my too-large-for-one-person house in a woodsy neighborhood in Macon. The amenities of city life are nearby. I play Ultimate Frisbee twice or thrice weekly, and always make time for a game. The countryside consists of rolling hills covered with pines and hardwoods, interspersed with farms. Houses are everywhere, and so are churches. The horizon is never far away.
By contrast, the inland West is vast. Hills, mountains, and wide open spaces, sometimes with views of 50 miles or more. Between towns, there aren’t many houses. Aside from Mormon country, the population is more secular than in the South. If you dare to leave the paved roads, you’ll find millions of acres where few people go. I’m often working and camping in those blank spaces on the map. There’s little time for shopping or frisbee games.
As for the change in mindset, I notice that as I drive across the country, I gradually make the mental transition from Southerner to Westerner, and back again. The long road trip, with the changes in scenery, helps ease me into one state of being or the other. Going west, one marker is to be in the western Great Plains where the towns are far apart and I can stand in the middle of the road, taking a picture of a ribbon of asphalt that stretches forever. Soon there are mountains.
Traveling by air does not give you that adjustment time. After a few hours in the air, you step out of an airport into a totally different world.
Let’s hear your stories. Are you a dual citizen? Do you travel extensively and make mental adjustments as you go? Or do you stay closer to home, and look at the world differently when you’re at home versus at work?
As for me, I will have to put on my western forester’s cap and get to work soon. I will stick around for the comments as long as I can.
As Always, This is an Open Thread!
LET'S BUILD IN-REAL-LIFE COMMUNITIES!
Our team is here to provide support and guidance to new and existing volunteer leaders of each regional and state group, helping them with recruiting, organizing and executing social and action events. We invite you to join in this effort to build our community. There are many ways to pitch in. If there isn't a group to join near you, please start one.
Colorado: Wednesdays, 6:00 PM Mountain
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It’s time for another get-together of Seattle and Puget Sound Kos!
Shoot bleeding blue a kos-message if you’re interested. And more discussion here.
Location: Columbia City Ale House (over 21, sorry)
4914 Rainier Ave. S., Seattle — website
Time: Sunday, August 14, 2016. 1:00 to 3:00 pm
Agenda: The primary is over, what does the political landscape look like now? We will certainly talk about that. And with hope, meet some new people.
RSVPS
1. bleeding blue
2. flamingo grrl
3. cinnamon68
4. T-Bone Apollo
5. doingbusinessas
6. momomia
7. georgerz
Maybees:
kitsap river
Charles Curtis Stanley
rb137
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Hello Boston! Two meet-ups are planned for you in August thanks to our wonderful GreyHawk!
One to welcome new transplant, Pam LaPier, to Boston.
Saturday, August 13th at 2:00 PM
Applebees 200 Hancock in St Quincy
Can you attend to welcome Pam La Pier to Boston?
RSVPS
1. GreyHawk
2. Hawkwife
3. Pam La Pier, newly transplanted to Boston
Maybees:
True Blue Majority
JeffinQC
CvW — Can provide carpool from CT, draw an arc from Worcester to Providence, Mass Pike to 95, CvW can hit any spot in that arc. Kosmail CvW.
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And another to scoop up those who can’t attend on Saturdays, GreyHawk is teh awesome!
Sunday, August 14th at 2:00 PM
Applebees 200 Hancock in St Quincy
RSVPS
1. GreyHawk
2. Hawkwife
3.
Maybees:
rugbymom
JeffinQC
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See discussion here: Boston Kossacks: August Meetup? and here: BosKos Meetup - Open to all Kossacks.
Kosmail GreyHawk if you’d like to attend either or both events.
Let’s build the Daily Kos In-Real-Life network in Boston!
WOW. Just WOW. See peregrine kate’s diary about connecting Kossacks at the DNC convention. Great job, Kate!
Her commentary is excellent and there’s terrific food pr0n! If you didn’t notice her coverage in her previous diaries while she was there you should look at her diary history. Stellar reporting! Thanks, Kate for hosting this group on behalf of Daily Kos.
The Readers of Daily Kos making a difference!
Houston Area Kos had an last minute meet-up and still had a very decent turnout. Great when local readers of Daily Kos can rally for critical camaraderie. Go Houston Kos!
DKos Asheville gathered on July, 23rd with Gordon20024 driving from Roanoke to provide the catering for the event. People drove from Charlotte and South Carolina! Special guest Tom Sullivan, 1st Vice Chair: (Precinct Organization & Get-Out-The-Vote) of the Buncombe County Democratic Party. More commentary here and more photos here.
Mini-meetup in Nashville, party of two, ZenTrainer and Ladybug53.
Ladybug53 drove over 2 hours to Nashville today to get voter registration supplies (courtesy of Gordon20024) and to talk voter registration with ZenTrainer. About a 5 hour drive round trip. This was according to ZenTrainer’s diary about it. Ladybug53 was in town to see Liberal Redneck live at a comedy club. She left Nashville with T-shirts, pens, registration forms and a clipboard, ready to go. This is what all readers need to do. Register people to vote, get off your duff!
The Houston Area Kossacks met on June 28, 2016 to dine and listen to some political guests that scott5js, who has really been bringing the local Democratic star-power to their meetups. First Eric William Carter (who won his Justice of the Peace primary!), and now Judge Steven Kirkland, who is running for 334th Civil District Court. Our Houston Kos group had a great conversation with Kirkland about his campaign and Democratic politics. More photos and food pr0n can be seen here: www.dailykos.com/...
Despite 90+ degree weather, eight Seattle readers of Daily Kos ventured through the heat to gather together for lunch Sunday June 5, 2016.
From bleeding blue, the organizer: “You know, I really enjoy these things. If you get a chance, please consider attending a meetup with fellow Kossacks in your area. That there are real people behind our usernames and avatars, is something that often (not always) gives me pause, and reason to delete a feverishly-written comment...and let things go.”
navajo maintains the above event list. Kosmail her if you have any diaries about your event or if you have changes or additions.