Recent Happenings.....

So over the past few weeks I've found myself travelling over almost half the U.S, en-route from school in Tucson, Arizona to a summer internship in the tiny town of Metaline Falls, Washington, in the Selkirk Mountains near British Columbia. As always, I throw myself into some crazy new situation with usual reckless abandon and little regard for what I've gotten myself into. I knew I was going to be living in a small town, but this transcends 'small' and resembles something closer to an outpost on the edge of the world at times haha... Really though it's a very nice place, population ~400 or so between the neighboring villages of Metaline and Metaline Falls.

It's a bit of an awkward interface between a very small, rootsy arts-culture and retired scene and a modestly booming mining town, replete with the tough, mostly conservative blue-collar transients who travel the country looking for jobs in a very specialized and close-knit industry. I'm working as an geology intern at the Pend Oreille Mine, an historic Lead-Zinc Mine a few miles north of town, recently re-opened in 2003 by Canadian Mining giant Teck-Cominco, the current owners.
The mine is a fascinating operation; there is something fundamentally compelling abouy literally wrestling raw resources out of the earth, as much as that crosses my environmentalist leanings. It's a relatively small, tidy operation, producing only about 2,000 tons of ore per day from purely underground workings [pretty small by mining standards these days.]

On a similiar note, I often wonder how I ended up working in the mining industry, who's traditionally very conservative, blue-collar, "huntin and fishin" roots seem to clash so much with my very leftist, eccentric, hippy-outdoorsy style. I think it's been a great experience though, I''ve always loved minerals and geology, and the outdoors of course, and the people who work in this field for the most part are very passionate about their jobs; to them it is a lifestyle more than just a career, and in our increasingly disenfranchised society it's genuinely refreshing to see people who love the work they do.
I've been in Metaline Falls now for almost 3 weeks, and the time has really flown by for the most part. Sure, it has it's slow moments, sitting wasting time on the internet [ahem... :)], wishing I was in a trendy coffeehouse or restaurant or club in Seattle or Denver, surrounded by the pretentious hipsters we all love to hate, instead of my myself feeling like an island in the middle of a no-nonsense, rural-values ocean. I find while I'm really not the city type at all, the one thing I really do miss is the culture, the social vibe, the ability to really seek out and connect with like-minded people. I found this past spring while studying at the University of Arizona in Tucson, for one of the first times in my life I felt like I found a group of fun, good people who valued me for who I was, face value, no-strings-attached.

It's so refreshing to be liked for who you are. I guess I am pretty outgoing and friendly and though I've thrown myself in all these haphazard new situations, I've been able to find people to connect with. This time I'm not so sure yet; I'm hoping so though, I know there are other young people out here that must be into climbing and hiking and mountaineering and skiing and the like.... hell I don't expect them to discuss my new favo. song by 'The Ones' or why Thievery Coropration is the greatest electronica group ever or my thoughts on the political situation in America... I just need a place to start, some sort of common ground to get to know people on. I promise I'm not as pretentious as I'm sounding, I'm just having trouble finding the right words. I've found so far, just being humble and staying true to myself has been the best way to get to know 'the locals' and be accepted.

I know, I know, I'm only here through the beginning of August, scarcely 2 months from now I'll be headed back to Tucson, then flying back to the East Coast to see the family [Ah how I love New England in August...], then over the Oslo and Sweden for 2 weeks to see that side of the family. So really, why does it matter if I vibe with anyone here, it's about the work experiience [excellent so far] and the outdoor opportunities [Backcountry skiing in May, check. Hiking big super-gnar peaks in B.C, check. Mountaineering in Cascades, check. Sea-Kayaking in the San Juan Islands, check.].

But you know, I think as much of a loner as I make myself out to be, I crave interpersonal connected-ness. Don't we all? Well, tomorrow is a new day, and I'm going to keep with my current motto of 'one day at a time' becuase you know what, that's me right now, I don't know where I'm going but I know who I am haha... so when yoyr in Metaline Falls, Washington and you see a tall readhead guy with some crazy outfit and shades driving a red ford pickup with a million bumber stickers.... wave. I'll wave back.
Peace n' all that good shtuff,
Phil.