Tag: hosts

April 12, 2016 – Helena, Montana

One month isn’t long enough. Or maybe it’s too long. As we sit around the living room, I realize that I could see myself getting attached to this family very easily. My hosts’ son is a man that …

April 3, 2016 – Helena, Montana

Has it been a year and a half…? My father would be ashamed. I’m thinking about anything other than the lyrics on the projector screen. Anything to shield my ears. Nice church, though. New. Welcoming. My new hosts …

End: Year One, Lutsen, Minnesota

Reflections: 2015. The most challenging and rewarding year of my life thus far. The world has opened up to me in a way in which I never knew was possible. Or possibly, I never knew which way to …

October 18, 2015 – Finland, Minnesota

“Watch out for that rock right there.” It must be midnight or later, and I’m walking through the woods behind Steven and Damean (my host’s “neighbor”). Without lights. The complete opposite environment that we just left – a …

October 5, 2015 – Finland, Minnesota

I can’t believe people do this. I’m being chauffeured up the most ridiculous “road” I’ve ever encountered – an old logging road that hasn’t been maintained in years. My driver is a friend of my new hosts; he …

September 15, 2015 – Finland, Minnesota

This can’t be happening. I’m holding a past lover in my arms, wading through a public swimming pool. We must be on a romantic getaway… but where? Just us? As I start questioning the reality of this situation …

July 23, 2015 – Crosslake, Minnesota

Oh, there you are. You’ve been away for awhile. I’m sitting in a meditative stance underwater, submersed up to my neck. I just went for a jog – the first since I’ve been here. It’s easy to get …

May 31, 2015 – St. Paul, Minnesota

Has it been five months already? Tonight is my last with my first hosts, and the feeling is bittersweet. I’m afraid Mari and Syr have set the bar a bit too high. They’ve shown me the undeniable strength …

March 30, 2015 – Saint Paul, Minnesota

Technology may be the end of us. But for now, it’s irreplaceable. The yin to my yang. My life force. In fact, I can’t live this lifestyle without it. …or could I? Without it, I wouldn’t be able …

March 22, 2015 – Saint Paul, Minnesota

My adult life has always felt a bit serendipitous. I tend to trace this feeling back to when I was 18, eager to get out and embrace new experiences. Most notably, though, was at age 19 when my …