About Andy.
An updated look at myself as an individual.
December 23, 2008.
A 2008 in Retrospective
Now as I near the 26th year of my life I find it necessary do to another retrospective of who I am and who I am becoming. This is far from my first essay on the topic, but I believe it's important to consider where I exist in the world as an individual and what I am becoming.
This past year has taught me much, as it was the first year on my own, in my own apartment, working as professional. I grew and I changed an awful lot. I also stayed the same, both for good and for bad. I kept my conscience and my hard-fought for beliefs, but sometimes was too stubborn to change when the world was really calling for change.
Spending Time Outdoors
My first love and passion is the great outdoors. I don't need to be doing anything particular outside, as much as just being out their experiencing gods wonders. This is why I take so many photographs of these places, trying to capture some of the beauty and wonder of the place that I enjoy so dearly.
During the average week, I probably spend 30 or 40 hours outdoors. Much of that time is just out walking in the woods, exploring the simple things that make life so beautiful and amazing. A buck or toad, the pattern of ice on the lake, the sunlight filtering down through the trees. I always feel much more comfortable outdoors then inside.
In the winter I frequently go cross-country skiing or snowshoeing. In the spring through the fall, I do a fair bit of hiking and exploring the natural world. I also spend a lot of time camping. Almost every weekend from April through October, I spend camping usually under the cap in my pickup truck.
It's very enjoyable sleeping in the bed of a pickup. It is not only cool compared to being indoors in my sometimes sticky apartment in the summer, it's so wonderful to be outdoors and look through the windows at the stars and hear all the sounds of summer.
Indeed, in 2006 after returning from college I spent the entire summer and falling basically living out of my truck on my parents farm. Nowadays, it's not that intense. Most summer weeknights I spent at my apartment in the city. Yet, every other weekend I go out to one of a couple different state forests and spend an extended weekend up there enjoying the wilds of the woods in my truck. It's just so great to sit next to a campfire, listening to a distant AM radio station from New York City or Chicago and watch the stars sparkle in the sky. The opposite weekends I camp out in one of the fields at my parents farm.
The Explorer
This past year gave me more of a chance then ever before in my life to explore more of the world. While in my younger years, I spent much time exploring basically every road and place around my parents house, this year I was able to branch out to locations far beyond where I had ever roamed ever before in my life. It expanded my view of the world and helped me rethink my world.
Having a full-time job with paid vacation time, it has allowed me to see some places I have never been before. I have disposable income to spend on such occasional luxuries nowadays, and can have the time off from work. This past summer, I took a camping trip to the Finger Lakes region, exploring many of the lakes and the surrounding state forests. It was such an amazing experience.
This fall, my work took me across most of the state from Long Island to Buffalo, and at times gave me splendid early mornings and evenings where I could explore some of the most magnificent places in the world. New York City and Niagara Falls are of a scale that it hard to document in photographs or words. Even cities like Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse are amazing in their unique ways and historic traditions.
In November of this year, to visit my elderly grandmother I got to head out west to Arizona. During my week there I not only got to learn a lot about their traditions and culture, along with those of the west, I also got to see some of the most spectacular lands from the rolling mountains outside of Phoenix to the majestic views around Payson, the vast plains, deserts, and mountains, along with the Grand Canyon. I am determined to get back out west by myself, on my own time in the next few years.
Politics
Politics is a means to a better ends. I enjoy watching how the game is played, and helping people understand why certain policy results are likely. It's a very complicated game with lengthy rules and folkways, but played right the results are almost limitless. There is much that our elected leaders can do.
While I would never personally want to hold political office, I enjoy being involved in behind the scenes efforts to shape positive change in our country. Much of my free time not spent outdoors is spent helping out causes that I believe are just and fair, and will make our world a much more desirable place for us to live in.
I frequently volunteer in a variety of political organizations and campaigns, as a matter of passion. I could never see doing politics professionally or making it my livelihood. From time to time I may take breaks out of my profession to become as a campaign volunteer, but it's something I do mostly for fun. It can be fun for a couple of months in the fall to be working intensely for a candidate that believes strongly in change, but hours are long and it can be tough getting out each and every vote.
Simple Quiet Living
I have a very modest apartment in the suburbs of Albany where I receive my mail and spend weeknights there. It is set back from the road and my neighbors are all very friendly and quiet. I live simply without a lot of technology or material goods. While I probably could afford much more than I currently have, I enjoy saving my money for my future and are numbed by all the vein consumption in our society.
I don't own a televison. I don't have the Internet at home. When I want to surf the web, blog, or check my email I simply go for a short walk on down to the local public library. It's about a half mile walk, but I always enjoy going for the walk before sitting down and playing on the internet for an hour or so.
I rarely drive to work except when I have to stay in work after 9 PM. I live near two bus lines, Route 18 and Route 19, which get me back and forth from home without having to fight traffic. It also helps reduce my carbon footprint. I try to ride my bike or walk to as many places in the neighborhood as possible, and save my pickup for camping trips and going up to the woods.
