Updates From the Green Mountain State

Checking in with just over a month left until departure to Ghana. My time in Vermont has been going swimmingly... I've never had it this good. I took the LSAT a couple of weeks ago, still haven't heard my scores yet but I felt prepared going into it. I've been hiking and exploring swimming holes getting lots of quality time in with my family which is much needed after 6 years of seeing them only sporadically. Getting back onto the golf course with my Dad this past weekend and hiking in the National Forest with my Mother over the past few weeks has been a blast.

I recently found some part time work doing Excel analysis for Stratton mountain which is filling the financial gap left by the end of a brief stint lumberjacking trees with an axe and a bow saw at my Grandmother's condo complex in Killington.

I've been keeping busy with an incredible girlfriend and her organic farm. Barring some work at Farm & Wilderness summer camp growing up, this is my first real farm work experience, and I'm really enjoying getting out and learning about where the food I've always taken for granted actually comes from and putting in good physical labor. One of the great pleasures of my time here has been watching the food Megan grows go from lumps of dirt on a wooden plank to delicious meals. Being a part of the long growing process with someone I love has kept a smile on my face every single day...

Above is a shot of me in a pasture just over the border in New York with a flock of pregnant sheep at a friend's farm. Below is a picture of chicks being raised at Megan's farm, and a Llama keeping watch over the flock...
































Big wins of the week include:
- Getting the parts needed to fix my portable GPS
- Fixing my record player by myself (currently listening to "Scratch" by The Crusaders
- Getting my Ghanain visa delivered well ahead of time
- Ghana's recent stellar World Cup performances against Serbia and Australia

Hope all is well wherever you are. Be sure to drop me a line if you get a chance...

- Jeff

Got My Ghana Visa Today

My Visa came in the mail today. I used Travel Visa Pro and had an excellent experience. They kept me in the loop with the whole process, were quick, low hassle, and cheap. This sets me up between July and the last week of November barring any extensions. Should be a wide enough time frame to get a lot of good work done.

Halfway Point

Vermont couldn't be going any better.  The brown season after the snowmelt was brief, and all of the mountains are in full bloom.  I've been doing a lot of hiking and am starting to get some agricultural experience by helping out on my girlfriend's organic farm not far from here.  I'm planning one more trip, probably to Boston or Montreal in the next few months, and in the meantime am buckled down for work, planning, and enjoying the outdoors.

LSAT Preparation is coming along with new practice tests every week, and lots of class and work in between.  My scores are getting toward where I need them and I think the class is helping a lot... well worth the money.  I was in NYC this weekend, got to see some of my fraternity brothers for the first time in a long time, and am now getting everything together for Ghana.

It looks like I'll be working with some dedicated folks to digitalize and audit cash flows for Kakum National Park in the Central Region of Ghana. (Pictured above)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kakum_National_Park

I'll most likely be living in Cape Coast commuting to the site a couple of times a week.  Most of my work and my office will be in Heritage House in downtown Cape Coast, and all of my housing options are just outside of the city.  I'm going to book a ticket this week, and am planning to arrive in country at some point in mid June.

Hope all is well,

- Jeff

A Week In Baja California Sur, Mexico

Off to spend a week in San Jose Del Cabo, Todos Santos, and potentially some time in Los Barillos in Baja California.  I'm heading out at 4am or so tomorrow, and will be back in 7 days.  The picture above is from the road trip I took with a buddy of mine up the Baja Peninsula.  Its looking out across the sea of Cortez north of La Paz.

Snow Valley Vermont

I've spent the last two days hiking and skiing Snow Valley, an abandoned resort between Manchester and Stratton Vermont.  A friend of mine showed me the place and I see lots of opportunities for good skiing here in the next couple of months.  I think keeping on my feet hiking every day will put me in good shape to ski Tuckerman's Ravine this April (and maybe May), and have gotten back to doing outdoor sports every day.  Its a little lonely up here in VT, but not nearly as bad as I had anticipated.  I'm loving the time off, am putting in a lot of hours studying, and am going to be making trips to Burlington, Montreal, New York, and Boston starting this weekend.  I've also just started my second read of 2666, Roberto Bolano's massive tome about the human condition.  Should be some good beach reading!

Keep in touch,

- Jeff

jsh2h@virginia.edu

Snow Valley, VT pictures

Snow Valley Ski Resort has been abandoned for 25 - 30 years.  Where there used to be lines, there are now clumps of forest, instead of a functioning base lodge, there's decay, and after the lifts closed, the crowds went away.  What is left is a beautiful spread of open trails naturally covered in snow set in a quiet nook of the green mountains....

Happy 3/9!

Today, March 9th 2010 marks the one year anniversary of the stock market's bottom from the great recession of 2008 - 2009.





















I celebrated by skiing from 8:30 to 1 (like every day), going to LSAT class in Albany, and taking down a couple Long Trail IPAs. Cheers!