more changes a-comin'

A couple of weeks ago I did something that I'd been contemplating for awhile: took a week-long wilderness walkabout/survival course with the Wilderness Awareness School.

It wasn't always fun, but overall it was an immensely positive experience and one that I'm really glad I did. Among other things I came home in the best state of mind I've been in for over a year. There might be something to that recent research about getting out in nature to fight depression. I really like the school's teaching philosophy and the way it structures learning. It's also pretty close to what I visualize my spiritual practice being in the future: in a very real sense, I suspect that this is what I've been looking for.

That also means that my ongoing priority shift has taken on a new urgency. In the past year, this has looked like the following:
- Mr. Darcy quitting a soul-sucking job and going back to school for something he really enjoys
- beginning to make some changes in our finances to aid independence for ourselves and our families
- research into buying rural land in preparation to move
- completing my MFA and making a serious time commitment to writing, with some early rewards (I've sold a few stories and have three novels in various states of progress)
- spending more time playing music
- spending more time constructing Wild Gods as a spiritual practice

Here are some possible changes in the works:
- change in my own state of employment
- I'm directing the Orpheus Ascending festival this year. This is the only year that I will do this, though the festival will be an ongoing event—the only presentational ritual event I'll be doing extensive work on in the future is Wyrd Sisters and I'm excited about this year's event
- I'm currently on the board of ACRL-WA. Once my term is up, I will not be seeking another elected position
- taking more courses with WAS, including possibly the full-time Anake program
- I'll be online less generally.