At last… the PERC Reunion

Getting to PERC for the reunion and for the presentations of this year’s class projects had been a driving force in my timeline since the Mass Exodus inception. When piecing together my timeline in December 2008, the July 15 deadline seemed like as good as any to wrap up my career and get out of the City. It also gave me an excuse to have some summer, as well as build momentum to propel my green burial ideas into the front of my brain. I knew after leaving SF I would need the support of my enviropreneur community encouraging me from the sidelines and could think of no better way to stay connected than to be there in person. Besides, as I mentioned, who wouldn’t want to plan a road trip to Montana in the summer?  Suffice to say, I really felt as though I had arrived when I pulled into Bozeman and began to retrace my steps from last summer.

Class of 2008 represents! Ariel, Jeff, me, Chris, Carol, Bobby, Virginia

 

Familiar TNC faces: Me with fellow PERConian, Carlos Fernandez.

What is unfortunately, not captured in these photos is the tubing down the river, which was the first time I could feel myself start to finally unwind, thanks to Ariel & Stephanie’s relentless insistence that everything was going to be okay. I mean, honestly, how could it not be okay when you’re floating down a river with great friends who are helping you brainstorm new ideas for your burgeoning business? Of course, we got to take relaxation to a whole new level, spending hours soaking in the hot springs just outside of Bozeman while watching the eternal Montana sunset and listening to live music. Ahhh… summer vacation…

There were countless opportunities to socialize over amazing dinners. Terry & Monica hosted us one night for a crawfish boil, the likes of which I have never experienced before. It was a finger-food feeding frenzy!

The next day we were treated to an all-day seminar on leadership, presented by John Kanengieter, a professional executive coach who lead the NASA Columbia Shuttle Crew through an extensive NOLS course before their mission to the moon. It was a remarkable day watching the video footage of the crew navigating their way through the Wyoming mountains, seeing their various leadership styles and unparalleled compatibility with one another. It made watching the end of the  story – the space shuttle exploding – exponentially more difficult to comprehend. Beyond words, really. We all felt humbled by John’s experience with the Columbia crew, his willingness to share it with all of us and help us apply some of those leadership lessons to our daily lives.

 

The weekend was over far too quickly and it was time to leave my little Montana utopia in the dorms of Montana State once again and continue on with my summer vacation. It’s rough, but someone has to explore the beauty of Montana while the weather is good.

A special shout out to Ariel & Steph: I would never be here without your constant, and I mean CONSTANT encouragement. You guys are my daily inspiration and you will have my eternal gratitude for helping me find my inner entrepreneur.