This past year, summer has stretched on forever. It started with summer in Boulder last year and climbing in the Winds which arced into endless Patagonian summer nights which arced back to summer here in the northern hemisphere. The sense of summer was interwoven with a few months of fall and a snowy spring in Ann Arbor. The past seven months have also felt like summer - warm weather, epic travel, joy, growth, laziness, and contentment. The end of eternal summer has arrived as I begin the next chapter in my life and my career. On Monday I start my full time role as a Brand Manager in Marketing at Danone.

My sabbatical was less than, but also somehow so much more than I ever imagined! I thought I’d morph into a totally different person. Turns out I’m still the same awesome Jess dusted with a bit of magical transformation. There has been so much learning and so many goals met, from small to big… a true superblooming.

Learning to own my decisions

During my silent meditation retreat I thought about my knee pain a lot. After a bad ankle sprain in Patagonia, gimping around with straight legs, my knees hurt a lot coming out of our Croatia bike trip. I knew if I went into a solo backcountry trip where exit opportunities are few and far between + knee pain + little physical preparation due to resting said knees = a risky situation. Each would compound the risks of the other factors and I wasn’t willing to do that.

Also during the retreat, I realized that the only person who would be disappointed in me if I didn’t go on a month-long bikepacking trip was ME! It’s hard to make the unsexy but wise decision, but that’s adulting. So, I shed a few tears, took many deep breaths, and let the dream go. I put the Odds In My Favor (see Edition #3) and shifted to new plans for the last two months of my sabbatical.

Rather than heading into the backcountry, I explored new corners of our country and visited 6 new states: Delaware, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Alabama, Mississippi, & Arkansas. A favorite memory was watching a live blues show at the Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi. I’ve now visited 49 states, so if anyone wants to road trip with me to my 50th - North Dakota - let me know!

Invest in myself

This sabbatical has been an investment in myself. This time has been an opportunity to explore wild spaces like rural southern Patagonia and go on epic backcountry trips. I invested time to learn new skills such as regenerative agriculture practices. This past month, I spent 10 days taking a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) class with NOLS in Bend, OR. This knowledge will be essential in managing personal & medical safety on my future trips in the backcountry. Two pluses were I met an incredible group of outdoor athletes and I had a blast practicing my acting skills as I pretended to be a patient in various medical scenarios. Like any investment, seeing the payoff has inspired me to want to invest more. Another sabbatical is definitely in my future!

Time to return home

After traveling far and wide the past 7 months and spending the last 14 years living around the US, it is time to return home. Over the past 7 months, I’ve reflected that key ingredients for a place to feel like home are:

• Community: The Erb community has taught me that being surrounded by people that inspire, love, and nourish me is key.

• Family: My family has highlighted how important it is to keep up strong bonds. Since my family is diasporic, it’ll look like FaceTimes, occasional trips together, and shared meals as I’m passing through.

• A garden & a bounty of local produce in the fridge: La Huerta at Torres del Paine reminded me that I love to cultivate food and I value feeding myself from food grown in soil nearby.

• Mountains: Every time I arrived somewhere new with mountains, I instantly felt at home. With the Flatirons towering in the horizon, Boulder couldn’t feel more like home.

• A well stocked bar: Sitting at a bar in a new city, I always felt welcomed as a solo traveler. As I grow my cocktail skills, stop by Boulder, CO any time and I’ll shake up a favorite cocktail of the season!

What makes home feel like home for you?

Transitions & staying in touch

I started writing this newsletter as a way to document this time more formally. I thought, “hey, even if just my Mom & Dad read this, it’ll be a win.” I’ve been blown away by everyone who is following along. I’ve loved getting email responses, texts, and calls from my family and friends with each new edition. Aunt Julie once replied: “I just found this as I was cleaning out the "promotions" folder in my email account. It was appropriate that it landed in my Promotions folder because it promotes family, friendship, and non-consumerism ideals for measuring one's life.”

One of my goals as I enter into this next phase of my life is to stay in touch with family & friends from across the country and around the world. My community has always felt very important to me but staying in touch with people has always felt so hard. I forget to send the quick text when I think of someone and I never know how to caption my Instagram posts. But, writing this newsletter has felt authentic to me and easy to do. And, it actually works. So, I’m planning to continue writing! My current vision is periodically sharing life updates, New Year’s cards, and other fun happenings. Stay tuned for how this evolves.

Hearing from you and feeling a bit more connected to friends and family has been a true joy! Thank you so much for following along on this journey! You are loved!

All my love,

Just Jess this time

Agradecimientos:

• Everyone: Thank you for following along on my journey!

• Erica & Mom: Thanks for your editing support with each edition.

• Becca & Carolyn: Thanks for hosting our family trip in NY.

• Mom & Dad: Thanks for being great road trip companions as we checked off a few more of my 50 states and tried to avoid getting washed away in the rain.

• Zoe & Erica: For knowing just what I needed to hear as I transition into living in a new place.

• Zoe: Thanks for hosting me in PDX. I’m amazed how even after 7 months apart, it felt like no time had passed. Thanks for the meandering chats, great company, big hugs, and laughter.

• Lydica: It was great to have a 3rd ‘ca sister for our family trip. You’re such a joy to be around. And congrats again on winning the “first real mail” award at my new address.

• Uncle Steve, Aunt Bea, Sam, Katie, Sarah, Mike, & Ben: Thanks for sharing meals and hosting us as we toured the East Coast. It was so fun to catch up with family!

• David & Pablo: Thanks for being the best WFR instructors I could imagine. Not only did I learn a TON from the class but I was constantly in stitches from how much I was laughing during your lectures. You two are not only incredibly funny but also kind & inspiring. You made the 10 days with NOLS a true joy.

• Kelsie & Natalie: Thanks for hosting me! It was great to catch up and see your blossoming life in Brooklyn!