Outdoor School

Every 6th grader in Oregon has the opportunity to go on a six-day Outdoor School experience, focused on environmental field studies, which is publicly funded by a state bond. Outdoor school has been running for 40+ years and is a classic experience for kids growing up here. Sebastian and all of his WSMS classmates left on Sunday afternoon - Seb will be a camp called Arrah Wanna, near the town of Welches on the outskirts of Mt. Hood. It's unseasonably cold this week and there was a foot of snow at Hood over the weekend, so we made sure he packed extra layers. (The kids will sleep on bunk beds in cabins; there's a giant dining hall and meeting room, but most of the daily activities are intended to be outside, exploring plants, rivers, trees, wildlife.) Seb was nervous, of course, but also excited for the adventure, and we were proud and relieved that there was no doubt he would go.

Here he is with his "block" friends Omri, Jaxon, and Cameron, getting on the bus.

The house is quiet without our boy, and our weekly schedule is suddenly half empty. I bought less than the usual quantity of food. We can't wait for him to come home on Friday and to hear about the adventure.