PO BOX THE EUROVAN: dirtbags

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Jackie Fleming

ON HOW SHE MANAGES THE "NESTING INSTINCT" AMID A NOMADIC AND FREE-SPIRITED LIFESTYLE

Dirtbag Profiles: Jackie and Kofi

The Cutest Pair on the Outdoor Education Circuit

ABOUT JACKIE

Type of rig: A periwinkle Honda Fit.
The name of her car: Kofi, after Kofi Annan, the former Secretary General of the United Nations. The name symbolizes peacekeeping, nonviolent activism, social and political progress, and environmental justice. But don’t be mistaken; Jackie’s periwinkle Kofi is a female.
Number of years living out of her car: Since the spring of 2008.
Her favorite thing about her car: The back, with the seat folded down. “It’s like a studio apartment,” Jackie says. “It’s my bedroom, kitchen, studio. I can be in the most remote area, freezing cold and lonely, and all I have to do is crawl back there. I can hangout, play the guitar, write in my journal, curl up and be cozy.”
Occupations: Raft Guide, Outdoor Educator for the Boojum Institute, Instructor for Wilderness Ventures and Outward Bound, Ski Instructor for Mammoth Mountain
In her words, what defines a dirtbag: “A free-spirited person, with the ability to go where the wind takes them, and to be self-contained. A car isn’t required, but it helps.”
Why she has chosen this lifestyle: “…the discovery of new places, building friendships, the affirmation of independence, discovering what I’m capable of….”
A saying she lives by: She who is brave is free.

INTRODUCTION

When I visit my hometown in northern Michigan the first question friends and family ask is: Where are you living these days? I usually fiddle with my hair and wait for the question that inevitably follows: What, exactly, do you do? Trying to answer both questions at once, I respond: I’m an Outdoor Educator. I live on the West Coast, in the Volkswagon Eurvan my dad used to drive. Wondering if I’ll be questioned further, my mind floods with phrases that I hope will explain both my work and my lifestyle: Adventure Education, Experiential Education, Outward Bound Instructor, Aspiring Mountain Guide, Rock Climber, Mountaineer, Backcountry Skier, Environmentalist, Lover of Wild Places, Edward Abbey Devotee, Dirtbag....

PO Box the Eurovan is my attempt to explain this nomadic lifestyle through essays, stories, profiles, tips, reviews, and most importantly, a theme of adventure mixed with a large dose of comedy. The Eurovan and I dedicate this blog to our free-spirited community of instructors, guides, passionate climbers and skiers, as well as to anyone who has ever packed up their car, van or truck and headed to the mountains, or to the desert, even for just a week.

PLEASE send me an e-mail if you have any ideas or suggestions, and CLICK on the box below if you are interested in FOLLOWING this blog. Thanks!

PO BOX THE EUROVAN