|
|
| |
|
 I've created this page to provide a bit
of detail on the recent (September 2006) changes to the location and
accommodations I use for the mentorship program. This all came about when I
decided to make a major lifestyle change and move from the Tucson, Arizona area
to a very remote area on the Olympic peninsula of Washington. I reached the
point in my life when I got tired of the endless development in Arizona, the
mind-boggling traffic, and the relentless heat that worsened with the recent
500-year drought. For example, about two-thirds of the cactus on my property
there died from the drought. How can a cactus die from a lack of
water???
Now, granted, I lived on a small 'ranch' well outside of the city.
Still, the drive in was getting just too much for me. Every time I sold even a
single hard copy eArticle I had to make about an eighty mile round trip, to
frequently wait an hour or more in line at the post office. I then fought
maddening crowds at the stores where I ran errands, and waited sometime six or
eight light changes at the intersections. For those that live in L.A. or
another really big city, this is nothing. But this was Tucson. When I got there
eons ago it was barely one step from a cowtown. So, I had to make a change, and
I did.
For
many reasons outside the scope of this page I decided on the rain forest area
of Washington. I had vacationed here for eight years with my better half, and
we both decided this was the place for us. Before anyone gets the idea this is
an idyllic paradise, and Jim's the luckiest guy in the world, let me briefly
explain a few things. A change like this requires many sacrifices, or,
depending on your viewpoint, many changes. Services are almost non-existent.
Say good-bye to all those super-stores for tech, office supplies, groceries,
and on and on. Those are now a full day's drive round trip, including shopping
time. Everything has to be planned ahead, and when something really needed is
'out of stock', it's a major problem.
The entire lifestyle is radically different.
For most people 'there's nothing to do'. (For someone who loves wild nature and
spends his working time stuck behind a computer this is just fine.) There is
just a small town, and forest. The last remaining old growth temperate rain
forest in the U.S. So, I went from the driest place in the U.S., which was in a
major drought, to the wettest. They get 140 to 160 inches of rain per year
here, and sometimes more. Very few can stand it, but those that live here
long-term simply love it, and 'are used to it'. The thing about this area that
differs from say Seattle is that it doesn't rain constantly, even in the rainy
season. This is because of the ocean effect here. It rains, sometimes really
hard, but then it clears up and gets sunny, and then it rains again. Not
always, but a lot of the time this happens. This was a major attraction for
me.
My
interest when I moved to Arizona was the wild country and great weather. I love
the outdoors. After awhile, though, the wilds were getting developed at a
frenzied pace, and the weather started to feel more and more like an oven, as
the spring and fall seasons shortened to almost nothing and became very windy.
The best parts were gone. Maybe it's just a cycle, or maybe it's a global
warming effect. I don't know. All I knew was it wasn't for me any more. So, now
I'll try this. And why tell this story here?
This has a profound effect on the mentorship
program. Before one could catch a flight to Tucson, grab the shuttle to the big
name brand business hotel that was about one mile away, and be ready to go.
Same thing for the return. I had people blowing in for a quick weekend without
a second thought. Very few rented a car. Other than doing the mentor work there
was little to do for anyone, and just about nothing to see from the room. It
was 100% mentoring, and that's it. Now we have the new location.
In this case one
would fly to Seattle (Portland is also a possibility, if one has a reason to
prefer that), and rent a car. The drive is about three hours from there,
perhaps a bit more if traffic is heavy getting out of the city. If you have a
late flight you may choose to stay in Seattle and get a good start the next
day. Then you get to the location, and you stay at a very small resort. There
are only a few places here, and the one I am looking at now is a private
holding in the national park. This park is the most spectacular place I have
ever seen, and I've been all over the entire U.S. The ocean, with protected
coastline in the park, is a short drive away.
Not seeing the picture yet? Try this link to an incredible page of photographs of the area.
The photographer was gracious enough to let me link to his page (this will open
in a separate window). The only thing you can't see well in any of those
pictures is the really big, old growth trees that are bigger across than a car.
Those are all over this area. You can also try this link to the official
Olympic National Park website (which will also open in a separate
window). So, is there a difference working here? Now you work in this
spectacular area, with lots of things to do. You can take easy walks right
outside the room. It's one of the greatest fishing spots in the world I'm
told.
If
you like nature and hate traffic, this place is spectacular. You don't get the
services of a first rate business hotel here. In fact, it's very rustic. Given
the nature of the place, none of the few small resorts here even have phones in
the rooms (some don't even have television, but the one I will use does). The
point is to get away. Now I'm hearing from most of my students that they may
bring their wives next time (great, please do). Some are extending their stays
to have a combination vacation. It's just an entirely new approach, and one
that goes with my lifestyle change from a crazy busy city type person to one of
rustic, country living and picking berries in my front yard and splitting wood
for the fireplace.
Although I have only gotten positive feedback so far on this big
change of location and accommodations for the mentoring, I could imagine that
some real room-service oriented big city people may not like this. Since I am
not a 'full-time' mentor I had to make the changes I had to, for me and my
better half, and let the mentorship program unfold as it will. For many, if not
most, this is going to be a great improvement. For some, perhaps it isn't
suited very well to them. Don't get me wrong, the accommodations are very good
in my opinion, you just can't order room service or get the free continental
breakfast. And there are trees and a lake immediately outside your
door.
One
thing I do not want to do is have those students who are coming from within the
U.S. try to lump the visits from the two I break it up into back into one four
day visit. For reasons explained on the mentorship page I do not think this is
as good of an approach as breaking them up. Given now the extra driving time,
and the expense of a rental car, the temptation may be to try to do it in one
shot. I do not want to do this. I'm sorry there may be a bigger time
commitment, and the expense of a rental car and perhaps more hotel nights (but
it is also likely the room will cost less per day), but if the comments about
the program that I get back in such profusion are any indication, it is worth
the investment. In a way this may lean the program even more to those that are
seriously committed to their education.
I think it is a great change for myself and
the program, and time will tell if others feel that way. In any case, instead
of working through lunch with a sandwich in one hand and the mouse in the
other, now we could take a walk and see the biggest cedar tree, or the biggest
spruce tree in the world. Since I've never had a single student not beg for
mercy before the end of the day's session (okay, they actually tell me 'enough
for now', with a dazed look on their face), this is a pleasant change, and one
that is probably a lot better for both of us. After all, I've been told, and I
already knew this, that I 'don't have an off switch, do you?' So, this all fits
with trying to change my lifestyle to a more relaxed and balanced one.
If you have any
questions about the program, or about the details of a possible stay in this
area, please feel free to contact me.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
 NOTE: Reading this page or
any page on the Kane Trading website, or utilizing this website and any
material
contained herein in any way, shall constitute an
acknowledgment that you have read, understood and agreed
to all
the disclaimers,
terms & conditions, and
policies of this site.
|
|
|
This
website is best viewed with MSIE 6.0, text size set to medium, and screen
resolution set to 1024 by 768.
Copyright ©
2006 Kane Trading. All rights reserved.
|
|
