Have you ever had a destination in mind but had to complete many tasks before you could get there? That's how this edition of the 11 has been for me. Whew, and I'm there and ready to write!!!!  First, the news.

 

Yes, after 3 years of happy clamming I'm going to take my show on the road and relocate to ... Southeast Portlandia. Yes, I know, you were possibly expecting something a little more exotic, but actually, living in SE Portlandia is pretty frigging awesome, and I can't wait to get there. I left Burning Man this year partly to get a head start on the moving process, cause I'm so jazzed! I'll be over in the Division/44th/Stumptown/Village Merchants section of town - the house has a great porch and I'll be living with two women I've known for a good long time. I'm looking forward to a quieter neighborhood and closer proximity to work and and and!  

 

And, doesn't it seem like life is speeding up a bit, lately? Between Syria, Climate Change, the R's bringing us to the brink of not having a government budget, and traffic speeds increasing (at least that's my sense) it just feels like the pace is quickening. Which is why it's great that this calming site exists :) Go ahead, take a minute or two :)

shoes post burn

In fact, this has been my lesson from Burning Man this year - which if anyone who can help is listening - WAS WAY WAY WAY TOO LOUD.  We take some of the most intelligent people on Earth; bring them to an incredibly beautiful part of the world; fill that space with amazing art; and then drown everyone in a sound mush that is so abrasive that I don't think I'll ever go back again. My 13th year was so loud that I think my system has been completely overloaded and I'm having a very hard re-entry. What?  And, if you're interested in links to pictures/videos, let me know - I have a great list, because of course, this was also the best year ever. Yeah, it's like that out there...

 

One of my favorite parts of this year's Burn was actually our SideBurn - time spent with friends at Summer Lake Hot Springs in Paisley, Oregon. 

 

I'm finally finding work that I am passionate about - teaching social media and email marketing to small biz people. If that's you or someone you know I have a bunch of classes (mostly free) coming up - look to the right. I'd love you to refer me to people, thanks!

 

I hope your life is full of love, laughter, surprises, dance, magic and lots of touch. If you haven't seen the video on touch put out by my friends, please have a look. Make sure you get plenty of hugs, rest, healthy food and I'll speak with you soon,

 

With gratitude for life's abundance,

Albert Kaufman