The New Geography of Jobs by UC Berkeley professor Enrico Moretti is a great book for those interested in economics, why certain jobs are hot or not, and the reasons why some cities flourish while others languish. I picked up while browsing R.J. Julia Booksellers in Madison, Connecticut, last week and thought it deserved a recap.

Continue reading “Book Review: The New Geography of Jobs”

I have a new article in the Huffington Post. Here’s the text:

Do you love school? Do you ache with a burning desire to rise early, sit through hours of lectures, and complete your next homework assignment? If so, then this article is not for you.

Does school bore you to death, but you would rather suffer quietly than do something about it? Then this definitely isn’t for you.

But if you’re trapped inside a school that doesn’t engage you and you’re willing to make a change, then I have good news for you: You can leave school tomorrow and never look back.

All you have to do is become a homeschooler.

“That couldn’t work for me.” “What about a social life?” “Is that even legal?” If these are your first thoughts, you’re not alone. The homeschooling movement is riddled with stereotypes, and while some of them possess a grain of truth, most are simply false. Let’s dissect four of the most persistent ones. Continue reading “Four Reasons to Quit School and Become a Teenage Homeschooler”

After 5 years of nonstop trip-leading with Unschool Adventures, I’m taking a breather.

Two trips to Argentina, one to Chile-Argentina-Peru, one to Australia, one to New Zealand, three Writing Retreats (Oregon, Colorado, Massachusetts) and four Leadership Programs (Oregon & North Carolina) later, I couldn’t feel more gracious and lucky to work with the incredibly bright, creative, and kind teens who have joined my programs.

The next two trips (the Writing Retreat in Colorado and Costa Rica adventure) will be led by the illustrious Dev Carey, who I trust fully to continue Unschool Adventures’ *perfect* safety record and high quality of experiences.

What’s next for me? I just signed a 12-month lease (!) with Brenna at an awesome apartment in Asheville, NC. I don’t have any international trips on the horizon (!!). I’m having a lot of fun planning two brand-new programs for self-directed learners: the Trailblazer Gathering for ages 18-22 and a school-but-not-a-school in Asheville for ages 14-19. Better Than College continues to spread+sell, and I’m still passionate about the written word. I travel around the U.S. often for conferences, Not Back to School Camp, to visit my beloved Lake Tahoe and Deer Crossing Camp, and to see family. I love trail running and dream of bagging some really long trails.

Of course, all this was only made possible by the families who trusted me to take their kids to some far-flung part of the world (or supply them with a hostel, wi-fi, writing workshops, and an endless supply of bagels and Nutella). In my new apartment I put up a giant corkboard with photos of y’all to remind me of this. Thank you for making my life possible.

I’ve held quite a few interesting jobs in my life, but I’m nowhere near ready to settle down on a single one. Here are a few more positions I want to hold before I “grow up”:

• School Founder
• Podcaster
• Published Magazine Writer
• Conference Organizer
• Marathon Runner
• Thru-Hiker
• Parent!