Dreamcatcher

Monday afternoon the class of heat seeking naturalists once again abandoned the confines of a classroom ventured out across campus in a much appreciated sunny day in Salem. With ladders in hand, Dave led us to Jarrett’s type of tree, some large thick hybrid something or another. We proceeded to get up onto the sturdy branches and just enjoy life for a while about eight feet off the ground. We are taught to be normal people by interesting sayings such as, “being down to earth” or “being grounded”. Sitting in a tree contradicts both those statements and admittedly I didn’t seem normal, nor did I feel like I was in a normal naturalist class. I liked it much better actually. Sure you get a couple odd looks when people walk by but who cares? I’m in a tree! Get on my level! I have inspiring anecdote that is still fresh in my memory and refreshed when I was dangling my legs off the branch I was perched on.

The date or the day of the week I cannot remember, but sometime in the last two weeks or so, my dorm room was graced by the presence of two very unlikely guests. My roommate had seen this pair of girls wandering around Kaneko looking very intrigued by the complex. He gave an acknowledging nod and was quickly rushed and questioned as to what this place was. He explained it is part of Willamette; the pair was still interested and asked if they could see our dorm. Soon thereafter I open the door to two girls clad in what I would call “hippie” clothing and they introduce themselves as Dreamcatcher and Angela. Dreamcatcher moved to Denver from Ireland about a year and a half ago. She worked for a while but became fed up with it all and just started traveling with a very limited supply of cash. Angela is a run away from Detroit after a nasty breakup among other things. She hitchhiked and biked her way out east to Maine and worked on a lobster boat for a couple months. Angela had her fun there but decided to come back west. Managing to score a free, working car along the way, she planned on moving into British Columbia but didn’t have sufficient funds. The unlikely pair met in Seattle where they formulated their current plan to make their way into the California redwoods and settle down in a tree. They are simply homeless drifters with a car and a plan to build a tree house somewhere in the redwoods and survive. Sounds crazy but I love it. I was so pumped on what they had just told my roommate and me that when they asked if they could stop by a class at Willamette the next day, I went online and found them an anthropology class that they said would be fun. I printed them out a map and schedule and after referring them to Bush Park as their sleeping quarters, they went on their merry way. I wish the best to those gals and I am inspired by their spirit of adventure and abandonment of social norms.