The Midland School

We have some big news to share. You may have noticed the somewhat more reflective tone in the posts of late. This is not only because we are back where it all began (see Porter's post "Same and Different"), but because the end is in sight.

When we left HMI and moved onto Sila, we knew that this would be at least a two-year adventure, and no more than four years. Both Christopher and I anticipated wanting to return to a land-based work situation and we suspected that a somewhat more traditional high school experience for Porter and Jack was preferable to continuing to home school through the teenage years.

Soon after we passed the two-year mark, Christopher was contacted about an open headship at a boarding school in California. After a careful interview process and some thoughtful discussion on Sila, Christopher was appointed to be the next Head of School for the Midland School in Los Olivos, California (see www.midland-school.org), which is about 35 miles northeast of Santa Barbara. While I never thought we would be moving to the Central Coast of California, this feels like a terrific opportunity for all of us.

Midland seems like the perfect fit and a wonderful next step for the Barnes Family. Some elements that make the school different from your typical boarding school include the very progressive and highly functional student work and residential life program that is truly run by seniors. They are given extraordinary responsibilities and in turn have authentic leadership development opportunities. The school's garden and ranch produce well over 50% of the school's food (an amazing operation) and the food during our visit was delicious. Porter and Jack spent about half of their time during our visit to Midland in the gardens, helping to harvest vegetables and eating the fruit! In addition, the faculty and staff are inspiring so I am looking forward to joining the community there. Plus the 2,800 acre campus has 30 miles of trails that will be right out my back door.

Much like when we left the High Mountain Institute, we don't have mixed feelings so much as two separate and distinct feelings. We are very excited about the opportunities that Midland presents for each of us and for all of us. We are thrilled to have a plan in place for the next adventure after Sila. And Midland's values speak to me and more importantly, to Christopher. At the same time, we are profoundly sad that our sailing adventure now has a concrete end, instead of a theoretical one. These have been life-changing years on Sila. We have each and all changed in ways that we can identify and in ways that are not yet so obvious to us. Ultimately, I am both grateful for the experience and excited for the next chapter.

While we have some logistics to sort out, such as exactly when and where we will cross the Atlantic Ocean again, and how to move our belongings from Colorado to California, we are still very much engaged in this family adventure and focused on our remaining time together on Sila. -Molly