It may seem a strange thing to do when you live in the country, but today we took our kids into nature – in the city.

Although we have access to good nature right where we live, one of the advantages that city dwellers have – or let’s say town dwellers – is that they get given the equivalent of several hundred thousand dollars to create the ideal environment for their children to play in.

       The first two days were the most intense collaboration, critical analysis of practices, envisions, planning, future design discussions, brainstorming work I have ever done. Yes, other workshops have this type of work, but New Trails Learning Systems is different. Even the personal stories of our trainers and leaders are emotionally laden, incredibly powerful and humbling, and still, these folks give and give and give!

Driving to work on a early Monday morning after a stressful and unpleasant weekend, this glowing amber red sunrise triggered the mood for a much better start into a new week. It made me reflect on all the triggers we are exposed to throughout a single day.

Giovanni has autism and is considered for lack of better terms ‘low functioning’. You might have read some of his earlier success stories in the blog, and his journey continues. By following his interests and opening up to the way he learns- by moving, talking to himself, etc. Giovanni unlocked a potential that even his paraprofessional, who knows him for a couple years now, did not expect.