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Sayonara, Adventure School. I’ll miss you! Allie Wollner, awesome, intern, the adventure school

As promised, today’s post will broach that question I’m sure all of you have been dying to hear the answer to:

What have I, Allie Wollner, really learned from my summer internship with The Adventure School? 

Having already made this speech once to my father, I find myself in a favorable position to say it again, articulately, but with a little more flair this time.

First things first:

As one might expect, working at The Adventure School unfailingly presented me with new adventures all the time. Whether it meant showing foreigners from all over the world the crème de la crème of Seattle, attending art openings where I mixed with the hip and infamous, or riding the adventure bike (aka the spin art bike) all the way from south Seattle to Laurelhurst with some exciting hi-jinks ensuing en route, I was never ever bored. And get this- they never made me fetch coffee for them. Not even once. 

I also felt truly thrilled to have this opportunity to pursue my own passion by working with The Adventure School. This internship allowed me to write, all summer and in my own slightly irreverent voice, about a wide array of interesting people, ideas, and occurrences I would have never discovered on my own.

And the parties I saw! So thrilling, so super-cool Seattle, and so FUN. I has a blast working the smorgasbord of Adventure School summer events. In the process, I also met a throng of captivating individuals. And speaking of said individuals…

Here’s thing that struck me the most about my experience this summer:

The number of people I met who were turning up their talents full blast to engage with their passions, and in the process making fulfilling lives for themselves. Having always been an adamant (read: stubborn) person who knows my mind (read: insists on doing it my way), encountering a critical mass of people blazing their own trails and dancing to the beats of their own drums inspired me endlessly.

From where I stand, choosing path of one’s own making looks like damn hard work and a considerable number of uphill battles. But all of the people I met seemed so excited to be pouring themselves in to their respective projects that I’m not scared. I feel certain all of the blood, sweat, and tears must be worth it. This is unquestionably the life that I want for myself- one in which I feel feel so thrilled and engaged by whatever I’m doing that I’m loathe to stop working at the end of the day. 

So, after three months with The Adventure School, here I go. Inspired, invigorated, enthusiastic, and more adventurous than ever, about to embark on my last year of college.

And after that?

Look for me in the blogosphere. Or The Stranger. Or The New Yorker. Or something entirely different. Semper ad Extremum foeva! 

Who knows!

So Long, Farewell, Aufiderzein, Goodnight!

xo,
allie

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The Adventure School Experience, quick’n'dirty Allie Wollner, internship, lessons and tips, the adventure school

T minus 2 days.

My departure from Seattle is imminent. 

And what do I have to stay for myself after 3 months of trailing The Adventure School? Stay tuned tomorrow for a post that incorporates substance, eloquence, and thought. But for today, here are the quick’n'dirty lessons I’ve collected during my time with The Adventure School. In no particular order of importance. Even though numbering them seems to indicate the contrary: 

1. Have you ever gone to the ocean and turned over an unassuming grey boulder to discover an entire, teeming community underneath? That’s how I feel about South Seattle. There’s SO MUCH going on down there that I didn’t have a clue about. And Georgetown. I remain fascinated, enthralled, and slightly intimidated by its raw artist-cum-motorcyclist tattooed vibe and the re-appropriated  industrial aesthetic. Without Cori and Aviva as my guides, I’d still be none the wiser.

2. From these two women, I also picked up my two new favorite exclamation/descriptor words: 

Awesome 
and  
Woohoo!

3. Nurture your craziest ideas and see them through. Like building a bike that makes spin art, traveling to Peru, or painting French mustaches on any party guest who will let you at a Bastille Day Party.  As my mother once said to me over coffee this summer, if you never take big risks, you’ll only ever get really mediocre results. Or, as The Adventure School motto goes, Semper Ad Extremum!

4. Setting out to accomplish or build something all your own that didn’t exist before is a mountain hard work. Like Everest-sized. But if you’re happy what you’re doing, you’ll do the work. Happily.

5. Powering spin art on a bike is a workout. Don’t let anyone tell you different. 

More deep thoughts and blinding revelations tomorrow, in my very last Adventure School blog post!

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Adventurer Profile- Allie Wollner Adventurer Profile, Allie Wollner, intern

I can’t believe it. I’m loathe to believe it. I don’t want to believe it. But I have to believe it. Come Friday, it’s time to pack my bags and journey back east to finish my formal schooling. Yes, that’s right. I’ve only got 9 more months to finish my degree and to find myself a suitable husband.

Just kidding!!!

After gathering answers for countless Adventurer Profiles this summer, Cori and Aviva insisted I write my own. I’ve been thinking about my answers real hard too. Because I take these things very, very seriously.

What skill do you want to learn?
How to read the constellations.

Food and drink you donʼt want to live without?
Ice cream of any kind and Prosecco. Without these two things, the world would be so sad. 

What’s the scariest thing you can think of?
Leading an unfulfilled life.

What is your favourite party supply?
Costumes, costumes, costumes!

Your favorite book of the moment?
The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende. The woman can WRITE!

Describe your dream party place.
A secret space behind some kind of unassuming facade like a defaced, windowless warehouse, perhaps with broken, sealed-off windows and up a flight of dingy, disgusting stairs. Once around a corner, you’d come upon a garden/living space that could only be described as breathtaking because it’s so unexpected. Candles everywhere, vast amounts of natural light, high ceilings, and self-washing dinnerware.

What is the evil version of you like?
A self-absorbed, compassionless mega-bitch who’s glued to a Blackberry and wears very thin stilettoes. I also never eat carbs.

What gives you confidence?
The song “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen! Seriously. Whenever I listen to that I feel like Obama’s campaign slogan has shrunk down just for me: “Yes, I CAN!” 

Name four essential elements of a good party.
Really good ambient lighting, a playlist that extols you to dance, a critical mass of people ready and willing to generate a serious amounts of good energy, and something completely unexpected…like people in robot costumes.

What do you appreciate most about a party host?
Someone with a sense of humor who also knows what it takes to throw a good party.

Favorite adventure supply?
A tub of Wet’n'Wild mega sparkles.

Describe the best party you ever attended.
Of late? Hands down Bastille Day at the Corson Building.

Hotel room or campsite?
After living dirty collegeland, a hotel room. A NICE one.

Do you have a style icon?
Can Can dancer from The Moulin Rouge meets California flower child.

Where is your next adventure destination?
PVD, yo! Rhode Island, represent! Because college is ALWAYS an adventure. 

If you could teach a class about anything in the world ever, what would you teach?
How to make lederhosen out of old curtains. Like Maria Von Trapp!

Your motto?
Explore incessantly.

What is your spirit animal?
I’ve been thinking really, really hard about this one all summer. My spirit animal is the Scat. That’s a squirrel-cat. Crafty, capricious, and somewhat frenetic. But in a fun way.

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Adventurer Profile – Rosanna Bowles Adventurer Profile, Allie Wollner, dinnerware, Rosanna Bowles

This week’s Adventure Profile guest is someone who is near and dear to my heart…my mama. Awwww!

When I still just a zygote, my mother was hard at work creating her first baby, Rosanna Inc.  What began as an enterprise to import hand-painted Italian ceramics to the US has since blossomed into an internationally-acclaimed  fashion tableware company. I think J. Lo even has some of my mom’s dishes. I don’t know if you know this but she (my mother, not J. Lo) is kind of a big deal. She’s even writing a book. And we’re both going to be on the cover. Oh my God. Look for our faces in a bookstore near you next January. Martha, move OVER. 

In related news, Rosanna Inc. just launched it’s 3rd annual tablesetting contest. Interested in entering? Read the rules at my mom’s blog, Rosanna’s Table Talk. Also check out her motivational message to contestants.

What is the food and drink you donʼt want to live without?
Yorkshire Gold Tea (that I’m addicted to) and fresh vegetables.

What skill do you want to learn?
To be more technology savvy.

What’s the scariest thing you can think of?
Can’t say it. I don’t want to give energy to my worst fear!

What is your favourite party supply?
A good Italian Prosecco

 Your favorite book of the moment?
The one I’m writing?

Describe your dream party place.
A randy disco in Rome.

What is the evil version of you like?
A cynic.

What gives you confidence?
Being a woman that succeeds at attaining my goals in today’s world

Name four essential elements of a good party.
Enlightening conversation, fascinating people, great food and plenty of it, good wine, and an interesting venue.

What do you appreciate most about a party host?
Someone who makes you feel welcome and introduces you to other guests. A high energy person that really gives the party a persona.

Favorite adventure supply?
A good camera

Describe the best party you ever attended.
A pizza party in the Italian countryside. The hosts made the most delicious handmade pizzas in their outdoor pizza oven. The food gave me an out of body experience. The pièce de résistance was a pizza made with Nutella and carmelized sugar. It was the most luscious dessert I’ve ever eaten.

This party did what I feel all parties should do: take you to places that you have never been, gastronomically and emotionally.

Hotel room or campsite?
Hotel room. I like taking baths.

Do you have a style icon?
My mother. She had impeccable taste and style.

 Where is your next adventure destination?
The Oregon Coast. I love its untouched beauty and protected beaches.

If you could teach a class about anything in the world ever, what would you teach?
How to bring people back to the home. How to appreciate the small pleasures in life that are the best.

Your motto?
Savor life. Create traditions.

What is your spirit animal?
Deer. I love their grace, gentleness, and beauty.