I see these mirrors almost every day, but still every time deal with these mirrors it blow me away how awesome JWST is; how great the team is, and how much careful thought went into the science of making this thing work. 

We had quite an audience of MSFC personnel this time, and seeing their smiles was yet another great reminder.  I love showing new people the program or telling them about it for just that reason, the excitement and wonder is contagious, and revives my love of space stronger than ever.

Here are a couple photos from the week:

Also check out JWST General Summary

and JWST Ships 6 Mirrors

for a couple other recent developments and background info.

My family. You are amazing. I tell you this whenever I can, but truly, you are the most amazing people, and the fact that I get to call you family makes my heart sing. You taught me all my first lessons, nurtured my first curiosities, and showed me how to quest for the wonderful, and why it was worth looking for. Thank you. I love you.

The Jensen family. This thanksgiving was so special to spend with you. You are my family here, with all your quirks, and funny ways. You have taken me in as a brother, a son, a friend, and you are amazing. I’ve become so close with all of you, and I feel truly lucky to have gotten the chance to rekindle the friendships we started back in Oregon. August, living with you has been the most awesome experience. Our friendship deepens every day. Thank you for learning lessons with me, and teaching me about the world the way you see it. James, I miss you.

My best friends through the years and throughout the world. You are my true world family. You are the people my soul connects with the best. Thank you for being open to letting our lives twist together for a moment or a lifetime. You’ve shown me more about myself and the world than all of my travels and adventures. It saddens me that our life paths stray off in new directions and don’t allow us to connect so often sometimes, but it makes me smile to see where yours is taking you. Amazing things you are doing, incredible places you are going. I look forward to continuing to share throughout life, and all our future connections.

Boulder, thank you for being a places to cultivate dreams. You are so full of energy and possibilities, that you spill over with desire to make connections happen. These last 5 years have been the most empowering of my life, and have taught me more than anything else, that the world is wonderful, open, full of magic, and ready to help me create a paradise.

My roommates, Thank you for teaching me about community, about living with people in a happy, healthy, fantastic household. These lessons in diplomacy, organization, respect, have been some of the most powerful I’ve learned the last 8 years. You’ve made the “daily grind” so great, with a smile, a hug, a hello, goodbye, goodnight, goodmorning. Thank you, for always caring, for being real, and for teaching me so much.

Momentary sparks, connections, smiles, discussions every day, since arrival in this universe. You who have taken a moment to connect, to be in the moment and say “how are you?” and really mean it. You have taught the the value of pause, the value of the moment, and the value of human connection. A days that is going by slowly, painfully, is so easily changed to sunny wonderfulness with a smile and connection with a real soul. You are beautiful and you make this great world magnificent with your diverse and caring beings.

My body, thank you for always being ready and eager to embark on the next adventure. You make it possible to do anything in this world. You are powerful, beautiful, and full of healthy brilliance. Thank you for sending me messages to keep my life on track, and to warn me of dangers, and thank you for understanding when I need to ignore the message and do it anyway, because it feeds a greater purpose.

Love and intimacy, thank you for breaking down my walls, for reminding me of the value of the inside beauty, and for repeatedly opening my heart to the raw emotions that take me on the most wonderfully terrifying flight the brilliance of the universe can share. And thank you lover, for being the key to that door, the guide in the darkness, and the one holding my hand at the scary amazingness of each new experience. Every crush, every love, every head-over-heels twitterpation has been the gift that brings so much. I hope you are feeling loved, happy, and thankful wherever you are.

BES, you are a family has taught me about myself, about how to help the world, and why it is so important to do so. You make my ears perk up when a siren goes off, you have given me the tools to save lives, and act quickly and responsibly in an emergency. But you are also fun, wonderful people, who inspire me with your dedication to life, both your own, and everyone else’s. Thank you for making adrenaline a healthy part of my life, and giving me the opportunity to help the world, and in doing so bring meaning to mine.

Ball and JWST, thank you for giving the the opportunity to be a rocket scientist, to work on the most incredible optical-anything to ever go into space. You rock! It has been the most rewarding and fantastic job I’ve ever had. Thank you for being flexible, feeding my passion, and really caring about me as a person. I am honored to be a part of the team, and amazed every day.

And thank YOU for reading this. You give me more reason to write, and to share transformations, goals, understands, questions, and dreams. You help me process events and changes in my life by giving me the opportunity to take the mass of thoughts floating around in my head and turn them into something coherent and then share it.

What are you thankful for?

I wrote a note to all of you a few weeks ago. I was feeling really lost, and wanted some direction from the universe. Although I wasn’t asking for them I got some amazing replies. Thanks you!

I’m writing again to let you know of some great developments in my life, some changes that have shown me along the right direction.

I’ve decided to take the winter off to spend time with my Grandpa back in Oregon. No he’s not dying, or even sick, but he’s 87 and I miss him. I don’t think I’ll get this chance again, so I’m taking it now. He has been a great influence on my life in the past, and I’m really looking forward to sharing a good bit of time with him this winter.

I have been throwing the idea around in my head for awhile, but I finally told my work about it on Tuesday afternoon. THEY AGREED! So I’m taking December 15th through April 15th off to pursue some of life’s other avenues.

It’s gonna be really good. Work has lost its luster recently. Yeah satellites are still amazing, and this telescope is still cool, but I’m just not as into it at the moment. I need to pursue some other things for awhile. I think 4 months will be just about the right amount of time to get the hop back in my step (hopefully for good!).

I’m gonna take a week or so and ski as I leave Colorado. Spend an extended amount of time making the drive back to Oregon, and see some of the gorgeous country I usually just fly by.

Then I’m going to spend almost 2 full months with my grandpa. I’ll move in with him for awhile, and hopefully we’ll plan some fun trips. Maybe more road trips, maybe a cruise or a trip to Hawaii. Really, who knows what this crazy cat has been wanting to do for years, but never had the time for or someone to do it with! I can’t wait.

What’s great about this is I’ll be close to the rest of my family too. So while I’m enjoying the company of my grandpa I’ll be able to hang out with my niece and nephew, brother and sister, parents and cousins, oh and new second cousin too! It’s a wonderful time, and opportunity to have so much of my family in the same place, and I’m really looking forward to it! Not to forget most of my college friends who are still back there to make the nights and weekends interesting!

After February I’m hoping to go to Thailand for a month and visit my best childhood friend Sean. He’s recently made a life choice to move there, and I’m really curious what he’s discovered. I may take some time and spend with the Buddhist monks while I’m out there, or maybe travel around and enjoy the Asian culture I’ve yet to experience.

Finally, I’ll return to amazing Colorado, ski for another couple weeks, before the season is over, and rejoin my amazing house, wonderful job, and give all my great friends a huge hug. Because really, I know this is the place I’m supposed to be in life right now, but I also know I’m not ready to be here forever yet.

Financially it’ll be a fine trip. I’m taking leave without pay from work, so I’ll be draining savings and such, but with a steady job to come back to I’m not too worried. Friendwise I’m really gonna miss everyone out here. I’ve gotten close with a lot of Colorado people, and it’s definitely going to be a tough break from all of ya. Boulder Emergency Squad will be a tough thing for me to leave. I’ve been getting so much out of the trainings, and was really hoping to be rescuing people by the time I’m scheduled to leave. But I know they will still be here when I get back, and I can jump right back in mostly where I left off.

So to all of you, thank you for all the energy you’ve put out to me over the years, and especially recently. I’m lucky to have such caring friends, and especially those of you who have helped me through strange and trying times. I really appreciate all your hugs.

This opportunity has been one of the most difficult for me to see, but one of the easiest to follow through with, if that makes any sense. Really, it was just a small crack in the side of my path, but as soon as I started walking in that direction it opened up to a beautiful green valley full of what I’m supposed to be doing right now.

Enjoy who you are and the moment you are living in; both are most amazing.

Larkin

BTW I’ve been walking around with the biggest Sh$t eating grin all day. I can’t help it! Life just feels wonderful!