For most, traveling is an escape–a way to eradicate the fear of a stagnant existence. Â Fortunately for Mandy Watson, a freshman at the University of Oregon, travel is a celebration of the inherent feeling that she belongs everywhere.
To step in her shoes would be like stepping into a road trip that never ends.
From Chicago to Eugene and eventually Alaska in one month, Mandy is wasting no time with the opportunities the Pacific Northwest, and even the Arctic Circle has to offer.
As students at the University of Oregon return to Eugene from Spring Break, Mandy will be working on a farm 2,854 miles away in Homer, Alaska. Less than an acre in size, the farm produces organic goat milk, cheese, yogurt, and vegetables. But the best part of the job? Mandy will spend five hours, five days a week taking care of retired sled dogs that live on the property.
“I’m mostly looking forward to taking them on sled rides,” Mandy said.  Â
Planning such a trip that includes flying, and sailing, to the largest state where she’s never been, seems like a lot for the average 19-year-old. It’s rookie stuff for Mandy.
“I was sailing before I could walk,” Mandy said.
Since she grew up along Lake Michigan, a mere 20-minute walk kept her between her house, and her second home, the harbor. While the lake meant relaxing family time on their small sailboat, it also became Mandy’s place of work by the time she was in high school. Since Mandy always dreamt of bigger waters, water taxi driving wasn’t quite enough.
Thankfully, Mandy took the opportunity to join a student crew for a four-month sail around the Atlantic. Working the night shift may have been rough, but sailing a 130-foot schooner is hard any time of day.
An Alaskan farm may be uncharted waters for Mandy, but the serene feeling of waking up in a trailer, looking out at an unfamiliar sunrise with her coffee in hand, is nothing new. Every summer Mandy and her friends follow their favorite jam bands like Phish, Yonder Mountain String Band, and the String Cheese Incident from Colorado all the way to California.
Just like she follows the grooves in her sail, Mandy follows the grooves in her feet.
“I’m generally shy and introverted, but [at festivals] it’s so easy. The audience is a part of the songs and people take care of each other,” Mandy said. “I’ve met some of my best friends at shows, and even a boyfriend of two years.”
After falling in love with The Grateful Dead, Mandy jumped wholeheartedly into the jam band scene.
“[The Grateful Dead] was confusing to me at first, since they’re about improvising; but they’re also traditional and folky. They basically started everything I like about music,” Mandy said.
In the spirit of her favorite artists, Mandy composes concept albums; combining her poetry with her beloved acoustic guitar.
“For three years my band from high school were known as “The Butterfly Machine,” Mandy said. “Before that, we were named after our English teacher until the school found out.”
While some of her music focuses on existentialist ideas, social constructs, and even mental health, her other art forms delve into the natural world. With a pen or brush in her hand, Mandy steps into the ocean or forest, drawing and painting algae, fungi, and anemones.
With her love of wildlife, It’s no wonder Mandy ended up on the West Coast at the University of Oregon.
“I knew wanted to get out of midwest and stay away from cities,” Mandy said. “It was an easy decision to come here.”
After finishing up her Environmental Studies and Art degree, Mandy hopes to run an ecological art shop or live on research boat contributing to conservation work.
“Bottom line is, I want travel as long as I can–even though supporting myself is an issue,” Mandy said.
Much like sailing, Mandy’s life represents neither a start nor an end, but a continuous journey full of spontaneous detours and funky grooves.
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