I don't plan on going through each post and being a grammar nerd. This isn't a book or a thesis. This is information. This is entertainment...especially for those who know weird stuff happens to me all the time. I walk outside and crazy happens. Not everyday but enough to make my life interesting. This is something you can do while you're waiting for your doctor to call you into the back room or read on the bus during your commute. It will give you a taste of what my mind, thoughts, and cares are. And for that I apologize. And it will probably not be on topic all the time. My brain seems to jump from topic to topic but I will do my best to stay focused.
As of the middle of February I was rehired on at Yellowstone National Park. This will be my second summer season there and I am more than excited. I would love to do a happy dance up and down the street but I'm sure someone would call the cops. Last year I adored my Yellowstone experience. Every last person I worked with were the best. I have never had the privilege to work with such an intelligent, welcoming and patient crew. I say patient because I had never worked as an interpretive ranger before and I had loads of questions. Also, I had never been to Yellowstone before. Yes, that's right. Never. And within two weeks of getting there I had to give my first programs. When I had driven into Mammoth Hot Springs last summer the only things I knew about Yellowstone was Old Faithful and grizzly bears. I spent my first days learning general information, working the front desk in the visitors center and taking home books to read. At one point I had a two foot stack of books and reading materials to go through and take notes on. It was like 15 credits of graduate school crammed into a two to three week period. I'm not joking. My typical day consisted of crawling out to my coffee maker, watching the sunrise, heading into work, observing at the desk and shadowing programs to get familiar with what was expected of me. After an eight hour shift I went to my housing to eat, read for a couple of hours and fall asleep to a documentary on Yellowstone (go to youtube and search for Yellowstone documentaries...I have probably seen all of them) I had never felt so much stress and satisfaction as everything eventually came together. Unfortunately, most of those fellow comrades aren't coming back this summer. They have found other positions in other parks or are spreading their wings into other ventures. I will miss every single one of them. But there will be a few familiar faces in which I am so thankful. This summer we will be the ones to have the initial get together parties and be the park's welcome wagon.
Since my start date is a bit earlier this Spring/Summer I have been making lists. What to get out of storage and what to leave behind. So far I have already gone through everything I currently have with me. Somethings are already packed and just sit at the base of my bed waiting to be packed in the car. I have gotten most things on the list done except for actually vacuuming out my vehicle. At some point over the next week or two I plan on hitting storage to do the big exchange of items. Besides that I have started reading some books that I bought before my departure. My goal is to have my new night program in the works so I can write up an outline and set up a power point. I think I might keep my snake program in play but eventually work in a new Wonders of Yellowstone program. I also have been revisiting some of those wonderful documentaries that lulled me to sleep those first few weeks. The count down for my departure is at hand and I cannot wait. I really hope there is no delay in my background check like last year.
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