Wrapping Up and Living it Up

Well good news is, I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth! Obviously I have been intensely busy with little time to even breathe. But all continues to go quite well, despite a few hiccups along the way, and this internship adventure is winding down to a close. Soon another one of my good friends (and also housemate) Jess will be flying out here to come and make sure I actually come home. It’s a good thing she’s coming too b-c I don’t want to leave this place…but are any of you actually surprised by that?

As usual, I have completely adapted to, and fallen in love with, my surroundings. Can’t beat these mountain views, low humidity and cool temperatures. It has gotten hot during the days but the mornings and nights are always cool, especially as of late. I’ve even started needing a jacket again some mornings! Believe it or not, as much as I love summer, I’m really looking forward to crisp fall air and that season, especially because I missed it last year!

This blog entry could go on for pages and pages to fill you all in on the last month or so of life in Yellowstone. I’m going to go for a bulleted list of highlights.

-Fourth of July: I stayed in Bozeman for the weekend and hung out with some friends from MSU (Montana State)…it was super relaxing and consisted of biking around, climbing the wildflower-covered Mount Ellis, and hanging out with Erin in Belgrade. We wanted to climb the Bridger Ridge in order to get a 360 view of the fireworks but there was still too much snow.
Mount Ellis is actually more to the right of this photo, but you get the idea of the range. It was super hazy b-c of all the fires from California blowing their smoke over here to Montana.

Mount Ellis in the distance, surrounded by wildflowers :)




-The subsequent week was traumatic and I’d rather not go into all the details here but that’s that. All is well.

-My grandparents and sister Dianne came to visit for the weekend and I got to play tour guide, take Dianne on a few short hikes around the park, and just enjoy some familiar faces and their company. Great to see them and show them my life here and what I get to do every day. :)

chillin at Mammoth Hot Springs…it’s white from all the travertine formations





-shortly after the fam left, my friend Danielle, her sister Kara and friend Sturdy, all came out from Phoenix and Indy to visit and go backpacking. We had an eventful 3 day backpacking trip in which it rained heavily for a number of hours for the first time in a month and a half. It has not rained more than 5 minutes since then. Rough luck. But we survived and got into hardcore hiker mode, using my little Pocket Rocket cooking stove and sleeping very well in my awesome new sleeping bag I had bought in Missoula back in May. Fell in love with backpacking/camping. Awesome adventure with those buddies.

Unfortunately I had to work so I couldn’t play with them the whole time they were out here but I did what I could and guided them to various activities and they lived it up. We made it to the top of Bunsen Peak and then down into Sheepeater Canyon to see the impressive Osprey Falls…quite possibly one of my favorite YNP hikes thus far! The next day we hiked down into Lava Creek Canyon to find our backcountry site and hike more. We saw at least 8 waterfalls around the park during this adventure and had a blast!
On top of Bunsen Peak



Osprey Falls




















Looking out over Lava Creek Canyon towards Mammoth Hot Springs in the distance







-shortly after the friends left and I quit camping in a tent for a week, my 21st birthday rolled around. I was again in Bozeman (a trend that tells you I really enjoy the town of Bozeman and have gotten to know it pretty well) and though friends from the park were unable to come up to help celebrate, I hung out with my boss Deb and enjoyed a wonderful evening of good conversation, delicious macaroni and cheese, and a few beers in celebration of the night. I met up with some MSU friends later in the night and enjoyed their company as well. Hurrah 21! On Sunday Christy and I headed down to Grand Teton National Park and enjoyed the stunning scenery of those massive mountains. We took the boat ferry across Jenny Lake and climbed up to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point, a good steep hike on a gorgeous sunny day.


Birthday dinner at Deb’s house :)




Hidden Falls with Christy





-I then began another project for work and set up a photo studio in one of the empty dorm rooms at old faithful. I’ve been collecting products from around the store and taking pictures of them for the company website which will function to some extent as an online store. That’s been really entertaining and something different and fun.



-this past weekend I experienced the town of West Yellowstone and attended a summer concert in the park with Erin, Dan, Christy, John and Justin, some other friends from the park. We spent the entire weekend together and climbed up mount washburn on Saturday. Sunday we bought tire tubes and floated down the Madison River in Bozeman, a water adventure that was undoubtedly one of the most ridiculous and hilarious experiences ever. I cant walk in rocky, one foot deep flowing water.

Divide and Conquer: Me, John, Erin, Dan, Christy














On the way to go float the Madison!





















Erin and Christy chillaxin’

-lots of random drives through the park after work to see places I’ve passed but never stopped at and just enjoy the summer wind on my face and the sun in my hair. Gorgeous place.

-the masses have begun to leave for the season and it doesn’t seem like it is time for that yet. I now have a room to myself and can spread all my stuff out to start packing it up to leave soon as well.

-this week we went down to Jackson, Wyoming and visited Huckleberry Mountain, a large vendor of YGS and spent an incredibly interesting and productive day touring the facilities, coming up with new business development and product ideas, eating, sampling candy, touring the very touristy town of Jackson and enjoying the company of the other interns and supervisors. This part of Wyoming is still beautiful, I guess it’s just the most southern part that is terribly boring to drive through.

The Grand Tetons















Dennis and Erin in the Huckleberry Mountain Factory













Million Dollar Cowboy Bar…they have horse saddles for seats at the bar!















Elk Antlers and Moose Antler by the plaza in Jackson, Wyoming...i miss Chilean plazas


My last day of work is Friday the 15th and I leave the 18th for an elongated trip back home in time for school to start on the 27th. I’ve got to move into my new house and get ready for all of that but I don’t really want to. It will be good to see my family again and actually talk to them face to face…I am looking forward to that. If some new mountains and low humidity could happen for Indiana before I get back, that’d be good.

Who knows where the wind will take me next but so far it’s been blowing me to some pretty amazing places to meet some pretty awesome people so I figure as long as I hold on tight for the wild ride, life will be all good. I’m ready for it.

Snapshots

Don't get spoiled with all this posting. It's the weekend and I've got a bit of extra time and wanted to share some of these photos I have taken over this past month and a half with you. Enjoy.








Dan and I fending off the wild animals

Erin and Dan looking for safety hazards

Moose and baby
















Bison jam
















Old Faithful near sunset















Here's a candy display Erin and I worked on together at the Old Faithful Upper General Store. The colorful signs labeling each type of candy were made by Jill!

Moments

here's some more stuff i wrote that is potentially worth reading. i title it "Moments":

-standing outside in Belgrade, in the pitch black darkness with the tiny golden lights of Bozeman flickering in the distance and the mighty Gallatin Range nowhere to be seen, hidden amidst the night sky. The stars shone with a pure brightness that can only be seen in a beautiful place such as Montana. There were so many stars out that I could barely find the Big Dipper among them all. I thought that the stars back at Old Faithful were impressive but now, with no other lights but the light being emitted from trillions of stars from trillions of miles away, I was blown away. The summer wind blew lightly, gently brushing my hair off to the side, out of my face. It was a perfect night. Completely silent as well. Not a sound but my own slow, awestruck breath, stopped in my tracks. Frozen in time, admiring the vast magnitude and glory of the stars.

-driving back from Bozeman, watching the sun hit the mountains against a dark, ominous sky. The sun slowly sunk lower into the sky and by the time I had reached the Midway Geyser Basin 10 miles from Old Faithful, it had lit the sky on fire. A hundred or so massive bison were slowly making their way around the valley, the brilliant setting sun in the background against the steaming hot springs and geysers in the valley. The steam mixed with the sun’s last rays and lingering clouds and created quite the scene. Cars were stopped everywhere, pulled off the road, tourists leaning out of their cars, all admiring the beauty of the scene before them. I took a few pictures and continued on, content. Happening to look behind me in the rearview mirror, I realized the scene just kept getting better. I pulled off again and took a few more pictures with the dark silhouettes of the trees in the foreground, steam and setting sun in the back. As I turned around, ready to continue on my journey home, I noticed a double rainbow off to the other side. Nature had opened up, presenting incredible views at every turn. I hopped in the car and drove on, probably only 500 yards or so, when I decided where I was now deserved a picture as well. The sun continued to slowly sink, turning the sky from a dark gray in places to a blue to a bright yellow, light red, and finally a deep orange. As I just stood there, taking in the entire scene
before me, it began to rain. Softly, in the way that only summer rain can fall. The smell of rain grew heavy in the air and I threw out my arms and stood out in the rain, feeling the coolness of the light drops on my face, continuing to soak in the sunset. It was an incredible moment, completely alone, one with the earth, simply living in that exact moment of contentment. (new blog picture captured a tiny part of this moment, thanks to my camera's self-timer)


-driving through Bozeman, windows down, music up, left arm out the window, looking around realizing that in every direction all I could see in the background were mountains. Big, gray, lightly snow-covered, enchanting mountains. Surrounding me and my little white Escape. It was in this moment that I realized that I had unknowingly entered into a love affair with Montana and that it was going to be very difficult to leave, but with the knowledge that I would get back here somehow, and soon. For now, the days continue to pass and I continue to live in every moment.













Triple Tree Trail in Bozeman.

-driving to Lake to visit Leslie and family one Friday morning. Brilliantly sunny, a bit cool but pleasant, with barely a cloud in the sky and a bright blue sky, ready to greet the day. As I rounded the turns of Craig Pass, I caught a glimpse of Yellowstone Lake—a lake that looks different every day and always seem to change. This particular morning the Absaroka Range was stunning. The minute I caught sight of them in the distance, white and snow-covered, immense and eternal, I couldn’t help the tears that sprung into my eyes. I was completely blown away with how beautiful the mountains looked against the lake that day…it was all I could do to not slam on the brakes right then and there, almost in shock at the beauty of it all. Again I was blown away, swept off my feet, silenced by the Absarokas on that excitingly sunny Friday morning.


lovelife. adventure on.

life in paradise marches on

I know it's been a while since I have updated this. I have been working long hours, traveling far, and haven't really been around all that much to type and computer around. If you want to hear more about how things are going, give me a call. That works the best for me, though my phone is somewhat unreliable in picking up calls. I'll get your voicemail though, so leave one and I'll call you back.

Chasing after Erin on Dunraven Pass

That being said, what have I been doing? Traveling back and forth from Bozeman, a 120 mile trip one way from Old Faithful but beautiful scenery. I have fallen in love with my job and am really enjoying my role with this company. The people continue to all be awesome and really enjoyable to work with, and I'm learning quite a bit too. This past week I spent traveling to the stores trying to make sure they are all prepared for our environmental audit next week. I made sure signs were posted, policies in place and being followed, and also that the associates were aware of things they should be aware of. That was really fun, getting to stress the importance of recycling and check the stores for compliance and such. Plus i got to travel around the park in the gorgeous sunny warm weather we had this week, and I cant complain about that. I'm pretty tired by the time I get home but there is usually stuff to be done once I get back as well. Having to take an internship class for school on top of all of my various work responsibilities is really tough but it all works out I guess.

So i've been to Bozeman--enjoyable place where at times you are driving and literally are surrounded by mountains, as far as the eye can see from all sides. I found the Montana State library and spent a few hours there, loving life because everyone knows that libraries are adventureland. i also visited one of the many, many coffee huts on the street corners of Bozeman, and had the first cup of actually flavorful, incredibly delicious coffee that i have had in over a month. the coffee in the park is terrible, and not coffee. i also visited some of Kelan's friends and rode a bike in the first time in over a month too and loved every minute of that. a bike and a good cup of coffee. all i need. delicious. though you cant beat the park views. stunning.

We traveled to Mammoth Hot Springs area last weekend and tried to find Osprey Falls but were led astray by some type of operator error and headed towards Snow Pass and the 10,000+ foot high Electric Peak. it was a gorgeous hike, just not where we wanted to go. Sunday I hiked out to Mystic Falls which was an enchanting and delightful hike along the Firehole River. that being said, i may even go back there tonight and hike it. we will see. it's the kind of place you can sit and just watch the falls over and over and feel peaceful, as if all is right in the world.

happy friday. that's all i got for now. miss you all, more than you know. though i love this place and this job an immense amount, i wish you all could be here to share it with me. however, may you all enjoy your own adventures in all parts of the world.

peace, love, and the utmost feelings of happiness.

katie.

Hot spring near the Upper Geyser Basin Boardwalk

Cabin Fever

Hola!

Things continue to go well and though we have had quite a few days of snow, I’m still having a blast. They say this weekend is supposed to warm up and get sunny for the next 10 days so I hope that they are right. I am ready for summer! Winter and snow flurries are only fun…when it’s winter. :)

Last weekend was the snowstorm and a lot of roads opened and closed throughout it. We ended up getting around 4 inches or so at Old Faithful, more higher up. I faced Saturday knowing that there was no way I could spend all day in my dorm room so I hopped into the car with two friends, Sergio and John and we headed to the east side of the park to the small Western town of Cody, WY. Driving through snow and high mountain passes was spectacular…Yellowstone Lake looked like an angry sea but was gorgeous all the same. I again found that uncontrollable smile playing on my lips as we drove along Sylvan Pass and saw deep mountain valleys and high mountain peaks, snow-covered pines standing tall against the coming storm and dark clouds.

Cody was awesome(no pics at this time). It was great to be out of the park for a bit, and away from the snowstorm and into some semblance of summer though it was pretty windy. We went to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center which has 5 different museums: Western Art, Plains Indians relics, Firearms, Natural History (lots of stuffed bears and moose and such), and of course the Buffalo Bill Museum. We saw a gunfight, which was pretty cool…a bunch of actors dressed up in old Western clothing shooting at each other and running around on one of the main thoroughfares in this small town. We ate buffalo burgers which I’ve had before but were super tasty nonetheless. We drove back over the snowy mountain passes and called it a great day. Sunday we went to the Tetons which was a bit of a disappointment as there were too many clouds covering the mighty mountains. Seeing a bull moose along one of the rivers as well as a grizzly bear very close to the road did make up for the trip though.

We spent the next week at work getting ready for the “Big Visit” of a few corporate executives. Erin and I were given the charge of displaying the new candy display in the ice cream loft and made some labels and arranged the various types of candy in the most appealing way. That was a lot of fun to be given that responsibility and work together using some of our creative thoughts and ideas to make the display look the best we possibly could. I also worked a lot on contacting various groups about our Pathways program which is a program that brings in a variety of local

Yellowstone Lake

artists and authors to a few of our larger stores around the park. In order to promote an upcoming artist I wrote my first press release. One thing that I really enjoy about this internship is that not only am I learning a ton about this business and how retailing works, especially on a seasonal scale, but I am also given a variety of tasks to do. Every day’s activities are unexpected and different and I am challenged to do more than just filing all the time. I am actively involved in making suggestions and helping to do what needs to be done to do business better and I love that freedom and responsibility.

I've fallen in love...with my job/life

I am at the start of my 3rd week of this most amazing internship. And boy, do I love life! Honestly, things are going so well it’s incredible. To remember how 2008 started out, and to look around at these incredible snow-capped mountains, faithfully erupting geysers, and soak up this relaxed yet demanding Western atmosphere makes me so incredibly happy.

I am finally working at a job where I am able to voice my opinions and am asked to do so. Where I can actively use so many things I have learned about in various classes and apply it all, see how this company works and it all fits together. I’ve never had a job where I could honestly say on a Sunday afternoon that I was excited to get up early and go to work the next day and see what was to come. This job is so incredibly variable, you never know what might happen or what you might have to do the next day, or even the next hour. I love the variety, the unexpected situations, and the spontaneity. That being flexible and patient is synonymous to any task I might be given. I often excitedly spend time after hours working on things for work, coming up with new ideas or reviewing information I received from the day about the park or the company or whatever.

If you know me at all, you know I love people and flying around from one place to another, squeezing every moment out of every day and always seeking adventure. I hesitate to say that this characteristic has changed but I will go so far as to say that I am spending a lot of my time alone, by choice. It has been so long since I have actually had the time and ability to sit for hours, doing whatever I feel like doing, working on this or that, keeping in contact or planning my next adventure. I love it. However, as much as I enjoy being able to sit quietly by myself, lost in my own thoughts and dreams, I have made quite a few friends here and had a good number of adventures already.

This past weekend I set out with 5 others: Dan, the other intern who works with me and puts up with my habitual lateness and contained disorganization, Adam, Doug, Stephanie, and Jared, all friends from the same town in California. We drove a few hours over a mountain pass with gorgeous valley views to begin a 12-hour hike along Pebble Creek, near the northeast entrance of the park. The guide book we used said 1.5 miles of difficult uphill and indeed it was. The most encouraging part of this part of the hike was that I was not the slowest! I kept up with the 3 forerunners of the group and dominated that hill. However, about an hour or so into the hike we encountered snow. It wasn’t deep at first, and we even heard water running below it. Dan dug into the snow until we actually found the runoff stream that had formed and watched it for a bit. The snow caused us to lose the path and there were no trail markers in sight. We walked around in the direction that we thought the trail should be and encountered a huge snow covered volcanic boulder field. The crazy thing about all this snow is that some of it was packed and some of it was not. The parts that were not made it quite entertaining trying to walk. One minute you would be above the snow and the next minute you would be up to your knee or higher in a snow bank.

We continued walking, sideways across this mountain, trying to find the end of the ridge. When we did find it we still couldn’t find the path anywhere and decided to look at the guide book again to try to figure out what we could. We realized that we were hiking on the opposite side of the mountain ridge than we should have been. If we were to continue, we would soon find ourselves in much more snow, climbing up the face of Mount Baronette, a decently high mountain peak. Not prepared with pick axes, we decided to try to find the best way down the mountain. This whole adventure reminded me a bit of my adventure with Luke in La Serena back in Chile on that crazy mountain descent. Dan’s GPS told us the road was actually pretty near and sure enough, we found ourselves walking down the highway towards our car. Once on the road we realized that we had not even crossed the state boundary line and had probably only walked somewhere around 3 miles. But it was a very intense 3 miles and a great adventure. I even saw a black bear on the way back!

Last week we rode around in the warehouse delivery trucks and got to see a beautiful overview of the park, as well as listen to the numerous stories both truck drivers had to share in those 8 hours we rode around with them. If I’ve learned one thing here (which believe me, I’ve learned MUCH more than just one thing), it has been that you really can not judge a book by its’ cover. I’m not much one to do that anyway but I have been incredibly entertained finding out what some of these people used to do in their lifetimes before retiring to work in Yellowstone and drive around an RV during the rest of the year. One was a secretary for a general in the Pentagon, another a police chief, a laundry service entrepreneur, a 4^th-grade teacher, an inventor. Some have lived in this area all their lives, others had never been this far West in their lives until now. Some have worked in Yellowstone for years, for others this is their first time. One has a dog food bag in his office featuring him and his dog. Another had a grandfather who helped to build Dunraven Pass, a mountain pass here in the park that connects Canyon and Tower and cuts down significantly on travel time through the park, not to mention has an incredibly magnificent view.

Yellowstone is a magical place. Where else in the world can one apologize for being late because they got caught in a bison jam? Or enjoy glorious mountain views, green lodgepole pines, and the possibility of seeing a black bear or bald eagle and its’ nest on the way to work?

The West is Best.

It hailed today. And there are still decently large snow piles, though they are melting. It may be summer elsewhere, but here I don’t really mind the cool mountain air, the need to wear a warm fleece jacket and occasionally gloves, the lack of humidity and the freshness of living. It’s isolated out here but I don’t mind this disconnect. In fact, I admittedly embrace it. But still, feel free to send mail or call…I always love and look forward to all of it!

I’ll leave you now, away from my ramblings.

Love life,

Katie :)

p.s. in the words of my boss, Deb: "Here's to another great day in Yellowstone!"

Yellowstone River, near the brink of the Upper Falls in Canyon

Remembering How it feels to be Content: Bike Missoula

Missoula. Montana. Why have I not discovered this place sooner?

When we finally arrived in Missoula, not only was I excited to be there because it meant a 3-day respite from driving in a car, but also because it is such a neat, unique college town. Without a doubt, it is the most biker-friendly city I have ever been in…the cars stop if they see you about to cross the street and the majority of the major thoroughfares have a bike lane. Many businesses have bike racks outside of their establishments. Leslie and I vowed not to get into a car for the next 3 days and aside from making a trip to REI on the outskirts of town for a new sleeping bag, we stayed true to the vow. We took a tour of campus, and I met a ton of Leslie’s friends whom I had heard about all semester but of course had never met until this point in time. We drank lots of coffee at the many unique coffee shops around town. Without a doubt one of my favorites was “Liquid Planet”, a shop with everything from coffee and sweets to local wines and beers, lots of reading materials, and a general good vibe about it. We literally rode our bikes all day long, to wherever we decided to go. Having spent most of the semester relatively immobile, to find myself riding miles and miles on a borrowed bike through the streets of Missoula with the green and rolling foothills surrounding me, I was more than happy. I explored a bit on my own while Leslie went to work, and this, as usual, turned into an adventure. Luckily Leslie armed me with some great maps of Missoula before she left or I could have become rather lost. I found myself weaving around but ultimately navigating and treating myself to a beautiful sunset on the bridge overlooking the mountains and river that snakes through town.

Leslie and I put our creative skills to work when, upon returning home to her apartment, Leslie realized her roommates had owned most of the kitchen supplies she had been using all summer. We attempted banana pancakes Friday morning using the crockpot warmer plate, oil, and a fork-knife pair turned pancake flipper. Considering our resources, we cooked up some fairly delicious breakfast vittles and even added fresh strawberries to the mix. Visiting the local Saturday Missoula farmers’ market was an experience and yet again another taste of sweet summer--we bought rhubarb and leslie later made a fantastic rhubarb-strawberry crisp.

The river and surrounding foothills complete with a white “M” on the hillside provided some beautiful views and many moments of pause to simply feel content about life. Those 3 days were some of the most beautiful Leslie said she has ever seen in Missoula—we had sun every day and it got up to the mid-80s every day. Glorious summer. Combine that with the ability to do whatever, whenever and it was a delicious recipe for a small taste of summer before heading to Yellowstone, where summer has not yet arrived. I tried huckleberry ice cream at the Big Dipper—a popular ice cream establishment in town and a local Montana flavor. We rode around town many times, and tried to find Rattlesnake Canyon but were largely unsuccessful though it was a good ride nonetheless.

I could easily see myself not only often returning to Missoula but even potentially living there—it has such an attractive vibe to it that one simply needs to experience individually. Everyone seemed so laidback and very outdoor-oriented. I can confidently say that I felt more at home in Missoula than I ever have in Indiana, in the sense that the people I found myself surrounded by were just as adventurous, if not more so, than I am. Corn, flatland, and corporate office buildings may be fine for some but as for me, I seek the clean and pure mountain air, high on life and surrounded with a variety of opportunities and activities with which to occupy my time that there is rarely a dull moment. I taste that in the West. I do not wish to conform to corporate America but rather seek an endeavor that gives me just enough money to love life and experience it to the fullest and allows me to enjoy the great out-of-doors. To finally be free of the car and driving long hours every day, encountering new sights, sounds and smells, was a refreshing feeling.

While traveling the country was quite an adventure and loads of fun, the adventures to come make my heart beat a little faster and I feel that small absent-minded smile I felt flowing through every part of my body while in Chile coming around again. After a long, arduous semester full of a variety of trials and tribulations, to finally feel contentment again is a more than welcome feeling that I am determined to follow and capture. Maybe it’s that new place-traveling-creating new adventures excitement again. Meeting new people, realizing that yet again the world is at my feet to explore. I guess it’s safe to say I am addicted to new places, new people, and squeezing all that I can out of life. So here I am, at it again, stretching to reach the first sweet and juicy peaches of the season from this tree. The winter was harsh, but spring is bringing something great. While traveling through Iowa City I saw a sign that struck me as incredibly true: “If we had no winter the spring would not be so pleasant.” Peace out winter, bring on the spring!

May each of you find your own clear mountain air this week. Keep in touch!

-Katie

p.s. so i never figured it out in chile and im really not sure how i missed the most obvious picture attachment link, but here's a few pictures i took in this enchanted town! (note, okay so there WOULD be pictures if my internet connection was better. i'll work on that)

First Week, Big Adventures

Thursday, May 22, 2008

I am writing to you from Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park...where it is currently snowing and has been, all day. we enjoyed 2 days of nice 70 degree weather but now its fairly chilly and looks like it might snow a lot, and then warm up some again. the weather here is fickle i suppose. but you cant beat the views, the crazy wildlife (i saw a grizzly crossing a stream a few miles outside the park!), and the people and job i have. ive really been enjoying myself, though i have yet to start the actual duties of my internship. this week we have 3 stores opening all on friday so everyone has been really tired and stressed trying to get everything set up and ready for the season openings.

i live in the dorms and have been lucky enough to have a Colombian roommate..her first time in the states and here to work and learn English. imagine my excitement at the ability to speak Spanish with her all the time...she's not the only Colombian here...ive met a good number who speak Spanish and its been really great. I'm not the only intern which is nice as well but the only one with this internship as well as lots of essays to write in order to get class credit. its not easy working more than 8 hours a day and then sitting down and cranking out a paper after all of that. somehow i will get through it though i guess.

tonight we have an event that i get to go to, one of the photographers whose artwork we feature in the stores is coming and hosting a private wine and cheese party of some sort, talking and showcasing his work. unfortunately i still have 2 more months until i'm 21 so i'll have to just attend the cheese party part. ;)

my boss is really really awesome and im really excited to work with her. ill be helping her with the GreenPath program Delaware North has developed...recycling and environmental initiatives to promote not only within the company but throughout YEllowstone and the surrounding local community. right up my alley.

living and working in a national park is a very unique experience...back to dorm life and prepared meals which are really delicious in the employee dining room but also surrounded by so many natural phenomenons and working in a fairly relaxed, laidback atmosphere. the majority of the people working here are retired but it provides for interesting perspectives and always a ton of advice about life and general concern for my well-being.

i've hiked once, on a full moon hike which was pretty cool but too many people around. i hope to go hike this weekend or at least explore but thunderstorms are expected so we'll see.

in other news, my foot has been doing fairly well though hates the long days i have been spending setting up merchandise in the stores. ill just be doing that through the end of this week and then the real work begins but it should hold in there. its SO nice to not have to get around with a boot or crutches.

The Latest, Greatest? Adventure: Interning in Yellowstone National Park but first: The Journey Enroute

As they always say, networking is key to getting a job. This time I find myself beginning an internship with Delaware North, who runs 13 general stores in the Yellowstone National Park area, along with many other establishments throughout the country, as well as the world. Yellowstone is located mainly in northwest Wyoming, with parts in Montana and Idaho. I'll be living in the DNC dorms nearest to Old Faithful, the famous geyser that erupts every 60 to 95 minutes per day.

The following recounts my journey west where I have truly found that the West is Best. I have yet again left behind my family and friends to start in a new place. So here goes.

I decided to drive the 2,000-plus miles out to Yellowstone National Park in Northwest Wyoming. My good friend Leslie (or Leslie Montana as my parents call her) agreed to make the journey with me and flew out from Missoula, Montana to Indy in order to drive back with me. We spent 4 long days driving, starting from Noblesville, Indiana.

The first day we left Noblesville a bit before 8am EDT and would have made great time if we hadn’t taken the wrong exit and headed towards Kentucky rather than Illinois. This made an 11 hour day (without stops) into a 15 hour day (with many stops) We stopped through Iowa City on the way for a quick ice cream cone (gummy bear which doesn’t sound all that good but it was!!!) and a Starbucks stop to see Heidi and Jordan, two good friends from our Chile days. Being so far behind schedule we didn’t have much time to see them, but the quick stop was better than nothing! We kept trucking and pulled into my aunt and uncle’s house in Lincoln, Nebraska a little after 10pm CDT.

After chatting with my aunt and uncle and watching their new little dog, Molly, zip around the kitchen at our feet and try to eat Leslie’s sandals, we left Lincoln and headed in the direction of Littleton, CO. The scenery quickly changed from green trees and large, sprawling farmland to very wide, open spaces, complete with a view of a St Louis Arch-like bridge over the highway in Nebraska, the Bridge to the West was the intent there I believe. We stopped in Ogallala, NE, a small western town very close to the Colorado border. We had a bit of trouble locating Lake McConaghuey (sp) but after stopping at a nursing home and staring at a small cartoon drawing of the town, we located it and frolicked by the shore for a bit. We were going to stop to eat but decided we had plenty of food in the car and continued along our way. The town seemed fairly deserted while there but we did see the “Ogallala Watering Hole”, a gas station in town which seemed interesting. We continued on to Colorado and finally saw the Rocky Mountains looming in the distance. Denver traffic proved entertaining and we again found ourselves misguided in day 2. The views of the city were pretty impressive as were the mountains and I maneuvered the car while Leslie read the map and we eventually found ourselves in Littleton. We made a good team as for some reason I tend to ignore lots of traffic and large semis and calmly carry on while Leslie is great at navigating with the use of our helpful AAA maps.

Once in Littleton, we passed time with my grandma (Busha) and also got to visit my great-aunt Juzia. It was awesome to see both of them, as well as be back in the Rockies. Tuesday evening we spent visiting old friends back in Denver. We didn’t have much time to see anyone though it was great to touch base with one of my good friends Julie in her Denver abode, as well as see some family members. The following morning, Day 3 Wednesday, we drove into Boulder to see one of Leslie’s friends from the first semester in Chile. The view of the snow-capped Rockies on our way into Boulder was enough to cause tears to spring to my eyes, carried away by the sheer beauty and magnificence of the mountains before us. We had beautiful, warm weather every single day of the journey and Wednesday was no exception. After bumming around in the streets of Boulder for a bit, plus a trip to the candy store, we made our way towards Columbus, Montana, Leslie’s hometown of approximately 2000 inhabitants. Day 3 of driving, in the car, waking up early, the adventure of it all began to wear off once we hit northern CO and most of Wyoming. The brown, empty ranchland of this area was more than we could bear and both of us just sat in tortured silence, hoping the hours would pass by faster so we could get out of the car. We both contemplated throwing open the car doors and rolling away from the car, but decided to keep on going. Upon reaching the Wyoming-Montana border, and even a little before it, the mood changed and we began to enjoy the adventure yet again. Montana was beautiful and much more interesting than Wyoming, and the stop for the night was almost upon us. Columbus was small and while I did not get to experience all of its treasures that Leslie always spoke about, the tour of the main street was a good enough taste of this quaint Montana town. We finally got a bit of time to just relax inside her parents’ home and geared up for one more day of driving the next day.

Day 4 we took a detour and went back into Wyoming for a bit to visit Yellowstone National Park. While I would spend the next 3 months there, Leslie hadn’t seen it in a while and wanted to pass through. About 5 miles outside of the park entrance we saw the telltale signs of a wildlife spotting with a good number of cars pulled off the road and lots of tourists standing around, fixated on one point, cameras and binoculars in hand. This sighting turned out to be a grizzly bear walking through a clearing and crossing a river! We stopped for a bit, shot a few pictures and then entered the park where at this time there was approximately 4 feet of snow piled up on the roadside. Yellowstone Lake was completely frozen over and I felt like we were returning to winter yet again. I got to meet and eat lunch with Leslie’s mom who is just as fun and spontaneous as Leslie. (I forgot to mention one of our other passengers on the journey: Pato, translated to “duck” which was a small duck that was the size of a peanut. However, after placing him in a pickle jar full of water and taking him along on our journey, he grew to be about the size of my fist) We then drove over to Old Faithful which thankfully had less snow and was a bit warmer where we met a few of Leslie’s old YNP friends and hung out. We then got back into the car and headed to Missoula, MT, leaving the park and again entering Montana. The drive went fairly quickly and was incredibly beautiful. We drove around Hebgen Lake and I got to drive over my first mountain pass (as the driver) into the valley of Butte. We drove along a river for a while, up along sheer rock face, and up and down and around, full of beautiful mountains and sweet sunshine to spur us onward. We arrived in Missoula around 9pm or so and were welcomed by the smells of a sweet summer evening. This would be Leslie’s final stop and my last stop for a few days. I didn’t have to report to work back in Yellowstone until Monday so we swore off using the car and only rode our bikes in this most enchanting bike-friendly college town for the next 3 days.

More to come on Missoula, but that was essentially the road trip. We spoke all in Spanish, unless around non-Spanish speakers, listened to music, shared a few good laughs and conversation, and all in all made it across the United States, taking a ton of photos and seeing a ton of friends and family. For me, that was perhaps one of the most exciting parts of the trip and a definite remedy to feeling homesick. Upon entering YNP it really hit me how far I was from familiar Indiana and the majority of my friends and family. Here I am again, on to another great adventure. Having a good friend by my side as well as looking forward to seeing someone I hadn’t seen in a while at the end of each long day was exciting and very enjoyable. Thank you to all of you who gave us food and provided us with warm beds and good conversation after a long day in the car! :)