Summer Reflections

So, I’ve been back in Nebraska for about three months now, and I have yet to write a concluding post to my summer blog. Sorry about that, but at least I’ve had plenty of time to reflect on my experience up “where the buffalo roam.”

My first blog post highlighted my summer expectations, now I’m going to tell you which of those expectations became actualities.

This summer was certainly an enjoyable experience. I truly had a great time meeting new people from all over the world in one of the world’s most beautiful places.

My expectations for my cabin itself were pretty accurate. My door didn’t face the south, but rather the east, but the overall living experience was not far from what I expected. I couldn’t see the sunrise from my front door, but I could see the stars from my bedroom window above me every night as I went to bed….a fair trade-off as far as I’m considered. I was surprised to find that the area around the campground was not as isolated as I anticipated. The drive to West Yellowstone was a short one with several businesses and homes visible along the way. A trip into town always proved to be a nice break. I was impressed with how well I refrained from eating at McDonald’s…I only ate there three times all summer, however, I ate at Arby’s fairly frequently.

The campground was nice, as I anticipated. I enjoyed the pool and spa regularly and the café was a good place to get a good meal at a good price. We were also “fortunate” enough to get regular bear visits within the campground. This lead to late night “bear hunts” as Jacob and I desperately hoped to catch a glimpse of one of these beasts. It was probably dumb, dangerous and irresponsible of us, but it was fun.

As predicted, I worked with a wide variety of people at the KOA. As the summer progressed I got closer to my fellow employees. People like Ketanya, Jacob, Kim, Teaan, Lindsay, Ben, Karen, Arlene, John, Mike, Nate (of course) and Charlotte AKA “C-Bass” will not soon be forgotten. I truly enjoyed working with such a diverse group of people. In those few summer months we managed to share many stories and memories with one another.

I also took advantage of my close proximity to the park itself. I tried to visit it at least once per week, but it was usually more often than that. By the end of the summer I had visited almost all the major attractions, seen plenty of wildlife, and lots of beautiful scenery. I even got to see Old Faithful erupt in the middle of the night. My favorite places to visit were Firehole Canyon in Yellowstone and Mormon Row in the Grand Tetons. How could someone not love working in a place with so many breathtaking sites?

Most importantly, this experience gave me the opportunity to fulfill a dream I’ve had for a long time -- to work at Yellowstone. I’m happy I finally chose to do this. It was something I will always look back at and be relieved I did. I believe you should do those things you’ve always wanted to do, go those places you’ve always wanted to go, become what you’ve always wanted to become. Nobody can make your dreams come true, but you.