I'm sitting here in the student center... what the school calls its student center anyways, and it is 12:35am... School ended last week, yet I am still on campus, waiting for my job to begin for the Summer. I came here in August of 2005, and havent seen my family or friends back home since... but I feel like this has become my home, and these people have become my friends. Not that I will ever forget my family and friends back east, but I feel as though I've grown up and need to settle in somewhere myself. I grew up quick in high school. I had my own place, paid the bills, and worked around 30 hours a week since I was a Junior in high school. When I decided to go across country to school, I let my mom move into my place, she just had to pay lot rent as I own the trailer on the land now. Here I am 19, own my own home, yet I wasn't happy there in SC, so I decided to go to school almost as far away as possible, up in the AK, to do what I love and be outdoors. All the people I've met here in the last year have been great, my roommate especially, who is an Alaskan Native and an awesome guy (we will be rooming together next year as well). People are just so kind and easy to talk to and welcoming... Tomorrow I am moving into a friends house for a week before I leave for my job, and her or her family didn't have to do such a thing, but they did, and I greatly appreciate it. This summer will be amazing and I will learn so much being a Backcountry Ranger in Denali NP, and doing again what I love, being outdoors and enjoying it to the fullest. I personally believe mother nature is one of the greatest teachers out there and everyone needs to listen and learn from here, and relish in the classroom that is nature. I know I am going to. Three and a half months away from everyone I know again, and going to a new place, I hope to make some new great friends that enjoy what I enjoy, and also hope I can help teach that joy to others visiting the park. People need to live every day like it is a new experience, that is my goal, and don't let the old days and bad experiences drag you down, as nothing good can come from being angry.
What Am I Doing?
By shyguy21087 - Posted on May 5th, 2006
I am in SC now, and can see why you would be happy here (I'm not). Anyhow I think it is great that you are doing what you love. I know that it is hard to be so far from family- but in the end it will be totally worth it. Good Luck to you!
~~~Jacque~~~
"About as subtle as a flying brick!" Check out my other blogs: http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/jacquedale
You seem to know what you want, and especially what you are doing. When I read the title of your blog,I thougt you were some teenager what doesn't know what to do with his life. Well, you seem to have big plans, even if they are not so well determined at the first view. Good luck with your summer job.
Oh dear God, my idea of "roughing it" is going anywhere and not having an outlet to plug my hair dryer into! :p LOL! Trust me, my best friend was an Eagle Scout and he wants to try and get me to go backpacking with him. I told him that unless they come out with a light, wireless hair dryer for me to take along, NO WAY!!
HAHA... Nah, I understand exaclty what you mean about letting nature teach you things that you can't learn anywhere else. I think that applies to ANYthing in life though. It's commonly talked about in Zen philosophy, that the more you open your eyes and just sit back and experience everything around you, the more likely you are to understand life itself. I know that many times when I feel exhausted by my life, I just need to sit on a park bench, breathe and just sit there for a while, and eventually I'll see something that somehow inspires me and I'll get up feeling at least 50% better than I felt before.
I think there are so many opportunities we all have to learn the very things you talked about up there: not sweating the small stuff, not letting the negative in life weigh us down, and living every day like it's the last one you will have. I'm glad you've found that, you should cherish it, because not many people find it. Have a fun summer in nature!