Week 1!!

Hooray! Week one is officially finished! It’s been a good one, too. I’ve met a lot of nice people and it feels refreshing to be back in the mountains. The summer already feels different because there are so many new faces (in a way it feels like the first month of college) but it’s definitely different in a good way.

Before even making it to Colorado, the summer started off with a trip to Marquette, Kansas for a wedding. Mattie and I got to know each other through Theta and I was so happy to be able to be part of her special day because she’s just wonderful. The day was crazy because the wedding was all outside and it was pouring rain up until the ceremony ended. There was a tent to prevent rain from hitting us but the inside was still one big mud pit. Luckily it didn’t stop the ceremony from being beautiful and once I accepted the fact that mud was just going to get everywhere, the reception was absolute blast! Weddings are one of the few places where dorky dancing is acceptable, so I excelled on the dance floor (well, after I slipped on the mud and fell flat on the floor).

Our muddy feet were artfully cropped out of this so S/O to whoever took this. I already forgot. 

So many Thetas. So many kites. 

My family picked me up the next day and we drove straight to Estes Park. We were in town and checked in by 6:30 PM, which gave us plenty of time to admire the mountains. They’re especially beautiful this time of year because it’s still cold so some of them are still covered in snow. One thing that warmed my heart was pulling in and seeing a huge rainbow over Ponder Chapel, which was my friend group and I’s “go to” place last year. It made me sad to know that they aren’t returning but it was nice to have the reminder of all the great memories!

               We decided to get dinner at Cheesy Lee’s over at the Historic (and 1000% haunted) Elkhorn Lodge. The Lodge is super old- all of the buildings around it look like they haven’t been renovated since the 60’s and the lobby...oh the lobby. It looks like something straight out of a horror movie. There are old dresses and memorabilia just kicking it around furniture that has to be at least one hundred years old.

Creepy.

The ghost's main hang out area. 

I had goosebumps the second I walked in. My mom, sister and I even went to the bathroom together to make sure that the ghost children wouldn’t attack us. Luckily they don’t attack groups so we made it out alive and headed back to the cabin for a night of board games and quality time together. My family was here all week, which was nice because I was able to get off work and then go hang out with them. We would get dinner and then spend the night mostly playing board games but we also got to spend a lot of time looking at baby owls in the National Park. They were absolutely adorable- one of the times we went they even practiced flying!

Not owls but part of the National Park that we got to explore together. This specific place is Moraine Park, I also refer to it as the most beautiful place in the whole world. 

Monday started off strong by me realizing that I forgot forms for my I-9. By the grace of God, my uncle was able to find what I needed and ship it to us. Naturally I realized my lack of important forms on Memorial Day when everything was closed, but it all worked out and I had it in time to continue working. I was still able to move into my room, and to my surprise I found out that two of my three roommates worked in programs with me last year. My third roommate wasn’t there at the time but I met her later in the day and she was great. Our room is a little smaller than a dorm room so space is limited but it won’t be a big deal at all. I got to know my roommates really well last summer so I’m excited to get to know them better!

The rest of the day consisted of shopping for random things and walking around downtown. We went to an Italian place called The Dunraven for dinner and I hung out with Rachel. We met last year through mutual friends and got along immediately after I noticed her wearing a Relay For Life shirt (this should surprise none of you). We became great friends and I even got to show her around Kansas City back in October so it was exciting to know that she would be back for the summer!

               Tuesday was my first day and despite my nerves it went well! The first thing I did was get a full tour of the office from my supervisor. There are a lot of different departments within the executive offices and it was neat getting to meet so many people. I also learned that my position works a lot with the CEO, which is cool! Everyone I met was super friendly and excited to have me there which obviously made my level of anxiety decrease. The whole week was mainly filled with learning the ropes of the office. There’s a lot of random administrative things to do- addressing envelopes, filing forms, organizing files, etc- but I get to do lots of cool things in between! Some highlights from this week include:

               -Getting to talk to donors and hear their stories about why they love the Y. Connecting with people was one of my favorite parts about working in Sweet so I’m excited that I get to keep doing it!

               -Attending a cabin dedication and getting to help dedicate it at the end of the reception. We all got to put a hand on the cabin and say the prayer together. SO COOL.

               -Going to Denver to hear about how YMCAs across Colorado work to promote their annual campaigns. I got to travel with a co-worker so it was fun to get to know her while also learning about the Y’s fundraising.

Saying goodbye to my family on Saturday was hard but it was also my first day off so I got to explore Estes a little more. I started off the day by hiking Eagle Cliff with Rachel. This was my first hike last year so it was fun repeating it. Well, it was fun after the first half. That first half is straight up miserable. You start by stepping foot on the mountain and literally walking straight up. It’s like walking at an 80 degree incline. Luckily we were both okay with stopping so we took a lot of breaks and admired the views. It took us a while to make it to the top, but oh wow it was worth it. The snow covered mountains looked photoshopped against the blue sky. You got a full 360 view of everything- the Y, Longs Peak, the entrance to the park, even downtown Estes.

All smiles because I hadn't tripped (yet). 

               We stayed at the top for a while to hang out and take fun pictures and then we headed home and basically spent the rest of the day together. It was nice having someone familiar to be with, especially because this first week has been a flurry of meeting new people. My next day off- Sunday/today- was mainly spent with my roommate Elizabeth and some people that she knew as well. We went to church together and then hiked up to Bible Point. I was good friends with the chaplains assistants last year so I went on quite a few worship hikes to Bible Point. You would think that the views would get old after a while but they really don’t. It was just as beautiful as I remembered.

The mailbox has a Bible and a journal so people can leave notes or prayers. There were a few in different languages when we checked!

Things are winding down for today, which is nice because this week has been crazy. Even though the summer already feels different I’m super excited for what’s in store. This first week has given me some great adventures and week two should be even better! 

"Going to the mountains is going home."- John Muir

In three days (!!!) I will be on a porch approximately 7,500 feet above sea level at the YMCA of the Rockies, aka one of my favorite places on Earth. Though it seems unlikely for me to be in love with such an athletic place (I’m aware that I possess the grace and coordination of a newborn horse. I’ve accepted it. It’s fine), it’s been a family favorite since our first visit about fourteen years ago. We’ve had some of our best memories in Estes. When I wanted to do something new last summer, working at the Y was one of the first things that popped in my mind. 

One thing led to another and before I knew it I was hitting "submit" on my application. I still remember getting the call saying that I had been hired. I have never felt so simultaneously thrilled and horrified. Going out to a new state for a summer and not knowing anyone? That didn’t seem like something I could do. For a few hours I considered taking it back and staying home for the summer, but I put on my big girl pants and went for it. I’m so glad I did. Last summer absolutely changed my life (and I don’t throw that phrase out often). Living in a postcard was wonderful and the people I met were fantastic. They were driven, interesting, thoughtful and an absolute joy to be around. They even accepted me when I got 25% meaner after 10:00 p.m. (the sass is real when I’m low on sleep). Three months wasn't enough time with any of them. Leaving all of it behind in August was the hardest part about the job.

Everything about last summer was so wonderful that I starting looking for opportunities to return before I even left. Philanthropy and nonprofits have always been an interest of mine, so I asked the current intern to give me a tour of the office and introduce me to the staff. He happily agreed and I got a full tour during my last week. The department seemed great and even though nothing was definite the thought of returning started to excite me more and more. It got to a point where I would think about going back to ease my mind from the stress of the semester and then get too excited to fall asleep (all of my roommates can attest to this...God bless them). 

My application was sent in November and a few weeks into 2015, I was offered the internship. Going into second semester with a job lined up was great. Knowing that it would be at the Y again was even better. Moving from the programs department over to the executive offices is daunting but I feel that it’ll be a better fit for me. If you’re wondering why I want you to close your eyes and imagine me trying to lead a hike in the dark or mediating a bunch of angry fifth graders during a game of Capture the Flag. Hopefully that clears things up.

Coming back to the Y will also be a nice break from the hot mess that was sophomore year. If we're being totally honest I don't understand how it turned out to be so stressful. Overcommitting myself has always been a thing but this year it brought on challenges that I didn’t expect. There were a lot of learning curves and incredibly frustrating moments. Despite the stress, it was still a good year and I found myself getting sentimental as I packed my car to leave Manhattan last week. I would take a hard pass on repeating it but I’m glad that it happened. Being involved can be taxing and difficult but it’s given me some of the greatest friends and memories I’ve had in college so far. There was never a dull moment this year- from the shenanigans that came with living in Theta to spilling Mod Podge in a carpeted elevator after a UPC event to meeting a woman who had finished chemotherapy the day we went caroling for Relay For Life. All of these special moments and friends made it a year that I definitely won’t forget and I’m so thankful for all of them.  

So that’s my story of last summer and what brought me back to what will be another great summer. There’s already a list of all the things that I’m looking forward to and I can’t wait to do them all. I’ll try to update this as often as I can but if not you can obviously still get contact me. Normal forms of communication work just fine (with the exception of smoke signals and pigeons- sorry team). Snail mail is super exciting though so if you want a pen pal for the summer feel free to write! :) My address is: 2515 Tunnel Rd Estes Park, CO 80511.