"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.