Hello!
What an incredible week this has been! So much has happened!
This week I had the treat of having my friend, John, visit me from Oregon. We had planned to go hiking in Glacier National Park after my work contract finished, but my sister announced her wedding during the same weekend, so John will be traveling with another buddy of his. For the past three years, John has visited me in the national parks and we've gotten to take some amazing backcountry hikes through Sequoia, Yellowstone, and the Grand Tetons together, photographing some incredible terrain and vistas. To not have a summer hike together seemed strange. Having a canceled plane ticket, John was able to exchange it for a weekend flight out here! We had an incredible time visiting and exploring areas of Yellowstone that John hadn't explored, particularly Norris Geyser Basin and the Lone Star Trail.
The trip was short, but it was a great experience. One of the experiences that John got to experience while out here was "Christmas in August", where every August 25th the park decorates its hotels and we celebrate our annual tradition. For the General Store, we closed early and held a Christmas program, singing songs together, hearing the Christmas story from one of our employees, sharing a ton of our awesome cook's cookies, and getting an early visit from Santa Claus. It was a great time filled with good memories for everyone. As my manager, Scott, pointed out, this was the last time everyone got to hang out together as people's work contracts have been finishing up and people have begun to head back home. By the end of this week we'll have lost fifteen people from the store. The season of saying goodbyes has started.
In the midst of these transitions, school has begun to a great start, but I already feel the pressure of maintaining both work and school. The notion of being in school hasn't really hit me yet, so I'm still transitioning. It's great to be in contact with my online classmates from last year--we've already had an incredible time chatting online and catching up. But along with all this, this week I am also beginning a new job working for my former manager, Melissa Stock, as her choir assistant! I worked as her assistant for two years before, and now I get to return again to help out as her choir prepares for three concerts this Christmas. It'll be great to return to this job once I return to Oregon...a return that ticks down to only twelve days away!
Unlike last September's "indian summer", Autumn is already in the air. We've been waking up to 36 degree morning temperatures and days when sweatshirts are needed for nearly the entire day. The grasses have turned golden, and soon the lower-elevation trees will start to turn as well. I'm stepping into new things this week, and it's amazing to see how God is working in the midst of all of it.
Blessings on your week!
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