It happened when I was taking a photo of the purple sky and two stretching lakes across the Bonney Pass in the Teton Mountains. I suddenly knew that this wonderful place had transformed me into a better person and a more confident woman.
It took some courage to get to that place. Many months before, I had some fear and reluctance when submitting a lengthy application for a counsellor job at the Teton Valley Ranch Camp in Dubois, Wyoming. My stomach had that sinking feeling that I would be leaving my comfortable, close-knit home to work at a ranch camp 2,610 miles away. My friends were close by, and my daily routines were very comfortable. Surely there had to safer jobs nearby, and I was a little nervous already about heading out to college …show more content…
I had been a camper at this camp when I was younger. It certainly appealed to me that I would be contributing some of my time to a place that had provided me with good memories. But I knew that being a counsellor would be much different and more difficult. I would have to get along with lots of new co-workers, manage large groups of young campers, and learn how to teach camping and hiking skills, all on my own. Visions of potential disasters swept over my mind. Despite my fears, I knew at the same time that going to a new place far away could be life changing, that life is not about being sheltered and always feeling comfortable, and that a bumpy rollercoaster can be the best way to become …show more content…
The camp is in the Wind River Mountain Range, which is wild and remote. The air is crisp, the sky is huge, and the camp itself is only a few log cabins and tents. We started right in on staff training: practicing our horse-riding, learning how to teach rodeo barrel and pole races, and trying to rope almost everything. One of my favorite activities was to wake up at the crack of dawn wrangle the horses up to the high pasture. The misty air would whistle around the galloping horses. We later learned mountaineering skills: packing for trips, making technical climbs with climbing gear, pitching tents and cooking at high
It took some courage to get to that place. Many months before, I had some fear and reluctance when submitting a lengthy application for a counsellor job at the Teton Valley Ranch Camp in Dubois, Wyoming. My stomach had that sinking feeling that I would be leaving my comfortable, close-knit home to work at a ranch camp 2,610 miles away. My friends were close by, and my daily routines were very comfortable. Surely there had to safer jobs nearby, and I was a little nervous already about heading out to college …show more content…
I had been a camper at this camp when I was younger. It certainly appealed to me that I would be contributing some of my time to a place that had provided me with good memories. But I knew that being a counsellor would be much different and more difficult. I would have to get along with lots of new co-workers, manage large groups of young campers, and learn how to teach camping and hiking skills, all on my own. Visions of potential disasters swept over my mind. Despite my fears, I knew at the same time that going to a new place far away could be life changing, that life is not about being sheltered and always feeling comfortable, and that a bumpy rollercoaster can be the best way to become …show more content…
The camp is in the Wind River Mountain Range, which is wild and remote. The air is crisp, the sky is huge, and the camp itself is only a few log cabins and tents. We started right in on staff training: practicing our horse-riding, learning how to teach rodeo barrel and pole races, and trying to rope almost everything. One of my favorite activities was to wake up at the crack of dawn wrangle the horses up to the high pasture. The misty air would whistle around the galloping horses. We later learned mountaineering skills: packing for trips, making technical climbs with climbing gear, pitching tents and cooking at high