Bleeding Green and Gray
Excited. Nervous. Exhausted. It is hard to even write this entry without getting emotional. As a very passionate person I tend to wear my feelings on my sleeve which can be my best and worst trait. But it is without holding back any emotion that I scribble down these thoughts...
In two weeks my Rav 4 will be packed to the ceiling with blue tubs that are host to my most personal belongings and sentimental memories. 'Tis the life of a seasonal National Park Service Ranger; a vagabond living the bohemian life. What a journey it is getting to move from one incredible place to another, but it comes at the price of knowing that the next great place you move to is just a temporary home. There is no sense of stability with work, relationships, home, and sense of contentment. I don't quite know where I belong.
I have begun the transition of bleeding green and gray. What started off as a simple summer job became a childhood dream come true, but like all dreams they slowly start to be torn apart with the mingling of the real world. A park ranger; I mean how amazing is that? Spending your days roaming about the world's most incredible locations, bringing knowledge to visitors hoping to spark a sense of stewardship; protecting our heritage and landscapes. Ideal, right? But these dream jobs face the same issues as any other person in the work force does. Government has the ability to sometimes take the dream out of the job. Wondering day to day if there will even be a budget to keep the Parks open or even worse if years from now they'll still be relevant. Will what I do even matter anymore?
With the passing sequester it has brought about a lot of stress about the future. If congress can so easily with the wave of a hand cut the budget enough to impact these incredible places what is making sure that they will forever be protected? After thinking long about it: love. A love of place, a love of belonging, a love of protecting what is yours. The father of interpretation Freeman Tilden stated it best:
“Through interpretation understanding,
It is now at the time of economic despair that the profession I have chosen is more important than ever. It is becoming hard to overlook the struggles of becoming a permanent employee in the National Park Service, this would not be as hard if I did not care so much. My entire life is invested in this. I have, like so many others, sacrificed so much just to be a Park Service hopeful. I love, without question, the National Parks, what they stand for, and what it is that I feel like I can offer to their benefit.
Soon I will have the incredible opportunity to begin a new journey at the amazing Grand Canyon National Park. I am incredibly excited and scared beyond belief at the same time. Last time I made a big commitment to move for the Park Service my life forever changed.
Since choosing this profession I've had the rare opportunity to stay close to home or live in one location for what is now two and a half years. The Black Hills have become part of my being. I never thought I would find another place I could ever call home, now I can not think of any other place I would like to call home. Some of the greatest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting reside here, folks I would consider my closest friends. At last I was getting to the point where I thought I had the best of all worlds; working for the Park Service and a sense of stability with my friends and home. That is about to change as I head southwest.
Although there will be familiar faces and a wonderful experience, I could not be more nervous. I do not want to leave those whom I call my friends, I don't want to miss out on the incredible prairie thunderstorms, the nightly bonfires, the board game nights, the simple things about this place that make me happy.
All is bittersweet... We will see where this road will lead. Through all of this all I wish for is happiness wherever one may be and a world that will always have the privilege of knowing what a National Park is, and more than anything I hope I can be a part of that.
Dream big and ranger on...
In two weeks my Rav 4 will be packed to the ceiling with blue tubs that are host to my most personal belongings and sentimental memories. 'Tis the life of a seasonal National Park Service Ranger; a vagabond living the bohemian life. What a journey it is getting to move from one incredible place to another, but it comes at the price of knowing that the next great place you move to is just a temporary home. There is no sense of stability with work, relationships, home, and sense of contentment. I don't quite know where I belong.
I have begun the transition of bleeding green and gray. What started off as a simple summer job became a childhood dream come true, but like all dreams they slowly start to be torn apart with the mingling of the real world. A park ranger; I mean how amazing is that? Spending your days roaming about the world's most incredible locations, bringing knowledge to visitors hoping to spark a sense of stewardship; protecting our heritage and landscapes. Ideal, right? But these dream jobs face the same issues as any other person in the work force does. Government has the ability to sometimes take the dream out of the job. Wondering day to day if there will even be a budget to keep the Parks open or even worse if years from now they'll still be relevant. Will what I do even matter anymore?
With the passing sequester it has brought about a lot of stress about the future. If congress can so easily with the wave of a hand cut the budget enough to impact these incredible places what is making sure that they will forever be protected? After thinking long about it: love. A love of place, a love of belonging, a love of protecting what is yours. The father of interpretation Freeman Tilden stated it best:
“Through interpretation understanding,
through understanding appreciation,
through appreciation protection.”
It is now at the time of economic despair that the profession I have chosen is more important than ever. It is becoming hard to overlook the struggles of becoming a permanent employee in the National Park Service, this would not be as hard if I did not care so much. My entire life is invested in this. I have, like so many others, sacrificed so much just to be a Park Service hopeful. I love, without question, the National Parks, what they stand for, and what it is that I feel like I can offer to their benefit.
Soon I will have the incredible opportunity to begin a new journey at the amazing Grand Canyon National Park. I am incredibly excited and scared beyond belief at the same time. Last time I made a big commitment to move for the Park Service my life forever changed.
Since choosing this profession I've had the rare opportunity to stay close to home or live in one location for what is now two and a half years. The Black Hills have become part of my being. I never thought I would find another place I could ever call home, now I can not think of any other place I would like to call home. Some of the greatest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting reside here, folks I would consider my closest friends. At last I was getting to the point where I thought I had the best of all worlds; working for the Park Service and a sense of stability with my friends and home. That is about to change as I head southwest.
Although there will be familiar faces and a wonderful experience, I could not be more nervous. I do not want to leave those whom I call my friends, I don't want to miss out on the incredible prairie thunderstorms, the nightly bonfires, the board game nights, the simple things about this place that make me happy.
All is bittersweet... We will see where this road will lead. Through all of this all I wish for is happiness wherever one may be and a world that will always have the privilege of knowing what a National Park is, and more than anything I hope I can be a part of that.
Dream big and ranger on...
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