Hello! Long time no see, huh? It’s been a while since I’ve posted. You may have been wondering, what have I been doing all this time? Well, let me take you into my hive because I’ve been quite the busy bee.
To do a quick senior year recap, I did my usual activities (Cross Country, One Act, Knowledge Bowl, Robotics), had success in them all, worked a couple jobs, played some piano, went to some final school dances (I got prom king in May), and against all odds (which were none lol) I graduated! It was a long and fun senior year with many ups and downs, and as sad as I was to leave, I'm also excited to leave for college.
My summer has been pretty good so far too. I’ll break it up into three separate parts: Europe, Laketrails, and work. Pretty much right after school ended, I jumped into the grind. I have a certain money goal that I'm trying to reach, and to reach that goal, I did what any sane and regular person would do, and started working 5 separate jobs to reach the goal.
Where have I been working? Well, I’m working full time in the plant at Marvin, I’ve done some mowing, I’ve been working at the radio station, I've been doing yard work, and just up until a couple weeks ago, I was also working at Caribou. The hours are long, and my free time is limited, but as of right now, it's paying off quite well.
I also went to Europe! Long ago, I talked about a trip to Austria, Germany and Switzerland, and this summer, I embarked on the tour. Man oh man, was it a super fun trip too. Although I had been to Europe (more specifically Czech Republic) a number of times, I had never gone as a tourist. I toured Vienna, Salzburg, Munich, Lucerne, and a number of other cities that had many really cool sights and attractions.
My favorite part of the trip was Salzburg. Salzburg was the filming location for The Sound of Music, so I was pretty excited for the city. You might be expecting that I went on a tour of Salzburg and took in information about the musical and the city, but while most of my group did go on one, I did not. Instead, I went up to the Salzburg castle and took in breathtaking views of the city, the Alps, and the surrounding area. I’m personally not a “tour” kind of person, and I like doing my own thing, and being able to explore a castle that wasn’t a main tourist attraction was a huge plus for me.
Long story short, it was a blast, and I wish I could have stayed much longer. The difference between the lifestyle in the US and Europe was big, but having been to the Czech Republic before helped me know what to expect. To put it simply, Austria, Germany and Switzerland all felt like a different flavor of Czech Republic. Similar landscape (except for the Alps, those were AWESOME), similar architecture, similar cars, just instead of everyone speaking Czech, everyone spoke German.
And then I also went to Laketrails! This year I came to Laketrails as a guide and it was a nice break from the work grind. I had been excited to come back to Laketrails ever since I left last summer, and it was well worth the wait. I only could go for two of the six sessions, but it was probably my favorite part of the summer. It was a big learning experience, I was now the one responsible for a whole group of campers, which did take a bit to sink in. Besides that, I had a blast.
I guided two different trips, both to new places I had never been to before. During my first session, which was the Laketrails middle school session, I went to O’Dell Lake, which is a lake that is close to the center of the Aulneau Peninsula. The trip was full of blueberries, waterfalls, sunrises and sunsets, and a whole lot more. The destination lake itself was super beautiful, and my trip even made our own new campsite to add a hint of fun. The group of campers I had on my trip were phenomenal, it wasn’t just fun for them, it was also fun for me and my co-guides.
My second trip that I guided while I was up at Laketrails was to Gale Lake., another inland lake in the Aulneau. This was the first “harder” trip that I guided, and while the trip did present itself with challenges (4-foot waves in a sidewind to name one), it was again, a blast. This trip involved lots of creeking (paddling through creeks), some bogging, bushwacking (portaging a distance without a marked trail), and more. My group of campers again were super fun and hard-working, and they pushed through all the hard paddling and portaging. My co-guides were also friends I had been campers with before, so it was a fun experience all around. I was sad to leave once the session ended, but I’m already planning trips to go on next year, which only makes me more excited for next year.
Between all my trips and vacations, I’ve been working, so after Laketrails, I went straight back to the grind. This fall, I’m going to Drexel University in Philadelphia for Music Production, so that's what I currently have my sights set on. I don’t move in until mid-September though, so I’ll be working for roughly another three weeks before I go out into the world.
So that’s really been me! Working, exploring, adventuring, taking in my last look at home before I venture out to Philadelphia. Going to Europe and Laketrails really felt like a big break for me, which really helped me take my mind off work and my whole chaotic surrounding world. But now I’m on the home stretch, so wish me luck, and I hope you enjoyed my lovely little life update :)
WAKWIR
You certainly packed a lot into one summer.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get to relax in college, though I doubt it.
Anyway, good luck and send updates from Philly when you can.
I can't imagine the wonderful state of the world if every person: had the parental support since childhood you have had; took advantage of the opportunities offered them; worked diligently toward achieving their goals; and realized them as systematically as you have done! Ever think of running as President of the United States?
ReplyDelete