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It is another awesome and HOT day in Yosemite valley! Here has been my day so far:

1. wake up at 6:30

2. Jesus time by the river in my crazy creek

2.5. Talked to Morgan Besares on the phone (total highlight)

3. Breakfast with Courtney at seven, read the word together

4. Climbing with Broc at Swan Slabs where I lead my first trad route!! whoohh!! Unfortunately now I want my own trad rack

5. Went to work at 12:30

6. Did an Ahwahnee tour and my boss Meghan came to coach me. She had great things to say and I feel good about it! yay!

7. Ate snacks, going on break in a bit. Then I will do a Wee Wild Ones program at six, give an evening film program at eight thirty, and probably go hang out with folks or go for a night hike or boulder session maybe.

= Good day

Last night I did my first Astronomy program! I think it went really well and it was a whole lot of fun. I got to use the awesomely powerful laser pointer and the cool glow in the dark constellation maps. I had about 30 or so people come, and I even got tipped ten dollars! I cant believe how much I have learned and am able to teach to folks in such a small amount of time. It is a lot of fun, and I definitely think i'm meant to be an educator/interpreter of some form or fashion. Meghan gave me some good feedback on improving my Ahwahnee tour, so I'm going to work on that some more. It is good to learn from her and Emily bc they are really great at what they do.

Hilarious facts of the past few days:

1. Got asked to be a running model by Meghan for her boyfriend's article in trail running magazine on friday and told to wear "cute running clothes!!" haha

2. I ran about 10 miles yesterday morning and during that 10 miles, I ran up on 3 old ladies peeing on the trail. All different spots and different ladies.

3. I went to a concert/dance party-the band was called "pimps of joytime"

Looking forward to Dottie getting here on Monday and my Mom and Jim coming on Wednesday to see me in action and have some fun!

have I really been here over a month?

So finally an update on what is been going on this week in the life of Bekah. Here is a list of the highlights...

1. Spontaneously decided to hike the eight or nine miles to half dome at 1:00 in the morning, barely used a light bc of the full moon, got to the top of the 9,000ft granite hunker right when sun was poking its brilliant colors over the snowy sierra nevada horizon, ate a pb and bananna sandwich and drink a blue moon with my roomate becky, got to talk real about Jesus and apologize for how the church sucks a lot sometimes at showing who He is

2. Moved on Saturday over to the other side of the river where all the other people my age are, its a party all the time so its fun. Spent some quality time and had some good convos with my friend Courtney who is now my neighbor- Totally a friendship the Lord put together out of nowhere.

3. Got to go on Sunday to the service by Christian ministries in national parks- The three students that do that are now my neighbors as welll... God told me to pray over them, I did, hope I can help them out in the future with their stuff

4. Went climbing with broc on Friday and scrambled up to the middle Yosemite Falls that no one ever sees bc its hidden...stood in the mist and got soaked but it was awesome

5. Saw the freaking moonbow (full moon's light reflects off of yosemite falls mist and creates this crazy awesome bright rainbow in the middle of the night!)

6. Totally winged my first family stroll with pretty much NO preparation, and it didn't suck that bad!

7. Got my first "stary skies over yosemite" program tomorrow night and I'm super stoked

8. Dottie is coming a Week from today, and my mom and Jim are coming next wednesday to see me!!!!!!!!!!

9. Fighting for my joy and got it back

10. Learning a freakin ton

11. Missing carolina beaches, my brother and sister, and my sweet friends

my life is a movie

This week has been crazy but good! I'll start with my days off.... of course... Friday my roomate let me borrow her car, so me and courtney drove to Oakhurst (bout an hour outside the park) and took my bike to the shop and got new bearings on the back wheel so i can finally ride my bike! yay! We ate at this sweet hamburger joint that had zuccinni fries. Found a discount grocery to shop, and then went up to the Mariposa grove of Giant Sequioas and saw all the big monster trees! Stopped by wawona and saw Amelia for a little bit at her campsite. She seems to be doing well, her job is real cool!

Saturday I slept in then decided to go on a little solo trail run adventure. I ended up going up Yosemite falls, over to North Dome, then down Snow Creek Trail. It was a burly day but awesome, about 2o Miles! North Dome is the coolest view, google it if you have time.

As far as work goes..whooh...its a challenge. Fun though. I did my first twilight stroll the other night, titled "any place wild". The first one went HORRIBLE! it was so choppy and gross, so I was kinda discouraged. But the second time I did it was SO much better. I even got tipped $10!

Last night's wasn't the best, I have a lot to work on it...I want to change it up a good bit to make it more exciting for all audiences. Right now it is geared toward the adult city slicker that likes nature.

Today I am working on a new evening program about managed wildfire in Yosemite, as well as beginning to work on my astronomy program. My first "Stary Skies over Yosemite" program is This Sunday night! I have a TON to learn before then.

Yesterday was my first Tour of the Ahwahnee Hotel, and that went great. I felt really confident in my interp and I felt like the visitors were diggin it. I needed a confidence booster for sure.

As far as what I am learning...just get an idea, go with it, perfect it later. Trial and Error. Its been great experience for sure.

So that is what I have been up to...just livin the dream. I feel like sometimes my life is a movie that i am watching.

Like last night, I went climbing with some friends around 11:00 in the light of a almost full moon. We did the classic Yosemite granite crack climb. We sat out on a ledge for a long time, loking over the stary valley, and all I could say was, "wow, God." I am blessed beyond measure.

PS...I got some AWESOME packages this week (ahuh... aunt sandra and amy berry) I can't tell you how much love that made me feel. I am so so so blessed.

miss you all

b

Workin Workin

This week I have two new programs to work on. My kids program on bears is going really well, tonight I had 25 kids there! Crazy! I also did the evening film program and Curry Village and had almost 100 people in the crowd. Tomorrow I do my first twighlight stroll, which is about how Yosemite came to become the national park it is today by the passion and experiences that folks like John Muir, Galen Clark, Teddy Roosevelt, and Steven Mather had while they were visiting/living/ exploring here. I hope it goes well. I have a lot of work to do before tomorrow night! I am also starting to work on my Astronomy program and the tour of the Ahwahnee Hotel for next week. SO, as you can see, it is pretty busy. I have to use my brain a LOT which is good.The biggest thing I am learning about myself is that I am unfortunately, slightly perfectionist. I can't stand the fact that my program might not be really good the first time I do it. But, I am starting to see that it takes patience, trial and error, and that it is a process- which for those of you who know me well, know I don't do great with patience and trial and error.

So I am learning a ton right now about tons of things...myself included.

Bummer, my bike broke again. that sucks.

But all else is well. I went on a run to the top of Vernal falls yesterday, and that was incredible! There is so much power in that waterfall...its huge!

I was so sore from carrying a backpack everywhere and running up mountains, so this morning I took one of the free Yoga classes at the wellness center. It was pretty fun, and I met a cool girl that I will probably hang out with again this week and go climbing!

Miss all of you. Been encouraged by these words this week Isaiah 26

You will keep in perfect peace

all who trust in you,

all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

4 Trust in the Lord always,

for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.

5 He humbles the proud and brings down the arrogant city.

He brings it down to the dust.

6 The poor and oppressed trample it underfoot,

and the needy walk all over it.
7 But for those who are righteous,

the way is not steep and rough. You are a God who does what is right,

and you smooth out the path ahead of them.

8 Lord, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws;

our heart’s desire is to glorify your name.

I will try to post pictures soon of me in my super nerdy orange shirt uniform with grandma pants, and pics of me cruising around Yosemite valley in the little electric mini car. Love it.

EPiC WeEkEnd

My first real weekend, and it was an epic one. My friends shawn, courtney, and I drove the Tioga pass (that just opened bc it is SO snowy up there still) through the high country, through Tuolomne Meadows, and over to the East side of the Sierras where there is a little town called Lee vining. There lies the legendary Mobil station (that i have heard about endlessly since i got here) that has a gourmet restaurant in it. We stopped there and ate fish tacos (awesome with mango!) overlooking Mono lake (a huge crazy colored lake that has these crazy islands with calcium deposit spire things). We then made our way south following a book my boss gave me to borrow from the 80's called 'Sierra Hot Springs'. We found the springs by following the directions..."turn left by the green church, then count three cattle guards and turn right down the dirt road until you reach a white dried up alkaline lake. Then walk .5 miles down the creek to the hot spring. Clothing optional. Best time to bathe at 4 or 5 pm" We appraoched to see a bunch of naked hippies bathing in the natural hot spring. hilarious. we stayed there until about sunset, hangin out with the hippies and other folks that came through, drinkin a few mammoth beers and looking out at this quiet meadow with the high sierras in the backdrop. Epic.

Today my friend Courtney and I (whose friendship has been totally awesome and divinely appointed for sure) did a beast of a hike. We started around 10:30, hiked up the four mile trail to glacier point, then took the panorama trail down to nevada falls. Then we hopped on the mist trail and took it all the way back to the valley, past vernal falls which is at its peak flow right now and RAGING! (please look at my pictures on FB) Finished the day with a blue moon and a little buffet action where I pounded some food after a 15 mile hike.

Bad news, my bike is out of commission YET AGAIN! so frustrating. I am hoping my boss's boyfriend can take a look at it when he gets back from skiing at mammoth this weekend.

Tomorrow is work again. I am doing a LOT of research and putting together an hour long twighlight stroll on the topic of wilderness. I'll let you know how it goes.

gettin in the swing of things

So i had some great adventures the past couple of days. Got to go climbing with Brock, Amelia, Meghan, and Glen. We did this route called nutcracker that was awesome. it was six pitches and you could see the whole valley from up there! beautiful!

Did my first program last night...it went well! I introduced a film about climber allen steck.

Today I give my first "wee wild ones" program for pre-schoolers. I developed a program about black bears, it should be pretty fun. (Dottie I will send you my outline!)

I will update you more later, I have to go laminate 25 cards that have bear prints on them for my game tonight :)

thanks to everyone who sent me packages and mail! it is so awesome

lots of love

b

interpretation is about connecting the resource to the visitor, for me it is connecting more than that

During solo time on our staff retreat, we were asked to write our personal relevance statement: why we are here and what our motivation is. This is mine....

When it comes down to the core of every person, we are all searching for something. All of us long to know who we are and we long for a sense of purpose and meaning in our lives beyond the surface. We all want to know why the heck we are here and what this is all about. In a sense, this is the journey we all share as human beings.
Yosemite is a place of wild beauty and majesty that puts the lives we have made for ourselves in fresh perspective. All of a sudden, we are small. We look at the wild and think, "maybe this way of life is not what I am intended for."
I believe John Muir, the man whose heartbeat is this place, understood this very well.
He saw that this natural beauty and majesty pointed to something bigger and something true.
Psalm 19 says, "The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. 2 Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. 3 They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard.[a] 4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world."
I feel like Muir understood this idea of connection to the creator. That in our humanness, we have created such a disconnect, such a broken bridge between us and the way of real life.
Knowing about the intricacies, the rhythms and workings of creation, and experiencing and enjoying the beauty and majesty here fosters a connection back to one huge intention of our lives is to be; to know our creator and enjoy him forever...that's right, enjoy Him.
Yosemite is a place where I get to enjoy Him. We have all been given gifts, abilities, and passions. Yosemite is a diving board for this journey- a place that provides the opportunity to enjoy Him by using these passions and gifts of educating and enlightening, gifts of relationships and passions for climbing, challenges, exploration....
Everyone leaves Yosemite with something of an experience. I hope to be a small influence on people's shared journey, and know that Yosemite will be a part of propelling mine forward as well.