Something New, Unknown, & Uncharted

“and suddenly you just know…it’s time to start SOMETHING NEW and trust the magic of beginnings.” -Meister Eckhart

Starting something new, change, whether it’s a big change or a small change, is exciting, yet also a tad bit scary. Exciting because it’s something new, something different. Scary because it’s unknown, uncharted territory. Lewis and Clark traveled into new, unknown, uncharted territory. I’ll bet they were excited, but also a tad bit scared because they had no idea what or who they would encounter along the way. Despite any fear they might have had, they ventured on and because of that, we now know the beautiful land west of the Mississippi River.

Abraham was called, by God, to “leave [his] country, [his] people, and [his] father’s household to go to the land [God] will show [him].” (Genesis 12:1) Abraham was probably excited, but I’m definitely sure he was also scared. Who wouldn’t be? To leave everything you’ve ever known, everything familiar and travel into an unknown, uncharted territory is exciting and scary. I know from personal experience. 1 1/2 years ago, fall of 2014, I did just that. I left everything I knew, everything that was familiar, and moved into “unknown, uncharted territory.” I moved to Montana, which technically is no longer “unknown, uncharted territory,” but my decision, to move 2,000 miles away from everything I’d ever known, everything familiar, was. I was excited, but I was also scared, because I had made a huge decision to make a huge change in my life, a huge something new, and I had no idea what my future held from that moment. I made a huge decision to try something new that led me into my “unknown, uncharted” future.

About a month ago, I made another huge decision, another change, another move. I started something new, a new beginning…I moved into my “own” place. A tiny one-bedroom cottage, completely furnished, ready for move-in, all utilities included in the monthly rent, private off-street parking, quiet residential neighborhood outside of town, perfect for one person and closer to my job. It was too good to pass up. Thankful, for co-workers that gave me the contact information of the older couple that is now my landlords. It was exciting and a tad bit scary because it was a new change, a venture into “unknown and uncharted territory.”

Along with the move I made 1 1/2 years ago, I see this move, this new adventure, this new beginning as a milestone in my life. Just as I didn’t know then, I don’t know now what my “unknown, uncharted” future holds. However, like I did then, I have faith that no matter what my future holds, no matter what new changes occur, God will be with me through it all. He will lead me through all the new changes, all the new beginnings, and all the “unknown and uncharted territory” that lies ahead.

When I am afraid, I will trust in you -Psalm 56:3

…God said, “Never will I leave you, Never will I forsake you”…The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid… -Hebrews 13:5,6

True North

“Find your True North.” What does this mean? I “googled” the definition and according to dictionary.com the definition for finding your true north is: get on the right course, proceed in the right direction. Of course, the phrase “find your True North” is actually an idiom and yes, the definition I provided is the correct definition for that idiom. The “true” definition for “true north” is thus: (noun) north according to the earth’s axis, not magnetic north. 

I was reading through the October 2015 issue of the PT in Motion magazine I receive for being a member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), and found a section that was an interview of the new APTA President. Within that interview article, the president, talks about the APTA vision, and physical therapy’s “True North” among other topics. When asked to define physical therapy’s “True North”, she states, “Our True North, and it’s true about everyone who chooses to be a PT or PTA, is our fascination with the human body and how it works, combined with the strong desire to help people.”

Many people have asked and still ask me, “What got you into physical therapy? Why did you choose physical therapy? Why are you in physical therapy? What made you choose physical therapy?” I often hesitate to answer because I don’t know where they are going with that question. Are they really just curious? or are they going to try to give me their opinion on why I should or should not be in this field? Honestly, they are just curious. They want to know why you have chosen this path. After all, most of the people that ask the questions usually end up being your patients and they are just curious as to why you chose this field. They want to be assured that they are in ‘good hands’, that they are cared for and that their best interests are at the heart of the situation.

I couldn’t always find the right words to describe why I chose physical therapy as a career choice, but I chose physical therapy, to be a PTA, because, it is true, I am fascinated with the human body and how it works along with a strong desire to help people.  Looking back over my life, I have always had a strong desire to help people in whatever way I can. I also remember having this curiosity about the human body and how it worked. The curiosity was not fully explored until college when I had specific courses that talked about the human body and how it worked. Even still, after all those courses, and having a greater knowledge on how the human body works, I still have that curiosity to continually learn how the body works and how to use that knowledge to helping people.

I have chosen physical therapy because I believe I have found my “True North-the insatiable curiosity about the human body, how it moves, what makes it work, and how I can channel it into the 1-on-1 personal interactions I have with my patients.” 

“Don’t Worry, I’ve got this.” -GOD

 

“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” -Mt.6:27

This phrase: “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.” -GOD :has been ringing through my head, heart, and soul for the last few months, ever since graduation. Though it is not always in those exact words, it is still the same message: DO NOT WORRY. GOD HAS THIS ALREADY WORKED OUT. It is not easy to not worry, as I am sure many of you already know, but have you noticed that when you worry, you stress, you are moody, time slips away, and you notice the negative in everything? Within the months since graduation, I’ve had a few “stressful” moments in which I did a lot of worrying. One event was my sister’s wedding, I wasn’t worried about the actual event, it was other circumstances surrounding the event. My family owns a dairy farm, we do not have any hired help, and the wedding was three hours from the farm. About a month before the wedding, the person we had lined up to milk the cows for us during the wedding day, pulled out and we had no “backup” people. During the next few weeks, all of my siblings and I, as well as my mom, contacted everyone we knew who might be available and have experience with milking cows. We kept reaching dead ends, until about a week and a half before the wedding. Finally, some people we had contacted or who had heard about our situation came forward and offered their help. What a relief! There really is no other explanation to the extent of the relief we felt, other than to say, God definitely had his hand in it.

During this time, I also had another event on my mind that was causing me stress and worry, the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Board Exam. My exam date was only eleven days after my sister’s wedding and I knew I was behind on studying. Add that stress onto everything that was going on at home with my family and the wedding, and that’s a whole lot of worrying that really drains the energy out of you.  Fortunately, I quickly noticed the negative outlook all the worrying was causing and I kept repeating that phrase: “Don’t worry, I’ve got this” -GOD  and it really helped to bring a sense of calm and peace to all the chaos. After my sister’s wedding, I returned to Montana about a week before my exam. Yes, during that whole week I was “worried” about the exam, but I once again kept repeating that phrase and focused on hard-core studying. That whole week, I did nothing but eat, sleep, and study. It was an mentally exhausting week. The day of the exam, I was a nervous wreck, but the whole day, multiple times, almost constantly, I kept reminding myself to “not worry, God has this all worked out.” The support from my family and friends, near and far, also helped to remind me that it’s all in God’s hands. I was nervous and worried, but somehow I also felt a sense of peace and calmness and I knew that had to be God reminding me, “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.” All through the exam and afterwards that phrase was a constant comfort.

It’s been about two weeks since my exam, and while I’m still awaiting the results, that phrase continues to bring a sense of peace and calmness. No matter the outcome of the exam, God has it all worked out so there is no sense in worrying about it. Yes, I am anxious to know my results, but in order to keep myself from worrying about it, I simply remind myself that God has it all under control that no amount of worrying it going to help. So while I wait, instead of sitting around worrying about the results, I’ve been working part-time at my summer job and spending time with friends, going on road trips, adventuring into the woods, and just having fun hanging out. I am taking each day, one-at-a-time, hour-by-hour because as Mathew 6:27 and 34 say, what good it worrying about tomorrow going to do for me? Worrying will only take away the hours of today, the hours I could spend with friends hanging out, the hours I could spend thinking positively.

God tells us not to worry because he knows the negativity of it. He knows that worry only causes more stress and how we’ll miss out on seeing the joy of living in the moment. We’ll miss all the positive things that outweigh all the worry. Think about it, does any amount of worrying add to your life or does it take away from your life? Does worrying about tomorrow really help make it any better? If you spend today worrying about tomorrow, what happened in today?

“Don’t worry about it, any of it, today, tomorrow, that exam, that relationship, that situation. Whatever it is, don’t worry about, because I’ve already got it all worked out. Just watch and see and live. I’ve got this.” -GOD

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” -Mt. 6:25

“Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” -Mt. 6:34

Nearly there…

Where did the time go? A year ago, I was preparing to leave home for my second bout of college, half-way across the country. I didn’t know how fast this time would fly and what an adventure it would be. This past year has been a year of growth. Beginning a new adventure is always the toughest, especially one so far away from everything familiar, family, and friends.  It was a huge step out of my comfort zone. Once classes started, I quickly made friends and, from there, the adventure ran full speed ahead.

When you are fully immersed in something, such as school, it doesn’t feel like it’s going fast, but when you sit down and reflect on it, you realize just how fast it really went. That’s how I feel about this past year. Classes were tough, both semesters, and certainly intense trying to pack all that information and knowledge into such a short time. We were a small class size so we got to know each other quite well. The year passed so quickly, that during the final week of school, even though we were all glad to finally be done, we kept asking “Is this really it, already?, Are we really done with school?” We wished each other well in our future careers and life, as most of us may never see each other again.

We were all excited to be done with school, as any student may be, but the real celebrating will come after we pass the National Board Exam in a couple months. School is done, but we are not officially done, done, until after the Board exam, which is why I titled this post “Nearly There…” The last week of school was spent testing and reviewing for the board exam. We were given some review material and study guides to help us prep for this board exam, but ultimately it’s up to each of us, individually, to commit to studying for the next two months.

The board exam, is indeed the most important test we’ll take of our entire careers, because if we don’t pass, we don’t get a license to practice. Needless to say, it is definitely nerve-wracking, and no matter how well-prepared or confident we feel after the practice exams, it is going to take some serious, intense, focused studying so we pass on the first attempt. Never before, have I had a “study plan” or had such an important exam that required this intense studying. So it’s been tough for me to really sit down and focus. I, constantly, need to keep reminding myself that I need to study in order to have greater confidence in passing, and I’ll be grateful in the long-term. The end of October, I will finally, hopefully, be able to sigh a huge sigh of relief.

As I stated before, it has been a year of growth. I’ve discovered more about myself and my passion for physical therapy, as well as, becoming more self-reliant and independent. I’ve been stretched to edges of my comfort zone and have been pushed beyond those limits several times. It’s been such a rewarding adventure that I would have to say, despite all the ups and downs that are present in any adventure, this one has been, overall, one of my best adventures. And now, I must get back to studying…stay tuned for how this adventure will take a new turn in October.

Find home in your heart

One of my good friends from my days at Messiah College is also an adventurer/cross-country transplant like I am. While some have told me I am “good with words,” I often feel inadequate, that I haven’t written in a way that others can truly understand, relate to, and want to share with others. My friend was able to find the words I couldn’t to express thoughts on what it feels like to find more than one place in this world to call home, or rather as she well states, to find home in your heart.

One unending love.

If you would have told me during my early college years that upon graduation I would be living in the state of Oregon, I probably would have laughed in your face. Adventurer was by no means a word that I would have selected to describe myself. I was fine in my bubble and saw no need to adventure out of it. I saw no need to look outside of my walls. Here are three of the definitions that Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary provides for the word home.

1. One’s place of residence
2. A place of origin
3. A familiar or usual setting

There are three specific locations where I have lived that I would call home for some time period of my life—York, PA, Mechanicsburg, PA, and Roseburg, OR. I grew up in York, went to college in Mechanicsburg, and completed my AmeriCorps service terms in Roseburg. If I had gone to Messiah…

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Deja Vu

deja vu: (noun) a feeling of having already experienced the present situation.

Mid-December, one year ago, I was flying back to my childhood home to spend Christmas, my birthday, and the New Year with my family. A few weeks ago, I made that same journey back to my childhood home to once again spend the Holidays with my family. Deja Vu. It was a weird feeling. However, one thing that is different than last year’s journey is, I have a definite return date instead of leaving it open-ended. Knowing that still did not dismiss feelings of deja vu.

During my travels, I couldn’t help but think (I had long layovers for way too much thinking), “I’ve already done this once before exactly one year ago…” I knew I would be returning to Montana in few weeks when classes started again, so leaving this time wasn’t as hard as before. As those moments of deja vu kept overwhelming me, and I returned to everything that was all too familiar, I kept thinking, “I’m not ready for this adventure to be over.” I’m not ready to ‘come home’ yet. I am not ready to come home permanently.

Don’t get me wrong, I have missed all my family and friends as well as all the familiar territory, and it’s comforting to return to for a short time. However, being away from all things familiar has been good for me. Being in new territory has forced me to be more courageous to take steps out of my comfort zone. I don’t have a choice and must learn to do things on my own. Since being home, I’ve noticed how quick and easy it has been to fall back into old habits and old emotions and that’s when I realized how well this new adventure was for me.

I love my childhood home and all the people that became a part of my life as a result of growing up there. I will always love returning. Perhaps one day, my spirit will feel the call to return there permanently. Right now, my spirit wants to continue on new adventures, to see new places, meet new people, and make more connections.

This phase is gonna fly by

It is said that time flies when you’re having fun. Well, time also flies when you’re busy.

It’s been fun, but it’s been busy. So busy in fact that it doesn’t quite seem possible it’s November already. Where have the last two months gone? Where has the last year gone?  Apparently it just flew by. Country artist, Darius Rucker’s, “It won’t be like this for long” comes to mind. While I can’t completely identify with all the lyrics of that song, at least not yet, one phrase rings true no matter what your age and circumstance in life:

This phase is gonna fly by

If you can just hold on

It won’t be like this for long

 The general theme of the entire song is about how fast time is going to fly even if doesn’t seem so when in the moment. However, when looking back, you wonder how time flew by so fast. Truth is, it did and it didn’t. Time flies when we’re busy or having fun because we get caught up in the moment. We either focus on what needs to get done before a deadline or on spending time with those we care about. It’s those brief moments when not surrounded by family or friends, or worrying about the next deadline that we reflect on where our energy and focus is being spent.

The last two months have certainly been busy and thus it seems like time just flew on by without much notice. It’s now the end of the first semester with only finals separating us from our first clinical experience. We have stuffed our brains full of so much information the last two months, we wonder how well we retained it all. Of course, we’ve been tested on our knowledge of the information, but the real test is coming, when we have to apply the knowledge to real life experiences. It’s exciting and scary all at the same time. For some, we get to experience a new town…that’s what happens when attending a program in a state as spacious (population-wise) as Montana. It soon becomes mini-adventures within the overall adventure. A phase, within a phase.

As wind and time fly by, so will this phase. Enjoy it while it lasts because it won’t be like this for long.

 

Relying on Faith

“By faith, Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” -Hebrews 11:8

Alright, I admit it. It’s not been easy. In fact, this move across-the-country has probably been one of the hardest, if not thee hardest thing I have done thus far in my life. To pick up from everything you’ve ever known, and move nearly 2,000 miles away to a place where you don’t know anyone or anything about, is scary indeed. Yes, I have friends in Montana, but not in the area where I am living.

So, since I was moving so far away, didn’t know the place where I was moving to, didn’t know anyone in that place, and feeling the whole spectrum of emotions, one thing I did know…this journey was going to be one in which I had to fully rely on my faith in God to carry me through. I don’t think I’ve ever relied on my faith to carry me through something, as much as I’ve relied on it for this journey. Before, I’ve always had someone I knew nearby or I was close enough to travel home in a moment’s notice. Here, I am completely alone and cannot travel home at a moment’s notice (at least not very easily or cheaply). So, where or whom could I turn to when feelings of loneliness and fear came in full force? My answer…my faith and God.

My brother traveled out with me, so I still had a bit of ‘home’ with me during the initial stage of moving, but as soon as he left, I got ‘inside my head’ and the thought of being completely alone in a place I didn’t know, hit me full force. It downright scared the living-day-lights out of me. For two days, I was an emotional wreck. Almost every time I would look at something and think of home, I would burst into tears. I was scared, I missed my brother as soon as he walked through the security check at the airport, I missed my mom, I missed my other siblings, I missed my dad, I missed my friends, and I simply missed the comfort of home. The only thing I felt I could do, was to cry out to God, to let him know how much I missed the comfort of home and family, and ask him to help me in this new place. I literally said “God, I don’t know how I’m going to do this? God, I can’t do it without you. Please help me to lean on you and trust you. Please give me the strength to make it through.” For two days, this was my plea and my prayer. God was already at work and by the third day, I knew for certain that as long as I continued to confide in God through this journey, I would indeed make it through with confidence and that made me feel so good. The third day was also the day of orientation for the PTA program and I met my classmates which definitely helped. Now that I ‘knew’ people in my new town whom I would be spending most of my time with, I felt much better.

It wasn’t easy for this ‘country farm-girl’ to admit that I was an emotional wreck and cried, but it was the only way to express how deep my emotions ran. I was alone, scared, and missing home causing my ‘tough exterior’ to crack for a brief moment in time. Now, a few weeks later, I am willing to admit my vulnerability in that moment, to reveal my need for relying on my faith and a greater being.

A few weeks before beginning this journey, one of my spiritual mentors asked me “Where do you think you will grow more, spiritually, here (meaning PA) or Montana?” At that time, I didn’t have an answer. I didn’t know. Now, I know that here, in Montana, away from the comfort of home and family, is where I will grow spiritually because I have no other choice than to rely on my faith and God to keep me safe and carry me through. As I mentioned before, this journey, is the first I have relied so much on my faith to make it through something and that alone is a huge ‘step of faith.’ Like Abraham relied on his faith to follow God into a place he knew nothing about, so too, I have been relying on my faith to follow God and go to a place I know nothing about. It has not been easy, but nothing about following God and having faith is easy.

 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. -Hebrew 11:1

The Great Unknown

Even though we make ‘plans’, life, as short as it is, really is the greatest unknown of all. 

Life has certainly been an adventure the last few months. Summer is beginning to wind down even though it feels like it just started not too long ago. Despite the changing of seasons fast approaching, many other changes have been and will occur over the next few months. The biggest and most exciting change, is moving to Montana!!! Let me start from the beginning…

Following my return home for Christmas 2013, I made the decision that I was going to apply to Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) programs. First, however, in order to be accepted into the programs I wanted, I had a few courses I had to complete. I found the courses I needed online through the school I wanted to apply and receive acceptance. I completed these courses during the school’s spring semester. Also during this time, I returned to work at the Physical Therapy clinic I had previously worked at prior to Montana Adventure 2013. Somehow through all of that, I also managed to help out at home on the farm, mostly cooking supper while I worked on homework and all the others were at the barn.

Then, it was time to apply to PTA programs and wait…and wait…and wait for an answer. The one program, a newly accredited program had an interview process, which I did go through, but did not feel confident afterwards. I received word later that my interview skills were not as strong as they would like and seemed to be the main reason for not receiving acceptance into that program. Since it was such a newly established program, they were only accepting 12 students and my overall score was 9 points from the 12th seat. So, had they been accepting more students, I might have gotten into that one. However, that was not the one I was really hoping to be accepted. I was still waiting for the answer from my first choice. During this waiting period, I finished the online courses, continued to work at the physical therapy clinic, spent a week at Bible Camp (16 years in a row!) as lifeguard/senior girl counselor/and a new title of which I am drawing a blank, and continued to help out at on the home farm. Also, during this waiting period was the one-year-anniversary of last year’s adventure to Montana. While thinking about all that was going on in my life at that time and still waiting to hear from the one program, I was given some time off from the physical therapy clinic to ‘refocus’ and seek God’s wisdom and guidance. It was about a week’s time which I spent traveling to visit college friends, mentors, and family seeking wisdom, guidance, and advice on ‘where do I go from here?’ At the end of this week, I received the news I had been waiting so long for…I was accepted into my first choice PTA program!!! In Great Falls, MT. Oh boy!

New York Sunset while hanging out at the marina with friends.

Following the acceptance letter began the planning a cross-country road trip, packing, and looking for a place to live. Did I mention it was Great Falls, MT which is roughly 2,000 miles from Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania?!?! Not a very easy commute to look for a place to live since the school did not have housing. So began my search through Craiglist and Realtor sites with rental properties. After much searching and debating on different options, I decided that trying to find a roommate or someone renting a room would be the better, most affordable option. I made a few contacts and after several conversations decided on a couple renting their furnished basement which included a bedroom, living space, and bathroom. I would have to share the main kitchen and laundry which is located in the basement. I have my own full size refrigerator and microwave which is also downstairs in the laundry room. I have my own entrance with a porch which is actually a side entrance to the main floor and then the stairs to the basement is right inside that door. It’s not completely private and cut off from the rest of the house, but enough to have my own space.

Once I found a place to live, it was time to get down to some hard-core packing. However, it was about this time that the Clinton County Fair was taking place and about a week before my scheduled leave-for-Montana date. I was cutting it close, really, really close. This year was my youngest brother’s last year in 4-H, so it was also the last year attending the Clinton County Fair (unless he continues to show open dairy), so we were in for a busy week. I attended his beef show, but was unable to attend the dairy show due to it being my last day at the physical therapy clinic. However, I did manage to make it to the fair Friday evening for the free bowl of ice cream from the Giant Ice Cream Sundae!

The next several days were spent packing and running last minute errands, tying up loose ends. Except for that one night…where I helped wrap 180 round bales of hay till 3 am before the rains came. It just happened to be the next to last night before my journey cross-country, thus I spent the next day stressing out over packing. However, such is the life on a farm and I know my brothers and dad were ever grateful for my help.

August 13 came faster than I really wanted, but it was here and it was time to pack up and head west. While I was frantically running around packing up last minute things and making final decisions on what to take or leave behind, my brother, traveling with me, packed my car. I should say my SUV. It was literally packed to the brim and I am still amazed at how he managed to pack it all in. Perhaps, we all have picked up our dad’s stellar packing skills. 🙂 We finally had the car packed and ready to hit the road, a little later than we wanted, but ready none-the-less. We said our ‘see ya later’s’ (which was not easy) and hit the road.

Montana Sunset!

MONTANA!!! AT LAST!!!

We only made it to Indiana the first day, due to a large traffic jam near Chicago that had traffic backed up for almost 100 miles. The second day, we made good time and made it to Mitchell, South Dakota. Finally, on the third day, late in the evening, we made it to our destination of Great Falls, MT!! Even though it was about 10:30 pm, that’s mountain time, so eastern time it would have been 12:30 am, we made quick time of unpacking the car and then hitting the sack. The following morning, I did a little bit of unpacking and organizing, but wanted to show my brother around parts of Montana I know and love before he flew back home. So, late morning we hit the road again and headed further west to the Rocky Mountains, where my Frontier family lives. We spent Sat evening, Sunday, and Monday morning with my frontier family. I took him to visit last summer’s stomping grounds, but just missed seeing some of my favorite regulars, took him hiking, and visit the horses. Monday, we headed up to Kalispell, MT, stopped at a few good stores in town and then headed into Glacier National Park. We hit Going-to-the-Sun road at a good time, in the evening, when it wasn’t super busy and packed. However, because the road literally winds around up the side of the mountains, you still have to ‘crawl’ up and around the mountain. If you’ve ever been on the road, you know what I mean, and understand that you really don’t have a choice but to ‘crawl’ on that road! And as is always the case when you go to Glacier, regardless of how many times you’ve been there, you are always taking hundreds of pictures! Since I was driving, I could only takes pictures when we stopped, but my brother was practically hanging out the window taking pictures the whole way up and down the other side! Of course, this is exactly what I expected from someone who had never been to Glacier before. 🙂

Welcome to Glacier!

Monday night we stayed at Rising Sun, which is inside the park. Tuesday morning we got up early in order to get in a thoroughly full day’s worth of Glacier. We headed up to Many Glacier area, which is the grizzly corridor of the park, and some of you might recall, this is where I acquired my nickname, Griz. This was the first time I had been back to this area of the park since acquiring the nickname, seven years ago. Needless to say, I was a little ‘paranoid’ that I would see a grizzly again. My brother really wanted to see a bear, but (un)fortunately my ‘bear attraction’ button was not working…this time. Every hike we went on that day, my brother kept talking about bears and since we were unprepared without bear spray, my paranoia only got worse the more he talked about bears. Anyway, we set off on our first hike and a short ways in we stopped at Fishercap Lake which is a popular moose spotting area. We stuck around here for several minutes and talked with a few other hikers and photographer while watching a gorgeous bull moose as well as a cow moose wading through the lake and then a calf moose walk out of the woods. So glad we got there early enough to see the moose!!

Gorgeous Bull Moose!

Cow and calf moose!

We continued on our hike to Redrock Falls and back (still did not see any bears despite a few hikers mentioning they had seen a bear with a cub somewhere along the trail). Then, hiked the Swiftcurrent Nature Trail Loop, which is a trail that looped around the lake. The trail-head started with the Grinnell Glacier trail-head which is the trail I hiked and saw the bear seven years ago. Yet again, we did not see any bears, but did see some bear scat that was fairy recent, as in that morning sometime recent.  We decided we had time for one more hike and decided on Apikuni Falls. It was a one mile, uphill the whole way, hike. We started off with a sign at the trail-head saying a bear was ‘frequenting’ the area. We noticed the air was getting colder and feeling a bit more damp than earlier, so we weren’t far up the trail when we looked at the sky and saw dark storm clouds rolling in. We heard a little bit of thunder and then saw lightening, which made us turn back and wait in the car for awhile since we felt raindrops and could tell the storm was moving in fast. It was about twenty minutes till the storm passed and we decided we had better hike the trail if we were going to do it, so off we went…uphill the whole way. As with any hikes in Glacier, there were some stellar views along the way.

Overlooking Many Glacier Hotel and Swiftcurrent Lake

Lake McDonald. Last view before leaving the park.

 

We tried to make it to sleep in good time that night as Jonathan had an early morning flight the next day. I stayed at the airport till his plane took off giving him specific instructions to text me each place he landed and how the trip was going. I then had to find some coffee and something to eat before hitting the road back to Great Falls. Once back in Great Falls, I spent the rest of the day unpacking and organizing all my stuff and getting settled in. The next day I did more of the same and made a list of things I needed and most important of all…groceries!

As I was  going through literally ALL the grocery isles trying to decide what I ‘needed’, I kept looking at the shopping cart thinking “I am so not on the farm anymore!” (Said in Dorothy’s “We’re not in Kansas anymore, Todo” voice from the Wizard of Oz.) Most of my cart was full of canned food or microwavable meals, and of course Ramen noodles. I did make a short list before going that way I had a little focus on what I really needed versus just grabbing one of everything. I am definitely going to miss the ease of going down to the freezer and pulling out home-grown meat and or to the canning shelf and grabbing home-grown canned food. This time around I did my grocery shopping at Wal-Mart as I had a few other non-food items I needed. I realized later I had no utensils or items to put food on/in. I was going to have to borrow from upstairs. This is definitely going to be an interesting adventure. 🙂 I’ve decided that whoever my very first visitor is (not counting my brother who traveled with me) is going to be treated to a cooked meal!! Doesn’t that sound like a ‘special’ treat! Any volunteers? My brothers and parents survived on my cooking and even liked some of it, so don’t be afraid!

I’ve titled this post the Great Unknown because even though I have a ‘plan’, it seems like I am embarking on a journey into the Great Unknown. I know that I am returning to school, but beyond that I have no idea. I don’t even know where life will take me during this time in school. I am excited, yet also very nervous and scared. I am going to be completely on my own, alone, in a place I don’t know. That alone, is downright scary. It is going to be hard being so far from home and all those I love dearly, but I know that once I start making new friends and getting to know this new ‘city’, that I will be just fine! I couldn’t have made it this far without God’s strength and the support system of family, friends, and mentors.

It is by faith and trust in God, along with the continued support of family and friends, that I will make it through this new change and life transition with ease! 

 I welcome and encourage you to travel along with me on this new life journey! 

 

 

The End of an Era

June 14, 2014

This date is a very important date for our family. It marks the end of an era.

My youngest brother, Christopher, graduated high school the morning of June 14, 2014. He is the youngest out of five children, so his high school graduation marks the end of an era for my parents. The oldest child is in his late twenties, so my parents have been sending children to school for well over two decades. Not many parents can boast about that, let alone have enough children to remain involved in the school system that long. My parents are not ones to boast about anything, let alone throw extravagant parties for any “life accomplishment” their children make, but this occasion is an exception. We are not throwing an extravagant party, but we are having a party, in our own terms, family picnic style. Also, my mom, as humble as she has always been, is simply bubbling over with excitement and happiness that her youngest child is finally! graduated from high school. She no longer has to worry about packing lunches (except for when the men are out working in the fields), attending school ceremonies or special events, signing permission forms, writing absentee notes, or checking to make sure homework is completed on time. This August/September will be the first in a long, long time, mom will not have to worry about waking up any children to make sure they eat breakfast, pack their lunch, and run out to meet the school bus. Or as in later years, make sure they leave the house and drive to school before the first bell rings.

Five kids, 20+ years of school, 20+ years of school activities and events, 20+ years of attending extracurricular activities and events, 20+ years of many hills and valleys, 20+years of many success and failures, 20+ years of learning for both kids and parents, 20+years of many, many, MANY great accomplishments.

Class of 2014

June 14, 2014

The end of an epic, wonderful era. 

Me and the boys!! (not pictured: sister)