Cleansing....

Summer is here! A sharp contrast to last week's light, silent snowflakes, the rattle of the present thunder relaying back and forth between the mountains, overshadowing for a brief moment, the splatter of the cold, fat raindrops is a reminder that the afternoon hikes have probably come to an end. These rejuvenating afternoon hikes of the past week, which have precluded me from updating anything, shall now be replaced with the lesson planning that I have been circumventing for the past month as well as the blogging.

So what have I experienced, learned, and grew from in the past week, you ask? TOO much to list off so I will keep it brief...
I have experienced real people and true friends new and even old. My hiking crew of Dawn, Mike, Katie, Joey, Joe, etc. are wonderful, positive additions to my life, that have brought me out of a shell that I have lived in for the past 2.5 years. From the moment my life changes began in December 2005, an outer wall was constructed allowing only a few, persistent people to conquer, and preventing me from being me. Internship, my travelling years at Whitney, and most recently the activities that surrounded my whirl-wind of a first year teaching in Fort Myers reinforced this all consuming barrier that has grown like a weed in the garden of living life. As long as it has stood, it has been demolished by this group at who knew "freedom" could feel so good?

I have learned that a social life it necessary, which is a lesson that began with my international, scuba-diving mermaid roomate who I truly do miss and cannot wait to share in all the fun ASAP!! I have learned that I hide behind commitments at times to exclude myself from the frivolity of comraderie back home and the thought of leaving here terrifies me (and I have a good number of weeks left to go). This chapter of my life is one that shall be of much significance as the author continues to pen it through their own life experiences. Will it be a perfect first draft? No, nor should it be as we learn and grow through both the negative and positive experiences we encounter.

My family is here right now and I am most fortunate to have the most understanding people as my support group. When the decision was made to move out here for the summer, I was eagerly anticipating their arrival, and even worked my schedule so I could spend every waking moment with them that I was not out of work. I now struggle to juggle this seemingly tentative new life with that of the old, with weekends and nights filled with hikes, and sleeping in my 1920 room versus the Air Conditioned, family filled home only a breathe away from the Y. I fear this is an unending battle that I face in the weeks to come as I want to savor as many moments as possible with all those important in my life.

Ok.. done with the poetic.. I know you are here for pictures ;-) Thank you for your interest in my life and experiences and I wish I could share this time with all of you~!!!

4 "little pigs"

On Monday afternoon, after a long day at work in each of their respective departments, 4 "little pigs" set out on an adventure to find the summit of a local peak called Emerald Mountain. One "little pig" was from New York City, the other from Chicago, and the 3rd from Malaysia, and I figure you can guess where the 4th is from. Tired and drained, the girls did not know that they were embarking on a poorly marked trail until halfway through their 1 mile hike. See Picture below.

Fed up with the "statur quo" trail, they set off up the side of the mountain, stepping on, around, over, under rocks, fallen trees, thorny shurbs, and more. This is what they found. Was it the elusive Emerald Mountain? Who knows but with a view like this and the friendships formed that will last a summer and beyond, who cares? :-)

Dawn, Katie, Joey (from back to front), with the view behind them! KKatie admiring her hard work and asking where the skittles were

Bridal Veil Falls...our almost snow free hike!

Ahhh and nice, flat, green, and beautiful hike ahead with some of my favorite hiking crew-Katie, Dawn, and my boss, Joe

Pictures just do not do this hike justice!

We passed a lot of little falls a long the way to the main attraction as right now is when the majority of the snow is starting to melt and "trickle' down the mountain. This is Joe who I got to stop for a quick breathe and a photo op.

And there she is! Bridal Veil Falls!!

And here we are.. from left to righ.. Joe, Dawn, Katie, me, Bridal Veil falls (we tried setting up the camera/timer on the rock)

9 Hours to Black Lake

My favorite view in the park.. Mills Lake which is what we took as a snowshoe hike during Easter break. 2.8 miles and beautiful!! Black Pond is beyond this view 2.6 miles... and 3 hours in the snow :-(
Ahhhhh but savoring Mills before the emotionally brutal trek ahead on an unmarked, soft snow covered trail.
This is 2.5 hours later and still not at Black Lake.. this was a cool waterfall to hike up alongside though... reminded me of Sliding Rock in North Carolina!
Another separate straight up incline... both of these inclines we just sat down and slide down in the return... although you get much wetter it is much quicker and more fun! Our shoes were already squishing, filled with water and mud by this point and I lost feeling in my feet for 3 of the 9 hours we were on this trail

We made it! and in 9 hours roundtrip... the lake was frozen over and the snow slushy so it was a challenge but we made it! No snow for our Sunday trip we decided though!!

And now I know why...

If you would have asked my in the summer of 2000, where I was going to college, I would have replied with a plethora of random colleges I was "looking at", but known in my heart that FGCU (the 4 year college which had just openned in Fort Myers) was for me. My wise mother must have sensed that, as she forced me to apply to at least one; UCF. In October of 2000, I reluctantly filled out the paper (incompletely at that) and my mom took me to the campus for a tour. I was dazzled by the sheer beauty of the campus; the newness, the trees, the organization, etc. Our tour guide kept stressing how we had the best on campus housing in the state, being newer that FSU and UF, and that instead of dorms (which by definition have a community bathroom down the hall from where you rest your head each night) and UCF had Resident Halls (no community bathrooms but bathrooms in between 2 rooms that housed a max of 2 residents per room). Common decency had me sold as I did not yet A) believe that I was not going to FGCU still B) I didn't have a major and did not have to share a bathroom with 50 other girls (modesty) and the campus was pretty.

It is 35 or less degrees and breezy outside right now. Some might ask, "Is that what the thermometer said?" No... that's what the brisk breeze that just flew up my shorten robe just informed me as I walked across the courtyard to go to shower.... Being that I have personal space/territorial issues (no better than an animal am I?) sharing a shower is an adventure each time I do it and I [ray as I near the bathroom door that one of the 2 WORKING showers is not occupied at 5:30 am. Needless to say I do not shower every day and happen to be fortunate enough to have my parents house a close distance away and vacant of renters for the next few weeks.

In your room, you already have your "shower gear" stowed away in a place near your towel, flip flops, and, in my case, my robe mom and dad brought up last week. To shower effectively, I have discovered through a lot of trial and error, you must first strip down to nothing but that teeny robe, slip on your flops, grab your gear, and pray that once you get there the showers are unoccupied and its not too cold out...

Down the hall, open the door to the pod and "WHOOSH' a cold gust of air takes your breathe away. You mutter to yourself " I love UCF" and progress toward the main pod. Although only a few steps away, it feels like a lifetime. You are there, in the shower area, YES! one of the 2 showers has your name all over it. It is a tiny little thing; hardly enough room to move and built in an age where people were shorter and not obese. Pratically impossible to shave your legs in their and later in the summer I am going to have to figure something out in my room to accomplish this feat. Till then, thank God for mom and dad's house.

The shower is pleasantly hot, and the pressure is good, therefore not all is lost. You actually almost forget the trek and prep for coming over here when, DAMN it's time to go back. Now you do everything in reverse as before, except this time, when you cross the courtyard, you are wet.... WHOOSH

Snow in June!

So I wake up this morning with the thought that I may venture out upon a simple hike, or even better a run... a perfect way to combat the "gluten-attack" from the day before and I hear "Splat Splat Splat" outside my window. Huh? I wonder... the weather board at work said today's high would only be 45 but could it really? Yes, Snow. Thats right; the cold wet stuff in a slurpee like condition then fluffy then back to splatting against the ground. Well I guess my hike will have to wait. I will say that despite the wet cold, my older-than-my grandparents housing maintains heat better than my parents house just a half mile away and I comfortably get ready for the day. Cold here is different than cold at home and I strut out to take the pictures shown wearing a long sleeve t-shirt and a pair of cheerleading shorts. I would be lying if I said I was not a little cold but in Florida I don't wear shorts if it drops below 75!


Right outside my building

I think this is Estes Cone which was snow free only the night before!


I ran into this dude and 12 of his friends all with varying "racks" and yes thats what their antlers are called.

On top of my normal hikes and work responsibilities, I am now taking a class every Tuesday night to become a certified Hikemaster. This past week we spent 3 hours learning how to use a magnetic compass (who thought I would actually learn how to do this one!) and how to read a technical map using contours to determine where a ridge, valley are and at what height and location you are. I was excited anyways but I am a certified old person/geek i n comparison to all of these youngsters out here. Next week they are taking us up on the tundra to teach us how to self arrest on the snow! YAY hopefully pictures to follow.

I am in love with this place and I am jealous of those that get to live here year round. I do not have many friends outside of work yet but those that I have made are REAL people which, sadly, is something that I have not found in the past year; although I will admit that I haven't put myself out there too much. I feel like a different person here... a happy person that is laid back and more sane. Do I have rough days? Of course... it would not be real if I did not. I miss my family, my close friends, and even my students; all of which are my only reasons to move back to Florida at the end of this experience. I feel as though my heart is out here though. At least I still have a lot of time out here to explore, but I know that it will pass too quickly and then I will be back on that drive across the country to Florida; a drive fueled not by excitement and nerves but a drive with purpose and the stress I love to hate that the school year will bring only a few short hours after I arrive home. Sigh.. lets not think about that haha.

My goal to go running tomorrow is plaguing me as is my desire to finish the summer reading book I assigned my students that I have slowly been digesting myself so I must wrap it up. Download the Leona Lewis cd if you get a chance... I bought it on ITunes yesterday and I am thoroughly satisfied!

The theme of the summer... Experience, learn, grow

The slide marks we made after creating our own slide down from Chasm
And then the view from behind us
And going back home on the trail
Here is my half wet half dry look I sported after sliding down the slide! I was a little cold since it was breezy

In regards to my theme for the summer... after so many different companies that I have worked for, ranging from Ann Taylor to teaching, and even to my Whitney days, there is one common theme... a mission statement... a statement that unifies all our goals and puts each day into perspective. I was brainstorming on mission statements for this summer and "Live! Live! Live!" from Auntie Mame seemed appropriate but at second thought too many people just live and never grow from their experiences whether positive or negative. Learning popped into my head about day 2 when I realized that I would have to be forced to learn how to make friends again and I wanted the summer to be shaped on the foundation of experiences starting with all the amazing hikes to making a new friend in a room full of people that had no clue who I was and vice versa.

I then structured my mission statement as Experience, Learn, Grow. We grow from what we learn and learn from our experiences. I guess this is my mission statement for life in general and its just taken this long to formally establish it. I can honestly say that my outlook on everything has become more focused in the past few days and I encourage all to form their own! Its not an easy process by any means and takes a lot of trial and error but if you come up with one now, tomorrow, a week, month or year from now and want to share, know that you have an open ear here! Have a great night and look forward to hearing from you in the weeks and months ahead!

Chasm lake frozen

Chasm Lake

The destination... all frozen over!

The crew!

I had the most magnificent hike on Sunday. At 8:30am, some of my fellow co-workers and I set out on one of my favorite hikes in the park to Chasm Lake. It sits at the base of the tallest peak in the park which I still aspire to summit by the end of the summer. What makes this hike and other hikes, so special you ask? It's a combination of things that cannot survive alone.. the comraderie and bonding that takes place on the trail amongst you and your "team", the challenges, both physical and mental, that you force your body to push beyond, the destination which rarely disappoints when it comes to being a "Kodak moment", the planning of future hikes (in our case Mount Meeker which is a measely 13,900 feet), the fresh air, the smells of the flora and fauna, and the list goes on and on. This hike was no exception although it required me to step beyond my normal boundaries that I create for myself... I was hiking with people that were not my family and that I was not all that familiar with. It was definitely a challenge that I do not know if my body was ready for but I survived. The physical and mental exhaustion overwhelmed me later in the day but only in the same way that a good run does... it is a natural high. The hike was through snow the entire way, which slows us down.

That's Long's Peak in the backgroundThe scary snow area.. yay Dawn for overcoming the fear of falling!

The way up, which is 4.2 miles and 2-3,000 ft gain, the snow is icy and on the way down it has transformed into slushy like consistency. There is a point on the trail where we are hiking on a ledge covered in snow, with only rocks to break our fall about 100 ft down. A little nerve wracking to say the least! When we pass this dangerous passage, we have to climb straight up, in snow, to get to the lake which was fun to slide down at the end.