Monday, August 24, 2009

Bye Bye Bountiful Bubble.

I usually like my blog posts cut and clean (lists), but today I'm feeling like letting my thoughts flow. According to me, I seem to be doing pretty well with the stress of the last week and the coming week. Just got back from an amazing trip to the BIG APPLE with my mother and Corriney. Was an awesome bday present. Loved it. We did lots of amazing shopping, ate some delicious food, saw the sights, went to two amazing shows ("Phantom of the Opera" and "In the Heights") and walked allllllllllllllllllllllll over that town! So I got home like around 8 tonight, visited some peeps that I needed to talk to, and am cleaning all of my laundry tonight! gah. Plane leaves at 730 tomorrow night. Salt Lake City to San Francisco to Taiwan to Shanghai to Changzhou. The beloved and anticipated Changzhou. I just want to meet all the people, get my taste buds next to some rice, and be ready to experience something different than ever before. It's going to be a change for sure: No FB for the whole time (comm. government just blocked it around 4th of July), might not use a cellular the whole time, and no BOYS.... I know... how will I survive? ha. but really I'm EXCITED to be rid of these things and jump into this culture head first.

So. Wish me luck with packing and turning 175 lbs of luggage into 100. Wish my pilot luck that he will not crash the plane. Wish my mother luck that she will be able to sleep for the next 4 months. Wish my dog luck that he will not die when I'm gone (he's getting there). Wish our tummies well that they will not need any Pepto for the 4 month stay. And wish these Chinese babies luck so they can soak up English like a sponge!


Here are some pictures from the trip! (thanks mom)







Monday, August 10, 2009

What you can learn in 99 days.

Yes, it has been 99 days that I will have resided in West Yellowstone this summer and it boggles my mind. Things have changed so much. Relationships with people have become different, my opinions on different cultures have changed, and I have this new appreciation for a bitty part of the universe.

What I learned in West Yellowstone this summer:

-Living in a trailer is just like living in an apartment. For some reason the word almost has a negative/humorous connotation, but all my room mates and I loved the double wide.
-Summer FLIES when you're working.
- The Mountain Man Rendezvous is not the most authentic..... but still has good stuff
-Hebgen lake is beautifulllllllll.
- Everything here is colder....
- Running a family owned business is hard work.
-I guess it is pretty cool to be able to look out at the nations 2nd largest bronze elk statue every morning. ha.
-Police are BORED. Not only did I get pulled over twice, but all of my room mates did as well. And each cop tried to convince us that because we were working in Montana, we would need state plates. psh.
-Groceries are expensive. Just one gallon of milk is almost $5.
- People will murder if their coffee isn't done on time.
- Housekeeping is... fun. Would never do it again but glad that I did it for a third of the summer.
- Once you meet a local, remember their name, because you WILL bump into them again.
- Hope Blooms Eternal
- Bozeman is fun! Just a smaller town like Logan, but considered the big city.
- 9 o clock p.m. sacrament meeting does exist... and I liked it!
- It may just take you 9 times in the park before you see a bear! That's how it worked for me :)
-Separate checks...... urgh.
-Pet friendly cabins... bleh.
-Working a lot is a ton of motivation for visits home. And makes that 5 hour drive seem like 2.
-European boys are much more sly and refined than American boys.
-Firehole is great.
-I will never let my kids eat the saltine crackers while they're waiting to get their food is a restaurant
- Beer makes people act foolishly and drives people to give up more important things.
- Good places to eat in town: Sydney's Bistro, Tubby's Bakery, Geyser Grill, Wild West Pizzeria, Canyon Street Grill, and Mooseberry's.
-Bad places to eat in town: The Gusher, KFC, Arby's... ha
-Appearance is not everything. Some of the roughest and strangest people here have become my best friends.
- Be yourself. If you're going to do something, then be ok with the fact that that is who you are.
- Yellowstone will supposedly explode a few years down the road from volcanic activity.
- Swinging after work is the best.
- The Playmill kids are nice and very entertaining.
- Huckleberry
-"Is there anything else I can get for you?"
- Making a shake takes longer than you think.
- People serving your food CAN do whatever they want with their food.
- Even after 99 days of being frustrated with your job, upset about your circumstances, and ready to leave, you still WILL be sad to go home.... because the people are what make this place what it is... and i will miss them. Much.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

6 hours of sleep
12 months a year it snows here
3 slash 4 room mates
139 squeals from the fridge each day
1 flooded bathroom
57 different tables
9 separate checks
83 bags of ice to fill
3 visits to the post office
1 national park
99 days in West Yellowstone
3 jobs
1 too many police officers
4 trips home
10 minutes into town
46 buffalo
1 bear- finally!
5 trips to Bozeman
183 cabin reservations
3 times at the Playmill
56 naps
4 times to night church
8 spiders killed
10 times into the park
283,983,114 of the brightest stars in the world
4 times boating
7 lectures from Sherry
174 hours on facebook (yay front desk)
1 LDS ward
12 salad dressings
0 attractive guys
5 restaurants that deliver
75 costco bottles of water
6 times in the hot tub
33 complaints
86 calls home
1 police report
13 chocolate-peanut butter shakes
1 taste of every restaurant
6,666 feet in elevation
2 times being pulled over
19 different languages
481 credit card swipes
1 horseback ride
59 extra sides of ranch
1 time at the gym
71 pitchers of "bad" coffee
1 showtime each night at the cinema
4 bags of sunflower seeds
9 visits from hometown friends
1 camera
41 nights of pure exhaustion
3 encounters with Sharon
4 "5-hour" energy shots
10 thunder slash lightening storms
2 alarm clocks
3,104 text messages
5 people to tip out
161 photographs

1 interesting summer... woot.

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