24 I think

Work started again on Thursday and I tried hard for news not to get out about my birthday. I dont know why we do that but I never want it to be a big deal. This week turned out to be a rather tough one, though. Whether or not it was building up so i enjoyed my birthday or whether i made it difficult due to the fact that i didnt really want to be there, there is no telling. Probably both. We dealt with two mountain ranges, an accumulative full day of rain, a night of sleet and snow, a 7 mile in the dark hike, and long semi slept nights. We did a feedback gathering with the kids and they said i was being really abrupt and quick in responding to them, without even listening to their side of the story. An eyeopening moment for me. The week felt like I just went through the motions and did not really get through to the kids. So we get to our camp, consisting of a Tipi and individual shelters for the students, around twelve at night. Waking up we find a layer of frost on the ground and set out to build a fire and work on teachings with the students. Having lost track of the world around us we felt like Tuesday was the 26th of September and celebrated my birthday as if it was. They brought out a nice chocolate cake with my name spelled on it and the five of us devoured it excitedly. Wednesday happens and we take the kids to the office to go home. While there i turn my cell phone back on to find the date reading the 26th. Huh, i thought to myself, thats funny. Back to Tuesday, the students of course wanting to know how old i am to which i commonly reply "how old do you think i am?". Maybe the physical drain of the week cut off my brain, im not sure, but i was convinced that i had just turned 25. A little saddened by the fact it never felt right saying it, yet it went on all day. Only later in the afternoon was i empowered in the discovery that the years add up to 24. So a day early I gained a year of my life back, as if i had traveled over a time zone barrier, and it was nice. Thank you family for your calls and singing and love and support. I am fortunate to be 24 and excited for the experiences and challenges of this next year.

Home Sweet Home

Visiting home and California is best done with the company of those you love. Sierra Eli and Wes accompanied the traveling sections of the trip. We were fortunate to visit Grandma Stout and the Wrights one of the days. As well as Family home evening with Tuellers of all generations. A day with friends and a visit to the singles ward followed by croquet played a great part in making the trip awesome. But best of all was when Mom and Dad returned from Michigan. We were able to see mom at work and visit with a great many old friends from childhood. Placerville never changes and is such a small town. Enjoyable dinners and visits to the bakery as well. No car troubles, kids did great both ways and i made it back in time for work on thursday.

Outback Therapeutic Expeditions

So I got a job that i love and i think it loves me back. Outback therapeutic expeditions is wilderness program for troubled youth between the ages of 13 to 17. We hike an hour or so west of Lehi in the desert. Juniper trees and sage plants run mainstream over the hills. Good thing to cause without them we probably would not eat. The juniper provides good fire wood and the sage is an important part in starting the fire. As staff we trade off with a group of kids every week and the kids are lucky enough to stay out there from 8 to 10 weeks. 4 weeks at the least. We make our own backpacks out of wood and leather. No the most comfortable things but they do the trick. So with a tarp some clothes and a bunch of dried food we make our way across the desert 4 miles a day. Set up camp and work on making different things and the kids have a bunch of curriculum books to work on as well as therapy assignments. The students meet with the therapists once a week as well as with the group several times during the week. We often discuss the history of their being at the camp and work on creating a vision of a better future with them. We use a lot of aboriginal theories and methods in our teaching. Beautiful sunsets and amazing star gazing all the time. I love it. I have worked with four different groups over an 8 week span and each one is unique and a bundle of good memories. Thursdays we go out to the field after meetings at the office and its been a great feeling arriving at work so far. Just a lot of really good people i work with. The kids are awesome though, very intelligent and very funny, just having some directional difficulties. And every thursday when we come back from the field it is a little difficult saying good bye. I love it.

Havasu Falls

Ten mile hike in. We started around 6 or 7 and walked into the night. Scary passage with dogs and crazy crackling old ladies sitting on the ground as we made our way through the Indian village. Camped near a river and woke up in paradise. One more thing, a dog which we later named Max started to follow us from the parking lot and stayed with us all the way to the camp grounds. Woke up in paradise. Green green plants light teal river and red 500 foot walls, yeah its a beautiful place. First day we spent exploring Havasu falls. Climbing the ladder behind it and jumping in under the fall of the water. There is a good sized ledge to climb up on behind the falls and it is there that you find water falling up. The water drips off the rocks and the wind blows them up. Its a sight worth seeing. Then we made our way up to Navajo falls. What a thing to see. You hike through these trees and run smack into a clearing made by a pond with a cascade of falls filling it. One section is like a cave with all sorts of water flowing out of the rocks or over the top of the rocks and just everywhere. Also a cave with a ledge to sit on under the falling water. And best yet is the trail off to one side where you climb up the waterfall and then kind of repel down the front of the bigger fall tell your standing on the edge of a 30 foot jump with water falling all around you. Two deep breaths and you go. Awesome. After Navajo we made our way down to moony falls. A two hundred foot falls into a large pool. The climb down is pretty straight down and sketchy. There we swam over and climbed up fairly close to the falls and jumped in. The force of the water coming off the falls pushes you immediately to shore. Just awesome. And for close to camp fun we were within earshot of two rope swings. All this fun came with a price. We slept very well that night. I carried in a watermelon that was quickly devoured by the group after cooling off in the river all day. The next day we set off on a four mile hike downstream to another set of falls called beaver falls. Spent some quality time on a rope swing on the way down. Max by the way has been with us the whole time. Beautiful hike. Lush valleys, again that dark green contrasting with red rock is a sight to see. A lot like navajo again but a little smaller. Definitely worth the hike. Max made it all the way down, even when he couldnt make it up the ridge he would swim or something to make it back. So we fed him a lot when we got back. Took a little napy and packed up for the hike out. Again starting around 8 or so we didnt get to the cars till about 2 in the morning. All delirious and happy we started the drive home, which turned out to be a whole different story in itself.