Vistas

I visited the rim of the Grand Canyon this morning for the first time. I have no words for the experience, the view, the wonder of it all. Unfortunately, I only got about 15 minutes to see the Canyon and most of that was obstructed with chatter from classmates. I will have to make a quiet trip out there while here.

I am always thinking and trying to make connections between my scatterbrained thoughts. During this class, I got very brief introductions to the National Park Service, its core values, its history, its mission. Today was just the intro-to-it-all class, so it was all brief. But I sat in a classroom of dedicated individuals who shared some of the same passions as me. We may not share the specific passions, but the fundamental ones. We know we work to protect and preserve. We know we work toward bigger goals. We know that we work hard to make our limited resources stretch farther. We know that each of our contributions make differences in each of their own ways. I know that I want to continue working with these amazing individuals who make up a pretty solid agency. We have got our faults and differences, but who doesn't?

I can not be thankful enough to have found a "job" so early in my life that I love to do. I don't even consider my work my job. It is my passion. It is my joy. I seriously ask myself sometimes, "they pay me to do this?" But I don't take for granted my work. In theory, there is never a guarantee that there will be a Park Service tomorrow. But for now, I will enjoy my days. I will appreciate my vistas, both the literal and the figurative.