These Pictures Are Glacial but the Weather Sure Isn't.

Hey everyone.

Finally got my internet on my laptop working. So I figured I'd write a quick update and post a few pictures.

I am so gosh darn exhausted right now. But it's all worth it. I actually really enjoy the work I'm doing. Making beds is actually quite cathartic. And I do really enjoy the people I work with. However... It has been incredibly hot these past couple of days. And while low 80's doesn't seem that hot to some of you who are reading this, let me tell you when you're wearing a navy, collared shirt and khaki pants, while lugging around a cart that has 50 lb bags of linens and bags of garbage and recycling up and down hills in the blaring sun for 6 hours... low 80's is stifling.

Tomorrow is my first day off from housekeeping. It's unfortunately (for rest) our first ACMNP service. I am really excited for it but I'm just so tired that I am looking forward to monday for my first real day off. So I get to write our message for tomorrow and because we are in Glacier and I'm a science and hebrew nerd, I'm kind of sort of stealing Dr. Long's lecture on abad (tend) and samar (keep). Which is in Gen 2:15. I'm really grateful that he's given this lecture multiple times, partially because it's just an awesome lecture, but right now mostly because it is saving my hide for tomorrow (Thanks Dr. Long =D).

Anyway I think that's all the news since my last post. So on to the pictures!!!!

My first view of the mountains =)

Two Medicine Lake

Lupins on a hike around St. Mary Lake (near where we live).

There are so many beautiful wild flowers here!

The first bear I saw =) (not a great photo but you know).

Wes and I at Two Medicine.

Wes being a drunken monkey!

First thing I see when I go to put away my clothes.

I liked their response. 

View from the parking lot where I live.

I will definitely post more pictures later but I figured you guys should see some of the beautiful-ness from here! This place lends itself so nicely to photography.

Well I should go do productive stuff now... sigh.

TTFN (ta ta for now).
Shelby

Views Beyond Description and Farmer's Tans

Hey peeps,

So this is a little later than I  originally planned on posting this but I also assumed that I would've figured out the internet on my laptop by now as well. Still haven't figured that out so there won't be pictures   in this blog which is too bad because let me tell you...

It is BEAUTIFUL out here. My best friend and his Dad (basically my other family)  drove me out here last friday. We got into Montana and it was all of a sudden this gorgeous view of these beautiful, enormous, snow-covered mountains. It was breathtaking. I really wish I could post pictures.

I've eaten so much delicious food since friday at these awesome little family owned diners. I have had the best pie at The Park Cafe in St. Mary's.

I live in a three person room in an all girl's dorm. It's one of three dorms. My roommates are pretty cool. I really like the older one. She's really gone out of her way to make me feel at home.

I'm working as a Houseperson which is different than a Housekeeper. So my responsibilities include cleaning all of the public and employee bathrooms, helping strip and make beds, stocking the housekeeping closets and doing inventory. Most of my co-workers are awesome. There's one in particular that is giving me a little hell because he likes to slack off. But c'est la vie.

This job involves a lot of walking because we have cabins and motels and they are all pretty spaced out and it's pretty hilly. On top of that pulling around a rolling cart full of 50 lb bags of linens is really heavy come to find out. Suffice it to say, I am sore and exhausted.

So far I have gone on one hike. It was around the lake that I live by. We passed a waterfall and I found Gallium sp. which I introduced to the people who I was hiking with.

Okay well I've been on the common room computer for a while and dinner is being made so I will have to go. Hopefully next time I write it will be on my laptop so I can add pictures because you guys need to see how gorgeous it is over here.

TTFN (ta ta for now)
Shelby

PS I spend a lot of time outside at work walking around and because of that I'm getting a farmer's tan. (Figured I should probably explain my title...)

I Don't Know About You, But I'm Feeling 22.

So I turned 22 on friday. And it weirds me out greatly. It's the first birthday I've had in a long while where it wasn't an exciting birthday itself but I'm not waiting for an exciting birthday. Like when you turn 15, it's not overly exciting itself, but "in just one more year I turn 16 and I can get my license." Now it's 22 isn't super exciting and "Oh gosh, I'm like a legitimate adult now."

It was a good birthday. Had a lot of well wishes. Got to hang out with my grandma who I don't get to see nearly enough because she lives in Reno now. Had a lovely dinner with my family and went out with some friends that night.

Later in the weekend I went and saw Man of Steel with my grandma and siblings. It was a really good movie. We went and saw my aunt and my uncle and my cousins. It's always fun seeing them. I also go to play with a baby. He's 8 or 9 months old. I love babies. I'm that girl that if there's a baby anywhere in the vicinity all of my attention is instantly honed on the little bundle of adorable. So if anyone ever needs a babysitter and I'm in the area and free, please hit me up. I love kids.

On the same note, I had a graduation barbecue/party thing last week as well where I got to hold my cousin's 19 day old son.

The party was a lot of fun. I had a lot of family stop by. As crazy as everything gets, I do really love my family.

My mom and grandma and the siblings all went back down to Reno yesterday. It's always a bittersweet event when we have to go our separate ways. I love my family, but like all good little siblings, mine drive me crazy after a certain point in time. Even if they are cute. Cute can only carry you so far.

Now It's just last minute errands and kind of running around like a chicken with it's head cut off, as the saying goes. I have to be in glacier at 9am on Saturday so time is getting shorter and I still have a lot of friends that I haven't seen yet, and a lot of stuff that needs to get done.

Speaking of which I think that's where I will wrap this post up.

TTFN, ta ta for now!

Shelby

PS The title is a song from Taylor Swift, who even though I strongly dislike, my friends (you know who you are) really enjoy torturing me with. And she just so happens to have a song about turning/being 22. So that's been fun.

The Real World Has Now Commenced, and so Have I.

Hello everyone!

Since my last post I have now completed my last undergrad finals week. I've made it out alive and with the highest grade in one of my classes.

Packing and moving out as usual happened last minute regardless of how often I tell myself I will do it earlier. Also packing and moving sucks.

I went out with some of my professors and Jordon on Thursday evening, which I expected to be weirder than it was. For one it wasn't weird at all, and in retrospect I think it's because the only difference in our interactions was the presence of alcohol. So as far as I'm aware everyone had a great time. However Jordon and I still have no idea how to address them anymore, we've decided to stick with Dr. ____ until otherwise told not to.

Friday was Ivy (Hedera helix) Cutting where me and my group of friends were the only ones who cheered or laughed at certain points of time in the speaker's speech. And when we finally received our ivy we decided, as young adults about to receive their bachelor's degree, the most mature thing to do would be to make mustaches out of it. As you can see we're definitely ready to be real adults (except totally NOT).

My overall crowning achievement this entire weekend has to have been not hurting myself before the commencement ceremony, so I was able to walk unaided, and then not trip during it.

Graduations: 2
Clumsiness: 0

Commencement itself was such a blur. There was so much going on so quickly. Our speaker was amazing. And the ceremony didn't seem as long as it could've been, probably because it was my first and only and I knew a lot of students. However towards the end I was starting to wonder if the College of Arts and Science were ever going to end. We might be legion.

I'm still a little sad that I didn't double major in Bio and Theology so I could have Gryffindor colored tassels. But alas I am quite proud of the degree I did get.

I also really just want to thank Derek Wood, Eric Long and Dave Nienhuis for helping me figure out my life and listening to all of my woes and just putting up with me. I wouldn't have been able to get through college without you all!!!

Thanks to all of my other professors for putting up with me as well!

I want to thank all of my friends, for being my friends, and being there for me when I needed it. Especially during my draughts of sleep deprivation where I go certifiably insane (shout out to team pederpes because they witnessed quite a lot of this.)

I also want to thank my mom and grandma for being there for me as well!! And thanks to the rest of my family for all the support and love you guys have given me.

And now that all of the sappy stuff is out of the way, I think this is it for today's post =)

Shelby

(Still working on that catchphrase)

Hello real world, apparently it's time we've met.

Many people have asked me to keep in contact and let them know what's going on in my life after I graduate. So this is how I plan on accomplishing this goal of informing everyone what's going on in my life.

For those unaware graduation is in, technically speaking because it's after midnight, 5 days. This is both nerve-wrackingly exciting and terrifying all at once. I'm going to be graduating with a BA in Biology, which at some point I plan on using to mold young minds with. (Science for the win!)

Before I go much further I should probably apologize in advance:
1) I ramble. A lot. But if you can stick through it I tend to come to decent points.
2) Sorry for any and all grammatical errors (and my overuse of the transition of "so"). I will try very hard to proof-read, but as I'm sure quite a few of my professors can attest too, that doesn't always work well.
3) At any point in time that I go too far in depth into something incredibly dorky or science-y.
4) I make up words. A lot of words.
5) I also enjoy making lists.
6) Anything else that might seem disagreeable.

So you have been warned and we shall continue with today's ramble.

More information... Right so a question I've been receiving to a major extent:

Shelby, What are you doing with your life after graduation?

This is a terrifying question. But I have some pseudo-answers now that I didn't have a couple months ago:

1) I will be working at Glacier National Park this summer at Rising Sun. I'm working as a house-keeper for glacier. I am also working with A Christian Ministries in the National Parks (ACMNP - not quite as catchy as S.H.I.E.L.D.). This means I will be helping plan and lead worship services on sundays. This starts in June and goes until September.

2) I will be going to Belize in December on a study-abroad trip as a post-bach. I am incredibly excited to have this opportunity. It will be a great learning experience and I get to hang out on sandy beaches with some of my favorite professors. How could I pass up this amazing opportunity.

3) Now here's where it gets a wee bit difficult, as of returning from glacier to leaving for Belize and starting January, I have NO idea what I'm doing. None at all. I don't know where I'm living, or what I'm doing with my life.......

BUT

4) At some point in the next year to twoish years I will be attending grad-school (don't know where) to get my masters in teaching and my teaching certificate so I can tell high schoolers all about the wonders of science. And why they should at least enjoy learning about it, if not absolutely love it.

I will try to update this regularly. That being said, I've been trying to keep a diary since fourth grade and that was never regularly written in. So if there are random long lengths of time, atypical from the other gaps between posts, I also apologize in advance for that.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to read this post and to everyone who will continue to follow me on my journey of becoming this mystical creature known as "a-real-adult".

Shelby

PS I feel like I should have some sort of sign-off catchphrase... I'll work on that.