Final Post

The week at Raquette lake came and went very quickly. Coming into the week I had a mix of emotions, I was nervous, I was excited, I was curious... I was mostly nervous because I knew I wasn't going to know anyone. I was excited because I wanted to see what kind of experience I would have in comparison to the experience I had in the winter. I was curious to see what the class had to offer.
When I arrived I was very please to have met three very, very, welcoming girls. Three girls who I actually got to know very well over the five days together. That was probably one of my favorite things about the class was forming such a bond with three girls even after knowing them for only five days. What I enjoyed the most about our time in Raquette lake was our opportunities to be outside and in nature. I specifically really enjoyed hiking and kayaking. I also enjoyed the opportunity to light the spark for my passion of outdoor education. Outdoor education is something that is very important to me and my teaching philosophy and I liked that this class gave me the opportunity to come in touch with that passion again.
It seems that every time I am in Raquette lake something in my life goes abrupt. When I was in Raquette lake over the winter my grandfather had recently passed away and my long term boyfriend and I had just broken up the week before I left. I am the type of person who doesn't deal with change well. Both of those things were drastic changes in my life, both which had a very big impact on my life. Yet I found myself in this place full of beauty, full of so much history, surrounded by an amazing group of people, people who eventually became some of my very best friends.
This time in Raquette lake I got some news that also resulted in a big change in my life. If I am being completely honest, yes it did affect my mood, and yes it did affect the way I acted during the week, but I tried my absolute best.
But the beauty of Raquette lake is that although it was very unfortunate that I had problems both times I have been there it still allowed me to have an outlet. Nature has always been my outlet and it was great to have it there for me in both of those situations. I think that is why I have such a passion to include it in my teaching. If I can offer my students the opportunity to learn to love nature and have an outlet in their life then that will be a great accomplishment for myself. Especially considering the home life that some children have, if they can find an outlet in their back yard, or at a local park, that might be the most important thing to their life and safety.
I think this trip to Raquette lake gave me a lot of perspective on what's important, what isn't really that important, and what isn't worth worrying about. I believe everything works out the way that it is supposed to and having something like the outdoors to rely on makes going with the flow of things much easier. Although I would have liked to have spent my week without my cell phone I found I very hard to lose connection with people I love and that I care about when I was dealing with something difficult.
Ultimately I just want people to realize what the outdoors can really do for you, it's something some people can't find elsewhere.

Day 4- adventures on black bear

I was so excited for today and it exceeded my expectations by a long shot. I was so excited to go to the bog, mostly because bogs amaze me. The hike was definitely my favorite part of the day. There are very few things I enjoy more than being on top of a mountain and just sitting, thinking, staring. Not a single care in the world. To me, it honestly doesn't get better than that to me. Plus I drank an entire large milkshake..... Who am I? 

Honestly on Monday I was so beside myself and thought this week was need going to end. Now here I am on Thursday night wondering where the time went. Wishing I could spend some more time here. My dad actually txted me today and said how jealous he was and wants to come spend a weekend up here, definite possibility. 

Very sad to leave tomorrow, I became super close with the girls here and I will definitely try to keep in contact with all of them once we leave. 

Trying to enjoy the fire right now so I'm going to stop rambling! See ya tomorrow! Hopefully our projects go well tomorrow! 

Day 3- a bobcat?

Today was a really good day. I'm having that midweek exhaustion right about now and we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, so I'm going to make this short and sweet. The museums were awesome, end of story. I had a great time today and learned a lot about the Adirondacks. You might wonder why this is titled a bobcat? Let me tell you, I am convinced I saw a bobcat. While walking to the sauna we saw an animal, running on all fours. One might argue that it wasn't a bobcat, perhaps a fox, or a rabbit, or something not as exciting as a bobcat. But for me, I'll stick with the excitement and believe that I saw a bobcat. That's all I have for tonight. Let's hope we don't fall in the bog tomorrow!

Day 2- the water was rough

Late last night as I was going to bed I got some pretty bad news. News that will essentially call for an entirely different lifestyle than the one that I had previously been living. Through many hours of thinking all night long and losing many hours of sleep I realized multiple things. The most important thing that I realized was that I had one week to spend in the Adirondacks, away from everything, away from reality essentially. And that might actually be a blessing in disguise at this point in time. When I woke up this morning I had a slump, I had my points of pitying myself. But then I told myself I need to change my attitude, life happens, things happen, it is what it is. I became very homesick throughout the day wanting nothing more than my family and friends. However, the I realized I am surrounded by one of the things that I love the absolute most; nature. We went on a kayak ride after lunch and that was my turning point of the day. It took my mind off of everything and made me feel a lot better. It allowed me to realize that if I allow myself to enjoy myself, regardless of terrible news, I will enjoy myself. I am in a place that I love, I don't want anything to take that away from me. Regardless of the fact that the water was a little rough on the lake as well as in life today, that's not going to stop me from enjoying the ride.

Day 1- arrival

I woke up this morning with such mixed emotions about returning to Raquette lake for the second time. My previous trip was taken in the winter of 2014, and let me tell you, it was bitter cold. I was really looking forward to exploring the Adirondacks in the summer; a season I enjoy much more than winter. However, when I came in the winter I came with a group of girls that I knew. This time, I was coming into the class blind, not knowing a single person- frankly, that scared me. However, when I arrived I met three girls sitting on the porch waiting to take the boat across the lake and they welcomed me into their group as if I belonged there. I am excited for the what the rest of the week will bring us. More to come on our week in the Adirondacks!