Finally here

It is a whopping sixteen hours from Eugene, Oregon to Manila, Utah (a town of 300 people in Northeastern Utah on the Wyoming border), making it, by far, the longest road trip I have ever driven (by myself nonetheless). I decided to spread the trip out over three days, my first night in Pendleton, Oregon where I camped at a State Park campground (by myself), then my second night in Salt Lake City, Utah where I stayed with my best friend Hannah. Honestly, I was amazed that everything went as smoothly as it did. I found a campground before dark, I didn’t get lost in Salt Lake, and my car did not blow up. 

Now I’m at a Forest Service house in Manila.  After last summer, where we lived in a tent for a month and had no electricity, water, or cell phone reception, I was excited to have a bed. It’s a big house, and there are only four of us in it. The downside is that there is no television or Internet, but I’m sure we’ll make due. We haven’t done any survey yet, so I’m discovering how much there is (not) to do at the house. I’m finding that in our off time, I’ll have many opportunities to read, write a few short stories, and study for the GREs. Tomorrow will be my orientation, and Tuesday we will embark on a high elevation survey and backpacking trip (which I am very excited about, so stay tuned). 

It is beautiful; we are right on the edge of Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. It reminds me a lot of Lake Billy Chinook in Central Oregon. I think Steve’s family would love to go water skiing here. There are snow-covered mountains (it seems) in every direction, and the rock formations are interesting. I think I would appreciate Utah more if I knew more about geology. There are signs along the roads labeling the different rock formations and what period they were formed in, though I’m more interested in the how rather than the what.

I think I will have a fun few months. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments about anything I’m doing, from whom the Fremont were to how early I have to get up in the morning. I hope you’re summer is as fabulous as mine is; if not, you can live vicariously through me.

P.S. Happy Father’s Dad!