"'Round the bend, the sun is in the sky it's starting to look like it's gonna be, yeah, it's gonna be a bright beautiful day."

I am going to be interpreting at Pawtuckaway State Park.

http://www.nhstateparks.org/explore/state-parks/pawtuckaway-state-park.aspx

http://newhampshirestateparks.reserveamerica.com/campgroundMap.do

It's decided.

Megan and Rachel are at Franconia Notch. They couldn't be more pleased being best of friends and getting to live in the White Mountains.

Peter is at White Lake, my second choice. This is going to be great for him, especially since he gets to join the Monadnock interpreter at the end of the season.

Speaking of Monadnock, Sylvia got the Monadnock/Greenfield location.

Jessice is staying at Bear Brook.

And I, I am going to be spending 1-2 days planning things at Bear Brook and then I will commute to Pawtuckaway and spend Friday, Saturday, and Sunday there. Camping.

Yeah, be jealous. I get to camp by a lake in beautiful New Hampshire every weekend starting at the end of June and going to Labor Day.

Of course it would have been amazing to live at Franconia Notch, in the White Mountains in the middle of a National forest for free. I cannot deny that it wasn't breathtaking there. But my main turn-off, believe it or not, was that there was one lake in that park and they don't have canoeing or kayaking. Plus, since this location is one of the most popular in the state, it would be insanely busy much of the time. FYI, Franconia Notch was my third choice.

White Lake would also have been spectacular. You get a whole small house to yourself (a lot of it is used for storage, it doesn't have AC or heat and the shower is cold water, but still.) and you live right next to a moderate sized glacial lake with crystal clear waters and a sandy bottom. You get a bike to ride around the camp ground. You are right at the feet of the White Mountains. What more would a person want? Well nothing, but this interpreter will only be there until Labor Day and then they go to Monadnock. I will explain in a bit why this is what turned me off from White Lake even though it was my second/almost my first choice.

Let me just get it out of the way that Bear Brook was not an option for any of us. Jessica automatically gets it because she doesn't have a car. Good thing because I can only imagine that it would be on the bottom of everyones list including mine. Who wants to stay here the whole time? Well, I'll get to that a little more later.

Monadnock/Greengfield-This was on the bottom of my list. I didn't want to go here. Greenfield was nice enough. It didn't speak to me all that much, though. It wasn't until we got to Monadnock mountain that I knew I couldn't be at this location. This mountains is the most climbed mountain in the United States and the third most climbed mountain in the world. Amazing, huh? Wouldn't it be cool to work there for half the interpreter-ship? Of course it would, if you were in good shape. My particular physique is not built to climb mountains. As part of our tour, we hiked a mountain trail. I thought I would be fine but they chose one of the steepest trails. I made it 1/6th of the way and knew that if I tried to go further I would push myself too hard. This is why I hate hiking with large groups of people. Everyone goes at their own pace. I was behind everyone else and I was holding them up. If I had been hiking alone or with 1 other person I would have gone whatever pace was best for me and not felt bad. But I couldn't have 7 other people waiting on me all the time. Plus, being a proud person, I would have tried as hard as I could to keep pace and would have injured myself. I've never climbed a mountain before and at 3,000 feet high I probably would have gotten elevation sickness. What I'm trying to say is that given another chance with 1 other person who is patient, I could make it to the top. I didn't make it on Monday and though I was disappointed with myself I knew that I made the right decision in not pushing myself. That doesn't mean I wasn't a little ashamed. The point is, there would be no guarantee that I would be in the shape I need to be in order to hike this mountain 1-2 times a day several days a week every week in September and October. I have made a goal to make it to the top of that Mountain before I leave here, it's just not my destiny to be an interpreter there.

So now we get to Pawtuckaway. Two weeks ago we had a service day and then had pizza dinner at Pawtuckaway. The second I got there, I felt a thrill. Just past the shelter was a beautiful, wooded boulder landscape. Almost like a labyrinth of rocks within the forest. (Hopefully those of you who are coming to visit will get a chance to see it). I walked excitedly around the rocks, letting my hands trace their gigantic shapes. A little ways along the path I could see blue. Water. A lake. A huge lake! And bordering it, these huge granite boulders. I abandoned caution and climbed my way up. And there I was on the face of this boulder looking out at the water. It was so beautiful and I thought "I can see myself here. I don't even really need to see the other places. I like it here."

Of course I saw the other places and realized how wonderful they were as well. For a time I fell in love with White Lake, it was so lovely. I also considered Franconia Notch as a first choice but that was really only because I felt like trying to take advantage of living in the Mountains. As I said before, Monadnock didn't ever really appeal to me. After more time and deliberation I realized that Pawtuckaway was where I was meant, nay, DESTINED to be.

When the other asked me what finally made me decide my choice, I told them it was just a feeling. The more I thought about this place, the more I knew that Pawtuckaway was the state park I was supposed to work at.

And so even though there is the smallest amount of regret because I won't be in or near the White Mountains, I am happy and really looking forward to my summer.

One other potential benefit is that according to last year, the Sunday program took place at 2om which might meant that I can go to the morning sacrament meeting somewhere near Pawtuckaway. I'm not getting my hopes up on that, though.

What else is there to look forward to? Well, in 4 days I get to see Juli, Elise, Beckie, Kirst, Mom, Dad, Max, and SADIE!! I am so excited. I am going to spend the weekend cleaning and getting ready. Also we have only 1 more field trip to do with the 4th graders! I love doing these field trips, but I think I am kidded out for the time being.

Okay, so that is the news. No pictures, all words.

See many of you soon!