End of the season

I have two weeks to go. My last day at Yellowstone National Park is Saturday, August 30th. It has been a challenging summer for me. After not working for much of the winter, it took a month of adjustment to return to a 40 hour work week. This job requires a lot of verbal interaction, which I do not enjoy in a high-volume environment. (talking with 160 carloads of people in 3 hours) But the money was great, the rent was cheap, and I liked my new boss...so overall, a productive summer. Plus, I got what I consider the best schedule. A split schedule working from 12 - 3:30pm and then 7pm - 11pm. I returned to a 30 hour work week on July 19th which I enjoyed a lot more. My social life was almost non-existent compared to life in Asheville. (The last place I lived prior to moving here) But I went hiking at least one day per week, played cards one day per week, and did lots of strength training and running/walking. I would still like to see the Park Service run the parks a lot differently. I'm still remembering Ed Abbey's and John Muir's words.

My next stop will be Sacramento, California. I am driving straight from Yellowstone to Sacramento. I should arrive there around September 2nd. I have rented a room in a apartment with 2 other guys for $400 per month each including all utilities. It is in a good location. I will give more details on my new place when I arrive. Why Sacramento? I was planning on returning to either the Bay area or San Diego. But when I compared the cost of living between these areas and Sacramento, there was no contest...Sac is much cheaper. And if I want to continue working 30 hour weeks this winter for $10 per hour, I need to have my rent be $400 or less per month. I thought about returning to the Pacific Northwest (Seattle or Portland), but the thought of 6 months of winter rain did not interest me. Besides, there is a major airport in Sac, and it's in a great central location for the Western U.S., so I can fly to lots of different places for short trips. More later on road trips.

To sum up my summer at Yellowstone: A financially productive summer. Beautiful scenery. Interaction with other animals. Lots of solitude. Lots of phone calls to friends. My own apartment for $300 per month. Lots of exercise. Cheap living. Lots of podcast downloading. Card playing. 52 mile weekly Cody trips. The cost of gas. The frustration of visitors. The box. No more 40 hour work weeks. Moose at the gate. Reporting accidents. Playing policeman isn't always fun. Lots of power outages. No phone for weeks. 2 big fires. Our car-centered culture. The enjoyment of seeing other hikers. Motorcycle craziness. Thank you, Netflix. Losing an employee from the start. Avalanche Peak twice in a day. Very different from last summer. A fun manager. Closing shift. Planning my next "vacation." The unknown abyss awaits.