Paper Thin Walls

The life of a seasonal worker is probably unlike any other lifestyle I will ever experience. We work hard, we play harder. It is summer camp for adults, after all. You live where you work; you live with who you work with… meaning only one thing, there is no true separation from your work life and your personal life. With about 100 people living in a vicinity of 100 square yards, you can forget about privacy, secrets, or even a ‘down low’. I always wondered what it would be like to star in the ‘Real World’…well this is quite comparable, sans a giant hot tub and a camera following my every move. The lack of a personal bubble is overwhelming at times, leading me to hide in my room for a day or two every now and then. I knew what to expect after last summer, but I don’t think I will ever be able to get used to it. But there are upsides as well. You get to know people very quickly; their humor and their quirks are what I find most intriguing. I always have a buddy to go places with, drink beer with, and cook for. I really am happy about the group of people we have here, makes life in close quarters more than bearable!

I was in Safeway on Friday, stocking up on food I was in dire need of (I resorted to eating stale popcorn for breakfasts). I was in the checkout line when I heard “Hi Jonelle!!” I look up to see the son and father of the family who picked me up hitchhiking! It was the most pleasant surprise to see their familiar smiling faces asking me about my past few weeks. We ended up talking for 20 minutes and then they offered me a ride home! But I still had some things to do in town, so I declined. I know Seward is a small town, and I was bound to run into them at some point, but it still just makes me smile to think about the odds of the encounter.  

Just as Seward is a small world, the seasonal employment world is even smaller. My roommate last year in Washington worked at this same place, so there are a bunch of people I have met who know her. And of course when you share a room with someone and work with them for an entire summer, they are bound to rub off on you. Micah totally passed on her quirkiest mannerisms to the point where people have said I remind them of someone…I remind them of Micah! Guilty!

 I had a wonderful day last week, probably my best day here so far. I woke up early, fought a little hangover with kombucha, went on an awesome hike by myself, then walking back I ran into a group of friends and went on a three hour sea kayaking tour with them. It was seriously unreal; there was a slight breeze but the water was glassy, there were waterfalls pouring down from the cliffs, and sea otters were scattered around looking as cute as they know they are. It was absolute perfection. It was the simple and overwhelming joy that I usually don’t have to seek, it just happens. And when it does, I know I am living the life I was meant for. I love this place.

“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.”

-Edward Abbey