Welcome One Welcome All

I'm not an eloquent speaker, and am quite wordy most of the time so I will start out with a "spoiler alert" or warning that these posts may be dull or boring but I give my word that they will be ramblings from the heart. Let's begin. June 1st is exactly 2 weeks away from today. Meaning I have 2 weeks to finalize pre-trip activities: prep the car, make sure I have all the essentials packed and ready to go, and the hardest part:saying my goodbyes. I have actually had my clothes packed in those zip lock bags since the end of April :D as I transitioned from the apartment where I lived with Amy and Felicia back into my parent's house. [I am just a wee bit excited!] ;) (Rachel's tip: vacuum bags are AWESOME!!! Literally, saves so much room for when you buy souvenirs OR use for storing blankets and seasonal clothes to keep dust and moths from damaging the fabric!) Most of my readers will be former coworkers and residents from the job I left in Bozeman, MT. Over the year that we have spent together you have gotten to know a little about me, my awkward tendencies, my bursts of randomness, and I hope that you got to catch a glimpse of my heart for people. Today marks my last day working along side you and I want to thank you all for the memories and laughter. I realized that saying goodbye, may very well mean that this is the last time we will see each other. I want you to know, I carry you in my heart. There have been lots of questions as to where and why I am going and what I will be doing once I get there. Where: Soldotna, AK is a town located 147 miles(3 hours) south of Anchorage in the Kenai Peninsula. Population: 4,300 apx. The Kenai River runs right through town, so when the Salmon Run occurs, both sides of the river are shoulder to shoulder with fisherman (Mark and Mike....gotta come check it out!!!) The town also is miles from the beach! I will specifically be living outside of town between Sterling and Soldotna at a Bible Camp, Solid Rock Bible Camp specifically. Why: This is a long story of sorts. I have visited the camp/area a few times over the years. First, in 2007 for a work week with my high school youth group. Then the opportunity came in 2011 to be a counselor for my internship and it turned out to be the best summer of my life. I returned at the end of January in 2012 to see how extreme Alaska is in the winter, and besides the below freezing temperatures, slightly extended hours of darkness the state again hooked me. There is a family at camp that became good friends of mine over these trips and has offered the last two times a place in their home for me to stay for a year, rent free. I'm so grateful for this opportunity. I'm very much a person of comfort, I hate conflict and tend to bow out to avoid it. People pleasing - easily defines me and it took me awhile to step out of my comfort zone, to be willing to step out actually. But here I am - taking the leap of faith. I'm so comfortable at home that I never felt like I was growing up, living life and honestly overly attached to my parents, never feeling confident to stand on my own two feet, living out my dreams for me but living accordingly to the expectations of others. but NO MORE! I'm grabbing life by the horns. But this personal growth, self exploration, adventure time is also at large following a calling which brings me to the what. What: This summer I will be working at Solid Rock Bible Camp in the kitchen as one of the cooks where I will be preparing food 5 days a week for 100-300 kiddos from June - mid August. After camp, I have no jobs lined up yet, but hopefully have at least one interview upon my arrival to work as a caregiver with clients who have varying disabilities. My goal one day is to be a social worker that works closely with families who are at risk for neglecting and abusing their children. I have always had a heart for people, specifically children - I love the imagination and purity that embodies their energetic little souls. My desire is to preserve and protect that, however possible. Well, I think I am going to wrap this one up rather quickly since I feel like I wrote a book. Some, maybe most of this post has been common knowledge through conversations we have had and I apologize if redundancy is the case. Feel free to leaves comments as you feel prompted to. I would love to hear what's going on in your world and at the lodge. Much Love, Rachel