Showing posts with label Goodbye Teton Living. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Goodbye Teton Living. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Leaving for the East

Saying Goodbye to the Tetons Was Already Hard
Saying Goodbye to One of Your Closest Friends Was Even Harder!
Miss You, Sarah!
My Last Teton Selfie! At Least for Now!
I'll be Back!
Visited Audrey in Lincoln, NE
So Excited to See Her Walk Down the Aisle at Her Wedding in October!

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Saying Goodbye to JHWS

Pictures of my last two tours with Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris!

I have really enjoyed being a tour guide! I have learned a lot about working with people, practiced my teaching abilities, made some great friendships and networking, was blessed to share my passion for the natural world with others, and of course, being able to see some wonderful places and animals pretty much everyday for a whole summer. Thanks JHWS for letting me be part of a great team! Don't worry, I'll be back to the Tetons! 

TheChristyBel

A Family From New York City
My Last & Final Family with JHWS!
Best Group to End My Season With!

Sunday, August 9, 2015

One of My Last Teton Goodbyes

Marc leaves for the east on Monday (tomorrow), while I finish up work with Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris this upcoming Thursday. Before I head back east next Monday (the 17th), I'll take my recert for my Wilderness First Responder at Teton Science Schools. 

It is really coming full circle for me about my Teton and West adventure; it was about 2-years ago (on Monday the 17th), at least it will be, that I made my journey out west to start this graduate school adventure. It was two years ago this week that I took my certification for my WFR and started to explore the Grand Tetons. 

Over the past two years, I originally set out for this Forever West adventure to upgrade my schooling, challenge myself in my passions, mind, and body, and to allow myself to grow up without certain clutches and security blankets that I held onto (that in reality haunted me and prevented me from being true to myself). 

Two years later, I have challenged my mind, body, and soul to absorb information in two areas (education and science), rekindled old passions (art and hiking), strengthened my abilities to teach others, lost confidence in myself but then gained in back, learned a lot about myself, determined areas of self I need to work on, lost friendships, gained new ones, found love, and most importantly was able to live for MYSELF in a new part of the country (by myself - to start) where I did not think I could. Two years later I say farewell and thank you to a place I was nervous about immersing myself in. Two years later, I give my appreciation and gratitude to this place for allowing me to live and really define for myself who is theChristyBel.

TheChristyBel

Saying Farewell to the Wedding Tree
Wedding Tree Sunset
One of My Last Summit Poses in the Grand Tetons


Saturday, January 24, 2015

A Salt Lake City Layover

So, if I wanted to fly from Jackson (a tiny airport) to Laramie (another tiny airport), it would've cost me a $1,000+ dollars. That was money I was not willing to spend...so, I found a much, much, much cheaper flight from Salt Lake City to Laramie. Now, how do you get to Salt Lake City from Jackson? You take a bus, of course! Or in this case, a 15-passenger van! Marc dropped me off at 6am to catch a 6:20am van ride to the Salt Lake City International Airport. The van/bus ride only costs about $75. I think I slept for the majority of the trip, they stop about every hour for bathroom breaks and make stops along the way to either pick up people or drop them off. When I was awake, I was able to take a few pictures of the beautiful scenery that we drove through. And yes, I got the front passenger's seat! It was awesome and lots of leg room...and I could recline my seat! Boom!

Blue Beautiful Skies
Good Morning!
Cool Cloud Patterns Over the Mountains!
Sunrise!!!!
Arriving into Salt Lake City, the Wasatch Mountains (I think) were floating! There was a lot of haze in the valley of Salt Lake City, so the surrounding mountains appeared to be floating around the town! The city is incredibly beautiful! I was super excited to be back there, since I had not been there since last April for part of my spring break.

Wasatch Mountain Range...I Think!?
I was welcomed and picked up by my friend Chris (a friend from Delaware that now resides in Utah), where we had some lunch, and I went back to his house for a real nap. There, I was greeted by Nimbus, Chris' cat, who is just as awesome as Gus and Tweedy!

Nimbus!
When Chris returned home from work, he took me to the Great Salt Lake. I had never been there before, so it was really cool to actually go up to and see it up close! As we walked from the parking lot to the actual lake, you could see dried up salt crystals on the sand! They were super huge and beautiful. Of course, I had to document what I saw! Nerd.

Salt Crystals!
Also, along the walk up and along the lake, we discovered a bunch of shells of the brine shrimp, lots of dead waterfowl, and bird tracks!

Bird Tracks!
We got there just in time for the sunset. It was really pretty to see along the lake. Despite the bog/lake smell that was pretty stinky, it actually reminded me of home when you would be along the riverfront and in the wetlands. I really miss that smell. Even though it is not a true pleasant smell, it reminds me of tall grasses, mucky boots, tides, and the Delaware wetlands. Great reminder of home. :)

A Great Salt Lake Sunset
Sand Ripples in the Water From the Wind!
Sunset and From What I Believe: Two Cap Clouds Over the Mountains in the Distance
Not a Very Good Picture of It, But I Think That Was What I Saw
Stumbled Upon a Duck Decoy and a Dead Fish With This Catch Phrase!
Are There Even Fish in the Great Salt Lake?
Again, a Close Up of the Two Cap Clouds Over the Mountains in the Distance
Not a Very Good Picture of It, But I Think That Was What I Saw
That evening after the sunset, Chris and I met up with one of his friends, Sarah, for dinner. Had sushi at this place called Tsunami! It was pretty good. Then went home for a relaxing evening of catching up and watching a movie while we both fell asleep on the couch! Traveling is exhausting.

Tomorrow, I head back to Laramie...Winter Break has officially ended.
TheChristyBel

Nimbus and I Relaxing

Monday, September 1, 2014

Last Few Days in the Tetons

I did not think it would be really hard to say goodbye to Jackson. But as my time here in the Tetons grew shorter and shorter, I realized it was going to be one of the hardest goodbyes I would have to make. Since I am grounded from hiking, we took the time to celebrate my last few days in Jackson by doing some fun activities - from inside artwork to partying about town at the bars, to having a 'Tourist Day' (that will come in another blog entry!) Enjoy the pics!

TheChristyBel

Went to a Ski Sale at the Mountain Resort
Found a Cat Snowboard!
Took a Tram Ride Up Rendezvous Mountain!
Going Up in the Tram

Gazed into Corbett's Couloir
Corbett's Couloir
Color By Numbers!
Kissing Wolves
Water Color and Pen & Ink Art Mornings with Marc
A Work in Progress
Went to the Lynyrd Skynyrd Concert at Jackson Hole Live!
Beautiful Teton Sunsets
The Nelson Crew!
I'm Gonna Miss Them So Much!

#Operation Kidnap Christy
I love the Roommates!
They Wanted Me To Stay!
Wahhhh!
Photobooth Moments in Town!
It's a Hard 'Goodbye' But Not Forever!
TheChristyBel