Hiking In Rocky Mountain National Park

So today we swapped teams, and loaded up vans and headed out to Rocky Mountain National Park....roughly a 2 hour drive....jooooy. But it was cool. It was a great opportunity for me to get to know my new teammates and to make new friends. We ended up having to stop on the way at a Safeway b/c there was a fire somewhere and they had the road blocked that we needed to take. So a bunch of us went inside to use the restroom and get some snacks. While I was standing at the entrance with my roommate and some other guys, we had a couple come up to us and ask us about Americorps b/c they wanted to know for their daughter. It was pretty cool. They asked us a few questions and we answered them best we could and they seemed pretty excited about it.

No longer than maybe 5 minutes after they left another guy as he was walking out said ," Hey guys, thanks for all you do and good luck." .....I mean, we knew that we hadn't technically done anything yet b/c well...this is just training right now. But b/c we're in uniform, the locals see that and they know right away the type of work that NCCC is doing and has done in the past. So whenever I walk around in a public place with that logo on my chest, I feel a sense of pride....a sense of being part of something special. I now understand the kind of impact that I can have on the world. When total strangers can approach you and thank you for work you haven't even done yet. That says something about Americorps. And I don't regret one bit choosing to leave home and come here. B/C I know, in the end, it'll all be worth it.

After we left Safeway, we found a detour we could take to get to the park and we eventually got there. We hiked our way up after eating our sack lunches and then we stopped at the top where there was this bridge crossing a flowing river of water and a waterfall in the distance. It was one of the most beautiful things i've ever seen. Nature, so amazing and you can't help but think about how God's magnificent hands had molded and shaped even the smallest of things. It's like God is up in heaven holding a paintbrush and canvas and painting this masterpiece we call Earth. It's incredible. I was able to capture a few really good pictures and I hope you enjoy them. "My time is up, I thank you for yours." God bless!!!