The Next Chapter

The next chapter has begun as I have moved into a 2-bedroom apartment of my very own in the small town of Ponca, NE. The population sign reads 1,062 people. I will try to post some photos of my apartment after I have it more set up than it currently is. The joys of moving in to a new place. I love that I am only 2 miles south of the Park, where I work.

Hit the ground running at work as I hopped right in on one of the Hallowfest weekends. Spent some time Friday on my full tour of the park with my partner and some preparation, and then a full 14 hour day on Saturday. We spent most of the morning in the craft room where 150+ children came through to work on some crafts with us. I was mainly helping at this "Freaky Finger" station, where we made clay finger pens. You can still write with them and everything!

Next, we were stationed up on Scout Hill to help with the pumpkin roll and pumpkin carving. The last time I was driving around the park with my parents, I remember wondering what these bleachers were sitting on top of this hill for, and now I know. At least one reason is this entertaining pumpkin roll that takes place during Hallowfest. Pumpkins are bought, and then brought out in age groups. The pumpkin is rolled down the hill, where it meets obstacles. If you hit one of the fun obstacles, you won yourself a second piece of candy, and if at the end your pumpkin rolled the farthest - a big prize for you. There were tunnels, a ramp with a basketball hoop, and a pumpkin slicer to name a few of the fun obstacles people would cheer for.

After the pumpkin carving contest came to a close, I had the pleasure of helping load the 30+ pumpkins into the van with my partner, hauling them down to another spot in the park, where we then carried them to their display place for the night. Lifting weights in the middle of the park :-)

I can talk more about the various programs I will be helping with at the Park as I go, but I will mention a few things here briefly. The naturalists on staff, which currently includes myself and one other, take care of all our education animals. A few are on display in the back of the Missouri River Exhibits, as you can see here in this little "kid's corner".  We also keep this area organized as we can.

We keep the homes of these animals clean, feed them on a regular basis, and change their water. Here is one little turtle I work with, and you can see how small he is as he is sitting in the palm of my hand:

Did I mention that I live just 2 miles from the beautiful Ponca State Park? I love a short drive to work, and I love being that close to the serenity that can be found there whenever I want it. I can even use the bike trail from my apartment to work anytime. It is paved the whole way.

I am so excited to be working at this great place, joining an awesome team, and starting during this beautiful time of year.

I love the trees of fall!

A shot of the river from a portion of the park I visited for the first time on Wednesday:

My grandparents came to visit one afternoon, as they live only an hour away and were in the current possession of a microwave my mom found for my apartment. Turned out to be a good excuse for a fun little afternoon for the three of us, as I drove them around the park and talked about a few of the things I currently know. I would imagine if you visit again after a few months, I will have even more information and stories to tell. :-)

Here is a photo of my grandparents with the Missouri River in the background:

I also recently spent a day in Sioux City and a little time at Morningside College, which was my home for four years as a student at the great school. Once again, a beautiful time of year to be visiting.

There are a few new buildings on campus, which were pretty neat to see, and one of my old professors showed me around.

A new view from the library... pretty cool.

I had a very productive day in Sioux City collecting a few things for my apartment and enjoying a little time at Morningside College. Check out this new view!

Having a great first week at my new job, and I know this is the beginning to another great adventure adding another fine chapter to the book of my life. If you ever find yourself in Northeast Nebraska, stop in and say hello. Hope everyone has a great rest of the week! Until next time...

Opportunities

I've been out of the blog world for a few months. I've been contemplating some things, but have still been experiencing life. More on that in a bit. First thing's first...

I have a new opportunity! An opportunity I have dreamed about! To be an outdoor educator a.k.a. naturalist at a State Park. I accepted a position this past week as a naturalist at Ponca State Park in Ponca, NE, and I am beyond excited!

Some may wonder what happened to the nursing track. It was sorta an answer I developed when the track I really wanted to be on wasn't quite falling together yet. I had looked into this field for months before moving back to the States and my first year back. Now the opportunity is here, and it would be silly to pass up the opportunity. When I went in for my interview, it was the first interview I remember in a while where I didn't really feel nervous but rather simply happy and thankful to be given the chance. I am excited to join the team up there and work on so many different projects that the park has to offer. It is pretty impressive, has grown a lot since I had been there in the past, and is continuing to expand. 

Life is full of opportunities, and we can't be afraid to take them. Have I mentioned how excited I am?! It's almost hard to believe this is really happening, but I am scheduled to move to Ponca on the eve of Thursday, Oct. 17th. Let the new adventure begin!

You can likely look for future blog posts on the subject.

The last time I was at Ponca State Park prior to this job interview, I spent one afternoon with some friends from college in October of 2010 doing a little hiking and exploring. I couldn't help but flip through the photos from that day. Here are a few to share.

Our group at the beginning of a trail:

Our group having fun in the education center:

Simply having a blast:

Another recent life opportunity checked off in the books. My awesome friend Karena has been going to the Kansas Speedway for the NASCAR race with her dad for many years. She has invited me along a few times, but it never quite worked out. I decided to make it work this time and head to Kansas City with them. I had a good time and always enjoy new experiences, especially those experiences made with some great people.

This is a photo of me standing on the track itself:

This is the Danner family campsite on turn 4 of the infield:

The race fans grilling up some lunch on a windy day:

Next opportunity we made happen included my parents. We had always talked about making a trip to the Amana Colonies in Iowa. After a few discussions, we decided there was no time like the present to do it. We had a fun weekend including some history, peaceful sights, quiet streets, various shops, and family fun.

Dad and I pretended to be a pair of ox in this ox yoke in Middle Amana.

Just sitting in the largest walnut rocker in the state of Iowa:

A little grill out we enjoyed at a local county park:

I have spent a few days with Karena's dad and his construction business helping reshingle some roofs. New experience, and now I better understand the meaning of "back breaking" work. Sore backs from that business. Good experience for me, though, and it was fun to help out.

Back tracking some more, I spent Labor Day weekend with the Danner family camping at Indian Cave State Park - one of my favorites. I just love being out there in nature, which reminds me how excited I am about my new job. :-)

We spent a little time with these fellas of the Prairie Longrifles Club and some muzzleloader shooting:

Many bike rides, including a few muddy ones:

Backtracking all the way back to the first week of August, where we took a roommate trip to California. We had a fantastic time, spent some time with great people, and saw some neat places. We drove all the way out there in one straight shot taking turns behind the wheel.

Here is one of my favorite shots of the three of us at Fishermen's Wharf in San Francisco:

This is a shot in Chinatown, San Francisco with our guide for the day - a family friend. Hugh was a delight to spend the day with, and I learned a lot that day. It became one of my favorite days from the trip.

The Golden Gate Bridge:

Another one of my favorite stops was at one of the California State Parks to see some of the Redwoods. Just check out our faces of excitement for yourself:

Wow... just wow... what beauty and awe:

One more little snippet from the trip to California included a day spent with my Island Sister. Hannah was my roommate and great friend while we were both teachers in American Samoa. Pretty fun to catch up and spend a little time together in person. We have kept in contact since our departure from the island. Another opportunity we made happen.

One last photo for today - a recent photo I took near sunset after a day working outside:

Finally, a little food for thought as spoken by the ever graceful Julie Andrews:

“Sometimes opportunities float right past your nose. Work hard, apply yourself, and be ready. When an opportunity comes you can grab it.” 

Hope everyone has a great rest of the week. Toodles. :-)

A Little Humor and Joy

I have noticed lately that not everybody just drinks the milk out of the bowl after finishing a bowl of cereal. I know my dad does... and my brother. I love milk, so I'd hate to waste it. Something that made me laugh. The idea of not drinking it had never really crossed my mind. It was simply inherent for me. I got a kick out of this when I realized the phenomenon taking place around me. Just a little humor to get this post going.

Another funny thing I saw happen this week involved two earrings and one ear hole. Yes, someone put two earrings into one hole without realizing it until later. Forgot they had put the first one in, and that left them with one empty side. Easy fix, but we both giggled about that.

I have changed my hair style more times this past year than I can ever remember doing in that short amount of time in my nearly 24 years. I am really enjoying my new bangs. For the past 6 years I've basically had side swoop bangs, but now I have a full set. I'm trying to grow my layers out on the sides for now, but we shall see.

Remember those conferences or workshops we attended for various activities in high school and college, and they involved some various activities? Those activities where I am one to think, "boy this is sort of silly. Do we really have to?" Yes, we still have to. We might as well have some fun with it as we go. That's what they try to do - they try to make it more fun rather than sitting in a lecture all day. So, I added some energy, got up, volunteered a handful of times, and had some fun Of course, it was nice to have a pretty good table of people - most of whom I had not met until that day. Here you can see where I kept the ball rolling at some points in pirate fashion.

Back to the hair. This photo was taken shortly after having my hair trimmed, resulting in the new bang look. Some days my hair will flip out, some days it lays flat,  and other days it's a mop of a mess. I added a silly face in this photo - the mischievous "hmmmm" look.

This one is a bit more artsy. Definitely one of the more artsy and abstract self portraits I have ever taken.

So, the other day my 24-year old roommate is reading this little book. She finishes it in less than a day. She said she had heard it was good, found it, and agreed it was really good after reading. A kid's book, but I picked it up after her and read through it myself. Good little story, and there is nothing wrong with young adults reading children's books. Can be good for the soul, simply put. :-) Thank you, "Because of Mr. Terupt" for that. I do have to say though, when my other roommate's mom picked the book up at the store, she was asked what grade in elementary she was teaching. Haha

Then, I discover we have "Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life" on the shelf. Another book for the youngins. I have seen the movie, which I enjoyed. Time for the book. I am more than halfway through as I write this post, and figure I will be finished with it some time tomorrow. Excellent story!

Monday felt like a Samoan sei kind of day. My sei is the flower in my hair, something I wore almost every single day while living in American Samoa. Always brightens my day.

Speaking of brightening days, I am rather excited today. Why you ask? I will be heading on vacation Friday afternoon.

Who: The Roommates
          even a visit with my island sister roommate for a day
What: Road Trip
When: August 1- August 9
Where: Sacramento, CA
             with a stop in Reno and Lake Tahoe on the way
             and a day each in San Francisco and Santa Cruz
Why: Life's an adventure!

One more thing... Happy Anniversary to my wonderful parents - Larry and Barb Boschen. 27 years on August 1st. My brother and I are very fortunate to have these two. They have taught us so much and have always been there. I love you both. Here's to many more!

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

Lessons and Reminders

It is about time for an update on the blog I would wager. My mind is often thinking about something, but I guess I don't always take the time to write some of those things down when I should. Today is one of those catch up days. While I was at work, I had this blog post forming in my head coming up with a title and everything. The few (or is it several now) weeks that have passed since my last post have made me realize some new lessons I am learning every day or ones I am being reminded of throughout daily life.

1. I'm a happy girl. You've heard me say before that every day is a good day, as I choose for it to be that way. One resident I work with tells me almost every other day that I am one happy kid. She'll catch me whistling, smiling, and dancing a bit while I run around. That just makes me smile more when she points these things out. I love to smile and be happy. A while ago a Martina McBride song popped into my head that I had not heard in years, and it is spot on wit how I feel.

2. We don't need holidays to have great family time. Several months ago, my cousin Alicia began instigating "family dinner nights" with her husband, my brother, and myself. We have gotten together about once a month since then, and we always have some fun conversations. This last time around I finally thought to take a photo of the four of us. Alicia and Andrew are due to be parents in August, by the way.

Below is a flashback photo to Sheldon, Alicia, and me at a family fishing trip.

Speaking of family time... I was staying in Newman Grove for about 5 days, I discussed with my mom that we should try to get a little Boschen girls' afternoon planned with Aunt Kristin and Granny B. Ended up spending a great afernoon at Duncan Lakes after a lunch outing at a great little place in Columbus. I am reminded that people (including myself) often say how we should get together more often, but it always seems hard (or maybe we're just lazy or stubborn) to try to make these gatherings happen. Still doesn't stop me from appreciating the memories that we do make and enjoying each others' company. Someone has to get the ball rolling. Even if you can't get everyone, simply get who you can. It is worth it. 

 Here is a photo of Aunt Kristin, Alicia, Granny B, and Mom from Seth and Kathryn's wedding, which took place June 2013

3. Boy do I love being outdoors. Spending an afternoon with my roommate and her family at their campsite at Louisville State Recreation Area reminded me one of my favorite parts of camping was simply sitting outdoors for part of the day. I don't always have to be out on a trail. I still like that part, too, of course. :-) Karena and I took some bikes out on one of the trails that evening I joined them after my shift at work had ended.

Some days I definitely wish I didn't have to work every other weekend right now, as I miss out on some of these opportunities to go camping, just spend a few days outdoors, and get away from town. Life goes on, though, and I make the best of the time I do get out there. So many great memories in my nearly 24 years of life have been spent on State Park ground.

4. There are some friends we meet in our lives that we may not always talk to see, but those times together can seem so easy and like not so much time has passed. My good friend Kyle had spent this past year as a volunteer with WorldTeach on the island of Chuuk in the Federated States of Micronesia. Hard to believe that a over a year ago I returned from the island of American Samoa and Kyle departed for Chuuk. I finally got to catch up with him a bit in person, which was pretty fun.

Here is a photo of Cassie, Kyle, and me from that quick June evening catch-up in Omaha:

5. There is nothing wrong with spending an entire day lost in another world. Reading allows us to take adventures from different points of view. One of my favorite series is titled "The Mortal Instruments" by Cassandra Clare. Like the nerd that I am, I pre-ordered the 6th and final installation to the series, which arrived on my doorstep on the day of its release. I read through the 700 pages in about 2 or 3 days.

Another fun part about reading is getting recommendations from others or sharing books I have read. I happened to get my mom hooked on the series by Clare. So good! These are the first three titles. She also wrote a pre-quel series which I have read, and she has a few other spin-offs in the works.

6, Fantasy fiction books are some of my favorites, but I also enjoy more memoir-type books from time to time. I am currently reading "Orange is the New Black", a memoir by Piper Kerman about her year in a women's prison. My roommate happened to be passed a copy of this book from her boyfriend's mom, and I had seen a friend from college had read and enjoyed it. I decided to pick it up, and I spent a few hours reading through it after work on Saturday. I am sure I will have it complete in the next few days or less. A good read thus far and interesting.

7. Just because you see the movie first doesn't mean you can't still read and enjoy the book. Yes, I agree the book is usually better, but I still enjoy some movie versions of books. While in Omaha last week, my friend Cassie happened to pull this book out of her purse and asked if I had read it yet. I had not, and she passed me her copy. I was currently in the middle of another book, so I set it on my shelf for another day.

Then, I headed to Newman Grove for a while, and I my mom and I were invited by my cousin Rebecca to join her and her mom (Aunt Paula) to see the movie "A Fault in Our Stars' at the theatre. We decided to go. It was a heartfelt movie that I enjoyed. Made me even more anxious to actually read the book and learn more detail on the story. I began reading it almost the minute I made it back to Syracuse (realistically, that's exaggerating a bit. haha). Nonetheless, I flew through that little novel in no time. Great book, and I also recommend the movie.

8. Walking/ hiking along a nature trail is by far one of the most peaceful experiences for me. I could do it all day, but the heat does slow us down some times. My parents and I trekked out to Niobrara State Park on a Sunday while I was home for a while. We had a blast that weekend!

9. There are places you find yourself where some pretty vivid memories can be drawn out. I know we used to head up to Niobrara often for fishing and some camping. I can picture Grandpa Boschen on his little chair along the river with his fishing rod in hand, for instance. Also, when we talk about going to Niobrara I say "that's where that trail includes a wooden bridge over a train bridge, right?" Indeed. Here is that bridge. Driving around the park itself, not too many other places really struck back particular memories for me. More detailed memories from my parents, but it is nice to have some of those places. I was a little younger at the time, but definitely some great memories.

10. Simple and fresh picnics make me smile. We brought some sandwiches, fresh veggies, and some fruit. Mmm mmm. Good.

See that shelter up toward the right top of this photo? That's where we had our Sunday picnic at Niobrara State Park.

11. Trails include forks along the road. We hiked back a bit to check out one of the adirondack style camping sites, and then Dad said, "why don't you girls take this trail, and I'll pick you up wherever you come out." Weren't exactly sure where that would be, but he said he would keep circling til our paths crossed again.

Mom and I headed off, took some forks to the right, some to the left, popped out on the road once, but walked a bit down and hopped on another we had a good feeling where it may let out. At one point we crossed a second wooden bridge, and I joked "it's the same one", although definitely wasn't. Gotta love a little adventure and chatting along the way enjoying ourselves. We finally poppped out at the spot I had in mind, and not 3 minutes later, we heard a vehicle, and here it was Dad in the truck. He had made the hilly loop of the park 6 times, by the time we popped out about 35-40 minutes later.

Sweaty, a little sun burnt, but we enjoyed that hike.

Enjoy your journeys, and have a great week!