My Happy Ending

            Today overall went very similar to yesterday (not that that’s a bad thing). I relaxed out on the back porch that I love so much, went to the pool for very possibly the last time, and called a few friends back home. It was a good day. I’m not certain that today was my last day at the pool. Tomorrow I work the earlier shift at the desk, so if the weather stays as nice as it was today, I may go back there for a while after work.

            My schedule this week looks pretty easy. It’s another four day week, with my next days off being Tuesday and Wednesday. As I said, I work the earlier shift tomorrow, then the later shift the next three days. That will be my final “weekend” to enjoy here in this awesome park. In total, it looks like I have ten more full days to spend here before I board a plane out of Jackson Hole bright and early on the morning of the eighth. I’m honestly not sad about that though. The excitement for going home is definitely overpowering the sadness of leaving. I’ll miss this place, of course, and especially these people, but mainly I just want to go home. It turns out I’ll be home just in time for the animal handling update training at the zoo. I’m really glad that I’m not missing that, like I thought I would.

            Tonight is actually the docent recognition dinner at the zoo. This time it’s being held in the new restaurant in zootennial plaza, instead of in Africa Live. It makes me kind of sad to be missing that- reminds me of the feeling I got the night of bowling for rhinos at the beginning of the season. That was the first one of those events that I’d missed since I first started at the zoo, so missing it was hard. I can’t wait to go back to the zoo and see the docents, staff, new baby gibbon, and everything else about that place that I love so much.

            Last night I went and hung out at the Whistle Pig with a few people from the activities desk, and other staff that I know. I’ll miss having that place to go play pool in, put music on the juke box, and just relax and hang out with other employees. I’m really glad the company gave us a place like that.

            Tomorrow I’ll be working with Cristina, Rebecca, and Rob. It feels like a while since I’ve actually worked with Rob, since he almost always works the earlier shift, and I’m usually working the later one. He’s pretty fun to work with though, as are Cristina and Rebecca. Cristina and I also don’t work together very often, but of course we still see each other every day. One thing that I think makes Cristina and me work together as roommates so well is the fact that neither of us feel the need to constantly be talking to each other when we’re in the room together. Especially at night, when we’re tired, we’re both perfectly content to just sit on our beds and read or be on our laptops instead of talking. Now, there are times when we’ll choose to talk to each other as well, of course, but sometimes it’s nice to just sit in silence without it feeling awkward.

            I just got finished spending some time out on the picnic table on the back porch with Cristina, Tanner, Jesse and Nate. I’m going to miss the four of them more than anyone else that I’ve met here. They’re a lot of fun to hang out with. I don’t think I’ll go to the Whistle Pig tonight since I have to get up early for work tomorrow, but I’ll probably go there for at least a couple of nights this week after work. I’m sure I’ll also spend a few mornings up on Lunch Tree Hill, enjoying the amazing view up there. I want to enjoy those kinds of things as much as I can, while I still have them.