5/29/22

To My Grandkids,
     
     5 Months, 1900 miles, and many new opportunities later.... 
     Last you heard, I had just moved into a new apartment in Salt Lake City and was settling into a new job at a climbing gym. It was a hard transition for me, and after a few months in the city, I knew I was never meant to live in the midst of higher crime areas, city/air pollution like you wouldn't believe... And where were the trees?
     A new crazy opportunity presented itself so I jumped right on it with no hesitation. A Couple weeks later, I landed in a small town in West Virginia on top of a mountain in my little van. A whole week of driving and passing through familiar grounds to hug some family, and I finally ended up in a new, beautiful, luscious green adventure. It didn't take long for me to love this place. Actually, I loved it before I even parked the van at my home mountain. 
     The first night at our camp, we met our fellow employees, and immediately we all clicked as a family starting this new journey together. I would describe the group as a little bit hillbilly, a dash of crazy, and a whole lotta hippie. Imagine Duck Dynasty meets Woodstock and you've got the right idea.
     After a month of training, we are now on track to being certified as a river raft guide on the New River Gorge. This river is unbelievably beautiful, and even though we've been riding down it twice everyday for the last couple weeks, it never gets old. That's a whole lotta river trips.. I seriously get payed to PLAY on the river and meet new people while doing it! 
       This place has already blessed me with friends I will hold onto for a lifetime, memories, inside jokes, and more laughter and group giggles than ever before. Here's to diving head first into yet another new and uncomfortable thing, chasing excitement and fulfillment in every aspect of  my life, and pushing myself to never settle for anything I am not satisfied with.  
     This is the summer of YES. 
      I am so blessed to live this amazing life.
     I am so blessed to have these opportunities.
     I am so blessed to be as brave as I am to try so many new things.
     I am so blessed.

Oh boy do I have some campfire stories for you kid...
Love,
Your Crazy Granny J who lives in a van down by the river.. Literally.

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