A Year of Unemployment

It's been exactly one year since I was last employed, standing on the dock of a lighthouse following gray whales with my binoculars. At this time last year I was packing up my room in a beautiful beach house overlooking the ocean and lighthouse, cramming my life into my jetta. I was headed back to the valley not knowing where life would take me next. Little did I know I would end up in the Sonoran Desert, far from the ocean, the whales, sea lions, and happy, free-living people who loved the earth as much as I do, not taking little things in life for granted. I traveled a lot that summer, seeing Yellowstone for the first time, discovering my love for photography, and taking a road trip with the boy through Yosemite, Vegas, and into Arizona where he would be starting a new life. I told myself I would not be able to live here. Being mid-August, with no air-conditioner in the vehicle we came down in ('76 VW Bus), it was too damn hot, and there were not enough people like me.
But a month passed of being unemployed, and I decided once and for all, it was time to take a little spin in life and live in the desert for a while; see what else can be thrown at me. So then I went through leaving more behind: my closest friends, rain, TREES, and of course, my family and dog. It was rough at first; after a few months being jobless and having no friends depression set in, and I became cranky and irritable. We started making some friends, all guys of course since that's all Erik works with, but eventually I met their wives and girlfriends. Now I hang out with all of these people once to three times a week, and am back to being happy. It still gets lonely at home when Erik is at work, but I've been hearing so many stories about peoples' horrible jobs and them wishing they were "free" like me, although I do wish I could find something full-time that I can enjoy down here.

But in the meantime, the mountains are calling for me. In one week I will be flying to the high Sierra Nevadas where I have spent my summers growing up and riding horses in the back country. I'm taking a job I used to do taking out day rides on horseback, which I really do love since I get little kids running up to me and asking me if I'm a "real cowgirl", and wanting their picture taken with me. Then there are all the LA folk that come up for their vacation in the mountains, who dress hilariously for a horseback ride, but that's what's great about being on the lead horse, I can laugh and laugh secretly at their pink sandals and shorts and they have no idea. Then there is the feeling of being on a horse, breathing in the fresh mountain air, with not a care in the world, but to just be alive. I will be spending my summer doing just that, and taking a day off here and there to get out and take some photographs. I won't have internet where I'm going, but will still update you as often as possible (the town of Mammoth Lakes, CA is about a 45 minute drive up the mountain from the resort I will be working at, where I can find Wi-Fi at cafes here and there). I'll be living in a little one-room cabin amongst the ponderosa pines, and wildlife. (click on the title of this entry to take you to the Resort page.)



But of course I will be back in the desert on the 1st of September, hoping to find a full-time position THEN, maybe with Arizona Game and Fish, maybe at a bakery. Who knows. I just hope there is more down here to offer for me then. I'll miss Erik while I'm gone, but we've gone through many long-distance shiznit before, we can do 3 months again. And he promised he'd come visit me ;).