Reflecting on the last five days creates a unique paradigm
wherein the week is lost in translation. Through travel, I’ve come to the
conclusion that time is measured in personal growth instead of minutes to the
hour. Therefore, since Monday it’s been light-years. To be frank; training week was nonstop. The amount of
information crammed into five days was more than studying for most entry-level
college exams. Learning did not stop once the conference door swung home,
rather the whole week experience has been learning and preparing for future
endeavors. Better to provide too much information when training a guide rather
than not enough.
A surprise factor to the introductory guide life was how
well the group is meshing. Twenty strangers from across the country, ranging in
ages 22-38, both inexperienced and experienced are all dropped into a training
camp sight for an indefinite period of time – sounds like a reality TV show,
right? Wrong.
Not a single moment of fighting, bickering, under the breath
talking or any alternative sense of the word “drama” has occurred. Nights and
days breeze by as individuals’ float amongst one another to find commonalities,
seek stories to exchange and offer ideas and advice. Some nights are filled
with s’mores and ghost talks, while others are investigating a campsite
break-in (a story in itself). Morning starts around 6am; group members gather
around the breakfast pit to whiff the aroma of coffee and exchange slight
profanity over the bitter cold of the campsite. Once caffeine kicks the
personality awake, we are driving our van caravan through winding redwood roads
and passing Sonoma wine country vineyards while exchanging musical tastes and
singing along to the words we know. My personal favorite moment of these drives
was the daylight. Driving through rolling hills cradling a lingering mist as
day breaks through scattered trees in an attempt to possess a new day and clear
away the persistent shadows from an envious night. A true Golden Hour to filter
these pristine memories of guide training.
Yesterday was day 5 of training the final day of in-class
learning for two weeks. The crews packed up the trailers and were given the
itinerary for the “Training Trip”. I’d like to keep some mystery as to the
experiences we are about to have, but I’ll let you know this; it’s going to be
incredible! After laundry and a pizza party (at the laundry mat, of course) the
group called it an early night in preparation for today. I’m finally sitting
ALONE at a coffee shop, catching up on writing and letting my notes and lessons
sink in from the last few days. We’ve been unleashed upon the city of San
Francisco and have this free day to do as we wish. Although running through the
redwoods for sunsets helped; some personal time in my own mind has been greatly
needed.
Tonight is an exciting activity that the company was
generous enough to organize for the group. We are scheduled the take a sunset
sailboat tour through the Bay of San Francisco provided from one of the
company’s partnered with TrekAmerica and Intrepid Tours. I’ve never sailed and
I can’t wait to experience it for the first time! And then tomorrow, our two
week training trip begins……
