Class is Out

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……