MovingHouse

[runninghouse-blog]

Now Here I am

So Yellowstone is my home now, well technically I don’t live here but I might as well. I’m hear about 8 hours a day and if I had it my way I’d be here for even longer. The scenery and the beautiful fresh air never gets old!

Someone asked me recently what my favorite part of my job is and I just couldn’t pick just one thing. Trust me if you worked here you wouldn’t be able to either. It’s great, lately I’ve been positioned at rainbowlakerv.com which is where a lot of the visits stay most of the time in RV’s or tents. So, my job when I’m there is to go around and introduce myself and just keep an eye out and make sure everything is going okay and that they obey the rules of the park grounds.

Most of the time, there’s never any problems because people come here to have a great time and enjoy their vacations. However, you do get the odd ones that just want to cause havoc and most of the time their young kids who want to be a bit rebellious. Their usually fine after you flash your flashlight close to them and ask them to keep the noise down.

I guess, if I had to pick that would be my least favorite part of being a park ranger. Mind you, there are so many perks to my job that it doesn’t really matter to me if I have to deal with an unreally youngster every now or then. I get to meet a lot of nice people that come here for a visit from all over the world. They come from France, Canada, New Zealand, and as far as Asia just to see the beauty of Yellowstone. So, I’m really honored that I get to be here five days a week.

[runninghouse-blog]

Next Stop...Africa

After we had left France, I was set to continue to Germany but Abigal told me she always dreamed of going to Africa, so we went! I started working at this hotel called, Giraffe Manor in Nairobi, Kenya. I was extremely excited and went home and packed my bags, made all the necessary arrangements for when I was gone and hopped on a plane and landed in Nairobi.

I was supposed to be working there for just eight days, but, lucky for me the job was for three months and Abigal started working there too. We both loved it but we found that we were working more than exploring. With only one or two days a week to explore, I figured that we better make the best of it after our work hours were finished. After all, how much was there to see? The answer to that was a lot! All I had to do at work was really to inspect how the service of the hotel was, the hotel rooms the restaurants, etc.

So yes, I did have the best job in the world, and it was pretty easy too and this hotel was incredibly breathtaking. One of the perks was that we got our rent really cheap! Every morning I woke up, and the first thing I did was open my curtains and standing at my eye level were about seven or eight giraffes and elephants looking back at me. It was one of the most remarkable things I’ve ever experienced. Let's just say; I rated this hotel with five stars for everything, especially the scenery and the food was right up there in ratings too. I was fortunate enough to go for a couple of safari adventures while I was there, Abigal was on cloud nine.

[runninghouse-blog]

Family Ties

I should really share with you a bit about my family with you. My father is a paramedic, and my mother is a medical secretary at our family doctors office. Both of my parents have been in the same profession for all of my life. They have a really fascinating story behind their relationship and how they met up. When they were teenagers, they both went to the same college.

However, surprisingly they never met when they were in school. My mother met my father in a coffee shop where he used to work as a barista, on a part-time basis. Subsequently, she became a regular customer at the coffee shop, and soon they started seeing each other, and slowly they fell deeply in love.

After graduation, they both started working in their field of choice, and soon after decided to get married and start a family. I grew up in a pretty big family. Having three siblings was never easy. Don't get me wrong I love them dearly, but sibling rivalry can be brutal at times. We would frequently get in intense fights and then the whole house would turn into a war zone. But in saying that, we always had each other’s back during any problems that arise.

Both of my sisters were fantastic gymnasts during their school years, and they both enrolled for sports management positions, and now they both work as gym teachers, in the same university. As you can imagine, they're pretty close. My brother, on the other hand, is a lone wolf and currently studying accounting. My wife Abigal is a very caring and helpful person. I met her during while I was traveling in France, she was working in this high-end French restaurant. I convinced her to travel with me, and she did, and two years later we married.

[runninghouse-blog]

Traveling Adventures

Before I started working at Yellowstone, I decided to take a break from school and set my sights on new and fun adventures. I went traveling all over the place. Another thing my parents weren't too thrilled about, as you can imagine. I couldn't wait to start trying different foods from various cultures. Traveling was one thing on my bucket-list because I always wanted to dine on the different variety of food as well as wine. France was my first stop and every restaurant in this city had a specialty about it. There are so many varieties available here.

You could find so many kind of cuisines on the menu-card of every restaurant especially in Paris. There are usually four-course meals or even five-course meals, and it just keeps on going up and up. During my visit to these restaurants, I indulged on a number of cuisines - the authentic Chinese, Lebanese, Indian, Greek, Italian, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, German - the list is never ending.

If I had it my way I would have traveled to every country on our planet just so I could try every ethnic food out there, I guess I’m a food lover too! After chowing down on the main course, I would taste the delicious desserts provided. After all, what's dinner without dabbling in the desserts and wine? Especially in a foreign country.

All in all, my experience with these diverse kinds of foods started to become more attractive. I would, in my free time, visit many restaurants and would gorge on my favorite foods. This love and passion for tasting different kinds of cuisines brought me to a huge international food festival, and the food was even better than in the restaurants I visited. Ah... the life of a travel enthusiast.

[runninghouse-blog]

Working at Yellowstone

John here, and I've been a park ranger for nearly a decade now at Yellowstone National Park. I think it's great; I love being outdoors among nature, it's probably one of the least stressful jobs I have ever had. My parents weren't too thrilled when I told them that I was going to quit university to go work at Yellowstone. You see, I was studying to become a marine biologist. It was an expensive course, and my parents paid a lot of money.

As my dad says, "we've invested a lot in your education, Johnny." In a way, I swear he just wants me to feel bad and cave in and go back to school. I understand they've spent so much money on my education, but I have to do what's best for me right? It's not like I'm not going to pay them back.

I make a good living here at the park, and I'm happy and healthy. Isn't that what every parent wants for their child? I know if I had children, I would want that for them, no matter what! But, hey what do I know, I'm just a young, naive, park ranger. I'm a free-spirt, I love traveling, hiking, and biking. Don't get me started, on animals, I adore animals of all sizes, both big and small. Lucky for me there is plenty of wild animals roaming around the park.

I think my parents are worried that I'm going to get eaten alive by a bear or something. However; I know from experience if you leave them alone and don't invade their territory they tend to leave you alone. If I had it my way I'd go up and play with them but, that's just not a good idea.