It's time for V1P2 to use his annual blog privileges for the week!

I spent the past week in Yosemite acting as a volunteer leader for a program that takes underprivileged youth into national parks to teach them about the environment, conservation, ecology, and the like. I have to say, the experience was pretty overwhelming for a variety of reasons.

First off, while I have taught middle aged students before, they have always been Boy Scouts. And even if the age group of these kids were the same, the dynamic was completely different. This is partly because they aren't boy scouts, and for that reason, this whole camping thing is completely new for them. The second reason is that these kids literally did not know each other until they arrived in the campsite on Monday. This is not ideal, actually. There was a pre trip event planned that was supposed to familiarize the kids with each other, but it was unfortunately cancelled.

The second reason is because I have never had the opportunity to explore Yosemite before, and the sights were overwhelming in every single way. I've seen plenty of pictures and read all of John Muir's poetic musings about the site, but none of it prepares you for all the granite cliffs and flowery meadows that adorn the park. Our last night there I was given the opportunity to cook spaghetti on Glacier Point with a view of Half Dome! It felt pretty awesome.

Overall, though, despite a few bad moments from the kids, the trip went well. I think a few of them legitimately enjoyed it, and I know at least one of them is already making plans to go back. As a volunteer leader who loves environmental education and tries to promote an interest in the environment, that's the best thing I could have (realistically) asked for.

So here's to more trips to Yosemite and other places of natural wonder around the world.