Day 2: YMCA of the Rockies

It was May, 1993 when I traveled over 1,000 miles in my Ford Bronco and what the future would hold was as unknown as the open road on which I was driving. This decision to move to the mountains was a proclaimation of my independence; I didn't know one person who lived or worked in Estes Park and no one knew anything about me. I had been wooed by a photograph of the mountains and the promise of free room and board plus a small stipend. I was ready for an adventure even if I didn't really know what kind of adventure it would be. Somehow I managed the cross-country road trip all alone in the days before cell phones allowed you to check in with those you love and gave you someone to talk with even if there was no one sitting in the passenger seat. I distinctly remember driving into the quaint town of Estes Park with the majestic Rocky Mountains all around and finding spur 66 which lead me to my new home called the YMCA of the Rockies. The trip was just be beginning of the huge growth spurt I experienced in the months I spent in this mountain town.

Within the first few days I met a newly-turned eighteen year old girl from Baton Rouge, LA named Lauren who quickly became and remains one of my best friends. What a gift this friendship has been. There are many others who entered my life for this season in Colorado and the names are almost fleeting from my mind: my fellow Human Resource worker Joy, my roommate Brenda, Sue from Australia, Martha from Kansas, Ute from Germany, Bob from Minnesota, two women from Georgia who lived down the hall, and more. If facebook or even email had existed in those days I wonder how many of these friends would still be in my life?

I soon learned that these new friends owned something called hiking boots and talked about elevations they hoped to reach. I'm not sure what I was hoping to do in the mountains but I had never considered my freetime passion would be climbing them but that's indeed what I did! Within weeks I walked into Outdoor World on main street and walked out with a pair of hi-techs, wool socks, and a backpack and was ready to go. I fell in love with hiking and the vistas my feet could bring me to. I grew in confidence of physical accomplishments I could achieve as I continued to climb higher and higher. And, I was reminded of how great my God is: "For the Lord is the great God, the great king above all Gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him" Psalm 95:3-4.

I spent much time writing letters to friends and hoping phone calls would come on the shared telephone in the middle hallway of the dormitory. I learned of many friends engagements while on these community telephones and promised my college friends I would be back in Minnesota for their weddings. Many friends and family made the journey to visit me and these amazing mountains as well. What vaulable lessons I learned about my need to stay connected to those I love and the significance of long-term friendships.

Since my days of work at the YMCA, it became a favorite summer vacation destination for the next decade or so. With the exception of 1999, I visited Estes Park and the YMCA every summer from 1994 - 2005. It has been fun to introduce friends to this area I love and to explore new and familair hikes of Rocky Mountain National Park. My brother and three of my cousins also worked at the Y... Paul & Kelly in 1996, Angie in 2004 and 2006 and Sally in 2009. It's really a great place.

Ultimately, the Y is so significant because it's truly where I fell in love with the mountains. The natural beauty of a clear mountain stream, the breathtaking views from peaks over 10,000 feet high, the joy of accomplishment and the connection to others as we'd hike together. In the years since I have seen other mountains and sincerely do appreciate their beauty, but when I return and sit on the porch of the adminstraion building and look at the snow covered mountain range in front of me I am reminded that this is indeed where it all began.