Green Leaves, Blue Moon

This evening I gave my final evening program and said my last goodbyes to Penrose Point State Park. We had a nice gathering in the afternoon – as the end of summer draws near, I head back to the ‘burgh, the hosts head back to Arkansas (I think), and the aides finish up and head on to whatever is next in their lives. And a Twanoh birdie (Larry) told Janet that my favorite cake was angel food, and so she actually got angel food cake and prepared fresh blackberries and strawberries with it! Yum.
We went through my programs and did paperwork. Then back to the host site and served for the last time as an interpretive intern. I realized in my introduction that I slipped up and said “interpreter” instead of “interpretive intern” …I don’t know if that means anything profound or if I was just distracted, but I like to think that I have earned my keep. At the end of the program I played a couple of songs and then let this sweet 8 year old girl try the guitar. She played a little, and then I built chords while she played, and we wrote a song called “green leaves.” After she finished playing, immediately she wanted a guitar for Christmas. And then I said goodnight and she came up and gave me a big hug….and looking up at me, said “this is the greatest day of my life.”

And so I said goodbye to that final child, and I said goodbye to Dan and the park aides. Janet and I will say our final goodbyes tomorrow when she comes over to do an evaluation. Those of you who know me might be shocked when I say I only cried a little…but I have a feeling its going to hit me tomorrow.

I have reflected a ridiculous amount as I have written letters to all of the rangers here; on top of that I had a great conversation with Dan, and so now I am not quite reflective enough to close this blog. I have several more days in the pacific northwest, and I hope on one of them I can find the words to explain just what this internship has meant to me, how I have grown, how excited and scared I am to return to Pittsburgh, and how bitter sweet it is saying goodbye to people that have become more than supervisors and coworkers, but friends, and to an environment with which I have become so familier and to which I have become so close. I have climbed these trees and eaten this berries and clams and leaves. And in a field void of unnatural light I have looked at the stars and I have seen the bioluminescent sparkle on the caps of waves and I have climbed to the tops of mountains and stood at the top scared I might fall on the way down and stood at the top scared I might fall at the bottom, and I have led campfire sing a longs and I have shared this wonderful place with loved ones from home and I have shared with children this amazing thing we call “nature.” And now I go to a city where I hope I may find these joys or different joys.

And perhaps I have found some of the words…I will try harder tomorrow.