Flexibility, the willingness to change or compromise. Flexibility and the ability to adapt quickly without pre planning is something I have always struggled with. I definitely would not classify myself as a free spirit, or someone who takes life day by day. Anyone who knows me knows that I thrive off of planning, lists, and knowing what I am doing long before it is time to do them. Before coming to the Squam Lakes Association, I knew that this term of service would require me to be more flexible, but I did not fully understand all the different ways that it would. From living with eight other roommates, weather changing plans constantly, and the variability in the different conservation work we do, I quickly realized I had a lot of growing to do.
At first, the biggest challenge I faced was the variability in start times and the tasks for the day. Since the start times differed day to day depending on your task, I had a difficult time maintaining a routine. I found myself longing for the standard 9-5 days most people dread. Because the summer months at the SLA are extremely busy, there is a wide variety of tasks to do. Since each day was different, at first I did not feel confident in really any of the tasks. Having the daily repetition you get in a more typical environment was something I was used to and I relied on to make me feel comfortable. Through my time here at the SLA, I have become more comfortable sitting in discomfort.
Some of the best moments I have had here have not been planned at all like deciding to go for a drive in a storm, deciding last minute to go for dinner with my coservers, feeling proud of myself when the boat motor goes out and I figure out the problem, or having an impromptu dance in the rain with my coserver while doing trail maintenance during a tropical storm. I find that when I am out in nature, most of the good moments are impossible to plan as well. I have learned to appreciate the extreme changes in weather up here in New Hampshire, even if they disrupt plans. During my sunrise guided hike up rattlesnake the other week, the forecast was supposed to be clear in the morning. Once we got to the top there was a lot of cloud cover I did not plan for. Instead of panicking and worrying about the lack of sunrise colors in the sky, we waited it out and ended up seeing beautiful colors peaking through the clouds.
After being here for a few months, there are still things that make me nervous. As I am writing this, I am preparing to go to the Holderness Central School to lead an afterschool education program for the first time. Although I am prepared, I have no idea how the program will go. These past few months have taught me to embrace my nerves and the discomfort of the unknown because they can lead to the best of memories.
Grace came to the LRCC program with a lot of experience in GIS, and now that the busy summer season is beginning to wind down, she is looking forward to getting into some GIS mapping projects at the SLA. Learn more about Grace here!