Last day

Today is a travel day as usual but this one is special, it's our very last travel day and it's depressing. I love being in nature and going home to something similar kind of isn't good enough, but I need to be home to get places if you get what I mean. I love traveling and I'm not ready for school yet and I don't wanna leave, nowhere in particular but just I don't want to leave yet I've learned so much and I want to keep learning. This is overwhelming and exciting but I'm still trying to learn hands-on unlike in school with most classes. I love it here and I loved this trip all along with the people like: Joel, Alexis, Jose, Sadonia, and everyone else even if I didn't talk to them much they were a big impact on my life and I'm grateful for them. I love Jessica and I'm thankful for her and everything she has done for us all.

Day Thirteen - Our last full day

Our last full day, wow this trip went by so fast and I want to go back and do it again. We went to this place and met Landon Charlo and he talked about the most known woodpecker "Woody" and said that the pileated woodpecker is a keystone species and it was so amazing to hear him talk about this. He went to WSU, the school I dislike, he started off doing sociology, then fisheries, and he made his mind up that he wanted to do Wildlife stuff. He took us to the top of the ridge and Ms. Trease didn't want to go all the way up, but she made it and I'm proud of her. We made it to the top and it was gorgeous and I just want to live there, but I can't not yet at least. He took us up there and explained that he had tons of schooling, and he told us about this program and someone asked if we could intern which I hope to do. I'm so looking forward to coming back to the places we've been and intern and volunteer. It's so nice. After a while we went to the Julyamsh and I enjoyed it a lot, me and Joel talked about the outfits and how big and long grand entry was. I love pow wows.

Day Twelve

Today we woke up to go shower at the Wellness Center and then after we went back to have breakfast and pack lunches. We went back a little late but we still had some breakfast then we went to the Casino to meet Dave and Quanah Matheson. Quanah talked first and he was telling us what has been happening and that pollution is ruining Mother Earth and that we need to take care of her or we won't be able to survive any longer on the path the world is going. He couldn't talk for long because he had something else he needed to do, but Dave came to talk and he was telling us that he has heard someone he knows someone who told him "Global Warming isn't real, it's all God's will" so he said that if you poured sewage into your water that you drink it's all in God's will and if it was true that he would clear it up but he won't because were supposed to take care of it ourselves to do what's right.

While Dave was talking there was a T.V behind him and when he was saying that it said on the T.V "The old man remembers, listen to him." and it spoke to me. I'm not sure what it was meant to say but I'm glad it said that at the right time, because he really knew what he was talking about. It's amazing the things they learn over time, Quanah said that we need to respect the foods and take care of them because their family and they gave their lives for us to survive a lot longer. I'm glad that I got to listen to them today and that I learned a few new things.

Day Eleven

Today was another wonderful travel even though I didn't get to ride with the people I wanted to ride with, but I can't be picky when I could be walking or hitch hiking places. On our way to Coeur'd Alene is really beautiful, I got to talk to Warren before I left and I have a lot going for me right now and I haven't even started my senior year. I might change my mind on what I want to do and where I'm going to college but I know that I'm going to college and I want some experience before I do leave. I got to think a lot on the ride here and I know that this trip has opened so many doors for my life and my future, and I'm grateful for every bit of it and I'm extremely grateful for Jessica. I didn't know that this trip would be so perfect even though I don't like talking about school outside of school Joel kind of let me think about it even though he doesn't know that he did, I'm grateful for all the two people that I met and talk to on this trip. Alexis, she's so beautiful and talented and I can't believe that I got to meet her. Jose, he's so weird but to me he fits in perfectly to who I've met my whole life. I am so glad that this trip was available to them, Joel and Sadonia. I couldn't think of anything better than this right now, live in the moment and don't be so committed to anything because it restricts you from so much. Open your mind and be free.

Day Ten

Today was more beautiful than I thought it'd be, and I love that we had so much time but we needed to wake up early. We went to the Spokane Tribal Fish Hatchery and I loved it so much because you know I love fish and I enjoy it so very much. I took so many notes it's unbelievable but I love it because I learn so much and I'd rather not do anything but this because it was so much knowledge that was being passed down from them to us and I'm proud that I got to hang out with some cool people. After we learned tons of stuff from people at the fish hatchery we went somewhere but I'm not sure where and I got a volunteer part when ever I'm free to. I learned that in 1939 when the Grand Coulee Dam was built it covered up so many parts of the salmon run and it really frustrated me because I want to do something about it, but I can't right now.

We met Eddy in the picture above and two other men, Eddy was the one I talked to about the volunteer part and I could talk to him for ages on how I wouldn't be bored even if we just wanted to sit somewhere. I also learned that since they lost salmon in a way they moved from fishing to a big game reservation which made me happy because I want to go hunting but haven't before. Today was long but I loved it so so so much and after a long while today we finally went canoeing and I got to swim with Joel. I'm not sure if he knows yet but he's a big part of my life now and so are a couple other people like Jose and Alexis. I'm proud to know these people and to learn new things every day.

Day Nine

Today we went to go shock some fish and I was really happy because I love fish and the smell of fish even though it's weird but I really do. I was looking forward to doing this almost this whole trip, and I love it. We went shocking with these two people Casey and Nick after a while we got to stop for lunch. We weighed, measured, and tagged some fish that we caught in the nets we got to some more of that afterwards and I'm glad we did. When we were at the place down from the falls to have some lunch and swim then we also got to shock more but I didn't want to so I stayed and talked to Ms. Trease, Casey, and Nick so that went well. I talked to Casey and she told me that she loves what she does and that she has been here for 7 years and has a daughter, Nick told me that he has been working there for 10 years and is really impressive. I learned so much so I thought that I would ask if I could volunteer so I could come back to do what I love, but I don't remember what he told me exactly. I know that the view was so beautiful.

It's so nice to see people do things that they never knew that they would do, Nick only went to high school and started into Fisheries programs and Casey went to Eastern university and I'm really glad that my mind is opening up more being on this trip. I love these places.

Day Eight - Rest Day

Today we got to sleep in until 10 but ended up sleeping in until 11 but I appreciated what I got and I'm thankful. It was amazing because we didn't have much to do and getting some extra sleep made me happy. I'm thankful for Jessica and everything she has done for this trip and for me in general, I can't think of one time that I wanted to compliment her or make her a bit happy.

We also went to the fire tower to see the view which I loved and still love so much, I can't get over the beauty of it all.