Reminiscing

Summer is finally here! The weather is beautiful and the beach is the place to find me! So far it has been a great summer, but every once in awhile I get a little sad. For three summers, starting in June 2005, I used to work on a ranch in Dubois, WY. But it wasn't your typical ranch, it was the Trial Lawyers College a.k.a. TLC. It also wasn't a typical job when you think of working on a ranch. I helped cook and bake food for about 100 lawyers 7 days a week all summer. It sounds like a lot of work, I know, but it never felt like work. I had more fun at that job than I could have imagined! The people I worked with were all amazing! Gabe, Joshface, and of course Kay! There were also a few people that came and went each year; Eric, the lawn boy, Kyle, and Taylor. The summers I spent on the ranch are precious and incredible memories I will never forget.

Some of my favorite memories took place when I wasn't even on the ranch. Flyboy a.k.a. Raymond a.k.a. my dad away from home let me fly co-pilot in a private jet he flew for one of the lawyers. We flew from Riverton, Wyoming (about an hour from the ranch) to Salt Lake City, Utah. It was amazing!!! And to top it off, I saw a rainbow! And it wasn't just a piece of the rainbow, it was the entire arc! It was beautiful! That same summer I bought my first pair of authentic cowgirl boots! Speaking of shopping, every year Raymond and I would go shopping in Jackson, Wyoming. Not only are there beautiful clothes and turquoise jewelry, but the ride into Jackson is gorgeous! There is wildlife everywhere and the natural landscape is breathtaking! And let's not forget about the best part! The Grand Tetons! My favorite part about Wyoming was arriving. The Jackson airport is right next to the Grand Tetons and my favorite part is getting off the plane because I have finally arrived in my favorite place in the world (and I get off the plane and walk on the runway to the entrance of the airport, which I think is really cool).

The rec room, playing pool, the egg war, baking 1ooo's of cookies each summer, the incredible food (Did I mention Gabe and Josh were the best cooks ever! They both graduated from Johnson & Wales University for culinary arts), the lawyers, driving

into town, being snuck into the local bar, going to Denver for the weekend (My second favorite place! It is so beautiful!), watching the sunset, driving to the top of the mountain to get a signal on our cellphones, going to the hot sulfur springs in Thermopolis with Clay, and feeling alive and knowing that when I was there I was exactly where I was supposed to be. Wyoming and the ranch is my home away from home and I miss it very much.

I will never forget my experiences and I hope to visit or maybe even work there as often and as soon as possible. I love Wyoming and I am a cowgirl at heart!