A relaxing day off.

After I got off my first 72hr shift, I had the opportunity to go to a local favorite spot, Stout Grove and Second Bridge Bluffs with a couple coworkers. It was a great day off. Here are some of the pictures from the day.

 These are the rocks we jumped off. The water was crystal clear and turquoise blue. It was gorgeous! I got to play and river and soak up the sun. Life doesn't get much better than this.

 This is a bridge that they put in during the summer months while the river is low. This was on our walk in Stout Grove.

I'm loving it here so far and can't wait to see more of this awesome place. My coworkers at Del Norte Ambulance have made me feel like I'm family. For that I have to thank them. It has made my transition in moving here much smoother and more enjoyable that I ever thought was possible. 

Some of the comforts of home

As I live here for a longer amount of time and start working on an ambulance, the direction of my blog will shift more towards my experiences and some stories. For now though I'm taking advantage of some free time and exploring the area I'm going to be living in for a while. So yes, pictures will outnumber my words for a while. 

A little bit of back story, I was hired on with another new recruit. He is a medic from Utah as well. He graduated from BYU and went to Mt. Nebos program. Its been fun talking to him about his journey out here and some of the places back home that we were both familiar with. We've both run into some disappointments with California and their gun laws. However we both have in our possession and with us, our 12 gauge shot guns. We decided we would go shooting. Our FTO informed us of a "range" where we could legally shoot our guns. The instructions to get there were typical small town instructions like. a little past the town of Hiouchi you will see two bridges turn right. You will pass over the first bridge. It's called slant bridge because believe it or not... it slants. The second bridge you will pass over is called Second bridge for obvious reasons. Second bridge is known for its rope swing. I will be returning there to participate in that once I have a chance and a local to show me how to do it without getting beat up or die on the rocks. It's a very high swing and looks super easy to screw up. The water in the river is crystal clear and the picture below is taken from the side of Second bridge looking up the canyon. Anyway... back to shooting. After second bridge the instructions were to turn on a gravel road just after that, the road will bend left and the hill on the right is where you're going to shoot. We had forgotten out list of instructions, only made one wrong turn and had a great time. 

 The shadow of second bridge over crystal clear water.

I love the names of some of the roads or destinations around here. Simply put, they call it as they see it.

After shooting I went out to the beach because it was clear and sunny. It was nice to be able to see the horizon line for once. I miss the direct sunlight and getting my tan on. I have a feeling I'm going to be much lighter the next time I see everyone back home. 

This place is soo picturesque, I hope I never get jaded to its beauty. I'm excited to get settled in and get all of this annoying paperwork and jumping through hoops done so I have some real time to sit down and watercolor some of these pictures.

This is the beach that my mom, Kam, Court, and I all had our fire on for their last night here in Crescent City. 

New beginnings

My first day on my own. A little daunting. This is the first time I have been away from home and on my own. My family and all I know and are familiar with are over 800 miles away. It hit me when I woke up that I am responsible for me and any trouble I get into. A quick call to dad to come bring me my spare key is not a very viable option any more. It feels good to be independent. I'm very happy with where I am and how I'm handling the different obstacles and bumps in the road that are unavoidable. Getting a California Paramedic Card and Drivers License have proven to be time consuming and a nuisance. But I should have both by the end of the next two weeks. 

I went for a run on the beach and let me tell you, these little guys are everywhere. They're the equivilant of ants on the beach. except they jump.... and they look injured and totally handicapped while doing so. The hops are never in a straight line and they never go the same direction twice. You feel them hit your feet and ankles as you walk.

A little hut on the beach. It was about a mile walk from where I parked but it was totally worth it.

It's been foggy every day I've been here. Especially on the beach. But, if you drive five miles inland, you run into weather that is at least 30' warmer and sunny.

I drove up to that grove of trees after this walk on the beach. Unfortunately the fog had settled in even more and I did not get to see much off of the overlook.

Pictures do not do the landscape justice.. atleast in this one the fisherman on the rock gives you something to compare sizes to.

This is that overlook that I had mentioned a few pictures ago.

This was about all I could see. I can't wait to go back on a clear day, I imagine the view would be awesome!

Oh and I locked my keys in my car for the second time while being here... which is a total of 3 days... GO ME! I decided to not take another huge hit to my pride and called someone other than my Shift coordinator to help me break in. Thank you AAA. :)

New Place, New Adventures

Three weeks ago I applied for a couple Paramedic jobs out of state just for the heck of it. I had been working for Rocky Mountain Raceways on their safety team, my passion for Emergency Medicine was rekindled and I was hungry for more. I wanted to be able to practice to the full scope of practice as a licensed medic, not just as an EMT. Careers in EMS are very competitive in Utah and I had tested for SLCFD. I had missed the written test cutoff by a single point. Two agencies that I had applied to out of state had gotten back to me and had asked for interviews over the phone. One was for Lander, WY and the other was for Del Norte County EMS in Northern California. Which one would you have chosen? Well I chose Northern Cali. It's the most Northwestern county in California. I would be on the coast and 20 miles from the Oregon border. The phone interview went well and I was nervous but excited to hear back. I received a phone call a couple days later. They were interested in me and wanted a letter of recommendation. I didn't want this opportunity to escape me so I asked both my Supervisor at RMR, and the head of the Paramedic Program to write one for me. The letters they wrote brought me to tears. They were so kind and supportive. They surpassed my expectations greatly. I cannot thank those two individuals enough. Those letters were the deciding factor that ended up getting me the job. I was to report 2 weeks from when I got the official phone call and email offering the job. I accepted and started my preparations for this life changing event. 

I absolutely hate saying good bye. Saying see you later however, isn't any easier. I filled those two weeks with countless visits, adventures, and laughs with those I care about the most. I've come to learn that living life unguarded and with your heart out in the open is so rewarding but makes feelings (both good, bad, happy and sad) so much more vivid and intense. I wouldn't have it any other way though. I would rather have high highs and low lows than be numb to feelings. 

My Safety Family at RMR was one of the hardest see you laters I had to do. I was brought on with open arms and made friendships that will last a lifetime. I cannot say thank you enough to all of you for making me feel so welcomed and loved. I will come back and visit, I promise. 

Jason, you my friend, will be missed too. We did everything together. I've spent more time with you over the last 5 months than I have with my own family. I'm so glad to have gotten to know you, the love, laughs, talks, adventures, quiet moments, celebrations and hugs we have shared will always be with me! I cherish those. I intend to keep you around if nothing more than just a friend for life whether you like it or not. :)

Whitney, my bestest friend and partner in crime. I can't believe we have been friends for over 8 years! Time has flown by and I'm so glad that I've had you by my side through the good and bad. You're the best friend a girl could ask for. Supportive, adventurous, crazy, gorgeous, kind, loving.... the list goes on and on. I'm still going to try and come out to go to that concert that I told you we would go to for your birthday! You're always welcome out this way too!

Jared and Haval. haha I don't even know what to say other than I wish you were here with me to drive me crazy and make me laugh. You two have been the best! I'm sooo lucky to have you two as great examples and support in my life. I don't know what my life would be like with out you.

To my dear family. Thank you soo much for coming out and staying the first night with me in my new place. When I accepted the job, I thought I would be coming out here alone. Your love and support have made this possible and much easier than I thought it would be. I can't wait to see you all again soon!

Now that all of that has been said, lets get to the pictures of the Adventure so far :)

The morning my mom and I left for Crescent City. My little red car with and even littler trailer. And Nana on top ready to hit the road. 

My mom is notorious for the notes she leaves. These were the ones explaining how to take care of the critters while she would be out of town. Novels!

Mom and I got in to town late and stayed at a little motel close to the beach. In the morning we walked the pier while we waited for Kam and Courtney to get up and call us. They are on a 3 week long trek that will take them from Salt Lake down to San Fran, and then up the coast to Vancouver and Banff. They were in the area at the same time I was moving in and were able to meet up with my mom and I for a day. How lucky is that?

It is so green here. Blackberries grow like weeds and the trees are some of the largest I've seen.

Mom, I'm soo glad you made the trip with me. That drive would have been unbearable without you! I appreciate your love and support so much! I could not have done all of this without you! Come back and see me soon. We will walk the beaches for hours and find more treasures!

Crab shells litter the shore everywhere!

This is the Battery Point Lighthouse. It's maybe 3 miles from my apartment

The first time I saw one of these I thought it was a piece of plastic or trash. Come to find out it is a Man of War Jellyfish. Google the sting of these things. Brutal! I'll keep a better eye out for them from now on.

My mom, brother and Courtney all decided to go walk around the Redwoods. Everyone needs to see them atleast once in their life. I have never felt soo small and insignificant as I did while walking through them. I felt no bigger than an ant.

I'm so glad I had the opportunity to share this with these two. I love them more than they'll ever know!

This is my cute little apartment, It has a really nice kitchen, perfect for entertaining. The garage is more than large enough to fit my car and all of the toys I brought with me. I even have a little fenced off section of yard that I can do with what I please. I would like to plant some herbs and maybe some peas or peppers and put a few more pavers out so I can place a chair or two and a table to sit at.

The last night that my mom, Kam and Court would be spending with me, we had a fire on the beach. It was perfect in every way. Thanks for the suggestion Kam!

My dad arrived really early in the morning. I woke up around 6:30 and met up with him to walk the beach and explore a bit while the others slept in and got some much needed rest. We found a live sand dollar. Its the first one I've seen. I didn't know they had little feet on the bottom of them!

Its always foggy or cloudy, I can foresee that one thing that I will miss about Utah is the direct sun. I haven't had to use my sunglasses more than an hour yet and I've been here three days. 

Dad, Thank you so much for coming out of your way on your way home from Vancouver to see me and my new place. The day I got to spend with you was special and perfect. From walking the beach, and redwoods to the dinner you cooked me and watching movies on my laptop in camp chairs afterward. I can't wait for you to come back out so I can show you more.

My dad and I were early enough to catch the lignhthouse while the tide was out. Normally, the path to it is under a couple feet of water making it hard to get to. We sat on one of the picnic tables and took a selfie. The lighthouse keeper saw us and came out to talk with us for a minute. They weren't open for tours but he was nice enough to give us a brief history and talk.

The keeper of the lighthouse brought out cat food in a tin cup to feed this little guy with. He ate it right out of my hand!

After walking the beach, My dad and I went up to the Redwoods so he could see first hand the grandeur of them.

We went to a beach on the way back to my apartment and found some little crabs to play with. They were fast and would wedge themselves in the rock. I have yet to catch one. They make my nervous. I don't want to get pinched.

Thanks again dad for coming out. It means a lot to me! Can't wait to show you and Grandma a few new beaches I've found. They're beautiful!