So fire camp is coming to a quick end. We are all officially Type II Wildland Fire Fighters now. My mind is definitely still processing that. As my friend Rusty said, life feels just a little bit sexier now.
I really had no idea what it meant to be a Wildland Fire Fighter. I knew it was probably hard work and all, but didn't you just put water on the fire and wear special clothes? Not in the least. Like most things that you are unfamiliar with, there is so much the average joe doesn't know. It is an entire sub-culture. The lingo and norms are enough to put an outsider into culture shock.
This week has been such a beautiful break from the non-routined routine of Ameri-life. I feel like I can finally appreciate that when class was done for the evening, you were free... for the ENTIRE night. No meetings, no mandatory group PT, no cooking, no cleaning, no room inspections or last minute schedule changes. In a round-about way, it was our spring break. Now vacation is almost over and everyone feels a little bummed to be leaving such a cool environment. Karaoke tonight, back to Perry Point, MD tomorrow afternoon, and then Delaware tomorrow night. In the words of one of my favorite songs, "Send Me On My Way."
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