Friends, Dizzy Stars, and the Bear Room

Personally, I can’t believe that this was our fourth year going to Wyoming. Just four times, 4 weeks, 28 days. The week just flew by. Day one and two seemed like the same day by Saturday and all the events kept combining. When we got there we did the usual greetings of all our old friends and then we went to our cabin and checked out ‘the list’ to see who’s new this year and what ages everyone is. Basically checking for potential friendships. As it turned out, we ended up with 18 teens in the teen group. We had to split up between two wranglers. The kids who have been to the ranch before recruited the ‘new kids’ one by one and by the end of the week our group of friends had doubled.

I can’t completely put into words the feeling that I get when I go out there but I do know that it takes my breath away. The scenery is like nothing out here in Massachusetts. The adrenaline rush I get when we start trotting and loping is right up there with what I feel when I dance. The freedom when I ride through the fields of sage with the Teton Mountain Range right there with me and the sun on my face is exhilarating.

Every night, the teens gather in the Bear Room for a couple of rounds of ‘truth or dare’ or ‘would you rather’ which always get us into a conversation. You wouldn’t think that all these kids who have known each other for one week a year could laugh so much or have so may inside jokes but somehow we make it work These people are my true friends and we have such fun every time we see each other. Bonding over how cold we are at 8:00 in the morning, or how much our butts hurt when we get lost and our four hour ride becomes seven and a half hours, and how scared we are of the ranch ghost, Lucy, are moments that you can’t get anywhere else but with true friends.

On the teen overnight, after playing countless rounds of telephone, the starts started showing. Now we have been very lucky because every year we have gone out to the ranch there has been a meteor shower. After a little while someone suggested the dizzy star game (and to this very day my tailbone still hurts) which we played for at least 1.5 hours and our wranglers were not too happy about our screaming. We didn’t even care because we were enjoying ourselves being with our friends.

On our last day there, it was filled with exchanging numbers, hugs and goodbyes, finding out each other’s last names, and making sure that we’d all friend each other on Facebook when we got home. I feel like everyone is really planning on keeping in touch through the year because we do want the relationships to last forever. Even though I know the routine once we step off the plane there, it still  catches me by surprise. I mean it’s not very often that you can be within 20 feet of a moose or fully see the milky way or have a ‘family’ place but almost never see you parents. I take it all in while I’m out there and I never miss a chance to take a picture.

Starting school will be especially hard for me this year because I got very attached to Wyoming this time; both the scenery and the people. No matter what goes on at school this year and the drama that plays out, I know I will always have Wyoming to look forward to. And although I do love my life and everything here at home, my heart will always lie in Wyoming.