How I spent most of my time and what it was like living in my dream destination last summer:
How did I Get Here?
When I first discovered the urge to travel, I started a list of all the placed I wanted to visit in my life. Yosemite was at the very top of that list for the obvious reason being that it was beautiful. I found out about seasonal work from a friend who had been doing this for a while. Shortly after I graduated high school in 2020, I applied for a job at the Valley Starbucks. When that job fell through because of the Covid-19 outbreak, it proved to be a blessing in disguise. That's when I met my current love, Wesley. Slightly under a year and a half of us dating we decided to quit our then current jobs to pursue seasonal work. That's when our invitation to live in Yosemite began.
What an Ordinary Week in the Valley Looked Like
While being allowed the opportunity to live freely in the Valley, we also worked eight hours per day, five days a week. It was an excellent balance and price to pay to live here. Wes did housekeeping at Yosemite Valley Lodge and I worked at the Curry Village kitchen. The people were great and it was a fun job. Wes and I managed to align our days off to have the benefit of sharing our weekends together. We had a canvas tent to come back to each night and call a home. While some would say that living in a tent is a deal breaker, we both enjoyed it and made the space feel cozy with our own personal touches. After work, we would cook a meal in one of the communal kitchens or on our propane grill, in front of our tent. There were also a couple of restaurants nearby. There was no need to drive because most things were within a 2.5 mile radius from us. Our mountain bikes were our main source of transportation to work, to trail heads, to get groceries, etc. Avoiding gas costs was a major advantage. On our weekends we would occasionally visit surrounding towns. Particularly Oakhurst, Mariposa, and my favorite, Mammoth Lakes. Many would agree with Mammoth being their favorite. Another favored weekend trip was going to the high country. You can get there via Tioga Pass which is only open during the warmer months for safety.
An ordinary week in the Valley always felt more extraordinary.
Things to do and what we did
Yosemite is a place where you can put to use most of your outdoor hobbies. It was a constant invitation to nature.
Hiking
A few of the major hikes we did were Glacier Point via four mile trail, El Capitan, and of course the iconic Half Dome hike via mist trail.
Climbing
Bouldering
Fly Fishing
Backpacking
Water Sports
Photography
Painting
What I Enjoyed The Most
My favorite part of living in a place as charming as Yosemite was the community. It's a very tight community, there are so many like-minded, friendly people that you get to not only call your friends, but also your neighbors. It was almost impossible to not find somebody that I could relate with while I was there. Wes and I would hang out with our friends often after work and late into the night.
The endless options of things to do, places to go, and beauty just waiting for you to see is so rich in this place. Yosemite was at the top of my list of places and it doesn't seem to be budging. There was one night that Wes and I jumped into the Merced river at midnight. It's a symbolic memory to me because it made me feel like a kid, so worry-less and giddy. Just an example of it being a fun place.
A New Experience
I am excited to return to Yosemite for another season, this coming summer. There is still so much more that I want to do, like lead an easy climb, and hike to Clouds Rest. This was the first time Wes or I have done any type of seasonal work and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made and I'm happy to say that it wasn't the last.
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