This morning I was the "shepherd" for the Quail hike once again. And once again, I took a nap after breakfast. This afternoon I taught Zumba and then headed to the pool to take "Aqua Ease" which was a nice stretching class in the water. Then I hung out by the pool for a bit, increasing the darkness of my tan lines. Perfect. After dinner this evening the Ranch had BINGO! I guess it's supposed to be a very exciting event...seeing as there aren't really any happening night activities around here. Funny thing is, I won a prize! Not because I got a BINGO, but because the announcer told all participants who had NOT won yet to stand, he then called a few numbers and people sat down as they had those numbers. Since I didn't have any of the numbers he called, I was the winner. I guess it's lucky to be unlucky. Who'd a thought?
Just in the few days I've been here at the Ranch where I'm pretty sure I'm the only Latter-Day Saint, I've had some interesting conversations. When people ask where I went to school, they immediately know that I'm a Mormon when I tell them Brigham Young University-Idaho. Well, I first have to explain that yes, there is a BYU in Idaho and not just in Utah. And then of course I get some interesting comments and/or questions regarding Mormons. For instance, just tonight at dinner I was talking with a guest instructor (meaning she is teaching fitness classes for just a week) and she couldn't understand why we don't drink coffee but eat refined flours and sugars. Interesting. She then kind of mocked me and my beliefs and I was caught a bit off-guard because I've never really had that happen before, having grown up in a fairly dense Mormon community and going to a church school. I have a feeling I will be having many more missionary-type experiences while I'm here.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
The Ranch!
I'm sure you're all dying for an update...
crickets...
...okay, probably not. But here's one anyway! It's going to be a lengthy, detailed update because I'm using this as my "journal" for my internship assignments from my department at BYU-Idaho.
I had a wonderful road trip, according to the plan explained in the post below. My old roommates and I were able to reunite after being separated in various locations for a year (granted, we were still missing 2 roommates, Lauren and Angela). But alas, it was great!
Saturday I crossed the border, drove 3 miles through Tecate, Mexico and arrived at Rancho La Puerta. My room wasn't ready, or the staff was confused (since I'm not a regular "guest") and I had to sit around and wait for my room. I was thoroughly surprised at how ghetto my room is...but I really can't complain because I have a bed, bathroom, running hot water, electricity, and wi-fi...and it's free. The only problem is the raccoon that keeps waking me up at night. Oye.
After getting settled, I met with one of the full-time instructors here at the Ranch and she showed me around a bit. Then I took the "new guests" tour and orientation. I received my schedule, and you would think I would be good to go from there. Yeah...right...I ran around like a chicken with it's head cut off for a few days.
Sunday, I was scheduled to go on a morning hike. The hike is called the Quail hike, a very easy rolling hills hike, total time of about an hour. After the hike I ate breakfast and then actually went back to bed because I hadn't really gotten any good sleep for a few days with traveling and such. Then I took the rest of the afternoon to walk around and try and locate places here at the resort (it's really easy to get lost, lots of walking paths surrounded by trees with an inaccurate map). Oh, and don't forget a dip in the pool with some sunbathing...Sabbath appropriate right?!? ;)
Monday morning I had another hike. This one called the Alex Oak hike, more of an upward climb up to an oak tree on the hill, total time of about an hour and a half. Once again, I ate breakfast and went back to bed (I had a lot of sleep to catch up on). That afternoon I taught my first class here on the Ranch, Zumba format of course! I think the class liked it! The guests here are much different than I had anticipated. They need extremely simple choreography and a lot of low-impact/intensity moves. Perfect! That makes things super easy on me. After Zumba, I was the assistant for "Partner Thai Massage" so I got to be the instructor's dummy while she demonstrated the massage. I know, it's rough.
Tuesday morning was occupied with another hike. This time I was the "Shepherd" for the Quail hike. That means that I follow the last person of the group and make sure everyone gets back to the Ranch. I also carry a first aid pack and a radio, very official! Then I met with the fitness scheduler and talked about the classes I'm interested in and things I want to do while here. In the afternoon, I took "Pool Pilates" and "Stretch & Relax" followed by a writing workshop (I just thought I'd see what it was like! Ha!).
Today was technically my day off, but I wanted to get some classes in since I kinda slacked off the first couple days and I have to get in 400 hours of "work" while I'm here. No hikes today, but I attended a "Hot Latin Dance" class, followed by Hydro-fit "Wave" class in the pool. After lunch I went to a nutrition workshop and a "Hip Openers Yoga Workshop" and a "Restorative Yoga" class. That last one is pretty sweet...basically 45 minutes of lying down with your eyes closed. This evening I got to play sand volleyball with some of the staff. I got recruited to play on the "Police" team, which consisted of all the staff who work security. White Idaho girl playing volleyball with a bunch of local Mexicans...haha.
For these first two weeks I'm just supposed to be attending lots of classes, getting the feel for the ranch. this caused some anxiety at first because I wasn't sure what to do with such freedom. But now I'm getting the hang of things, scheduling out my days and keeping myself busy. I'm still meeting everyone, there is a lot of fitness instructors and they all have different schedules and a lot of them don't eat dinner in the dining hall with everyone. Speaking of dinner...the cuisine is lacto-ovo vegetarian. They do serve a fish option at dinner, which is keeping me sane. Everything is organic and very gourmet. I feel like I've eaten enough vegetables to last me a year or so!
I do get 2 days off every week. And as of now those days are Mondays and Tuesdays. So, I hope to be able to escape to San Diego and get my fair share of meat and other *gasp* unhealthy foods on those days. Well, I think I pretty much covered my first few days here on the Ranch. If you haven't fallen asleep while reading this, look forward to more updates! Most likely daily updates so I don't have to back track on my journalling. Enjoy!
crickets...
...okay, probably not. But here's one anyway! It's going to be a lengthy, detailed update because I'm using this as my "journal" for my internship assignments from my department at BYU-Idaho.
I had a wonderful road trip, according to the plan explained in the post below. My old roommates and I were able to reunite after being separated in various locations for a year (granted, we were still missing 2 roommates, Lauren and Angela). But alas, it was great!
Saturday I crossed the border, drove 3 miles through Tecate, Mexico and arrived at Rancho La Puerta. My room wasn't ready, or the staff was confused (since I'm not a regular "guest") and I had to sit around and wait for my room. I was thoroughly surprised at how ghetto my room is...but I really can't complain because I have a bed, bathroom, running hot water, electricity, and wi-fi...and it's free. The only problem is the raccoon that keeps waking me up at night. Oye.
After getting settled, I met with one of the full-time instructors here at the Ranch and she showed me around a bit. Then I took the "new guests" tour and orientation. I received my schedule, and you would think I would be good to go from there. Yeah...right...I ran around like a chicken with it's head cut off for a few days.
Sunday, I was scheduled to go on a morning hike. The hike is called the Quail hike, a very easy rolling hills hike, total time of about an hour. After the hike I ate breakfast and then actually went back to bed because I hadn't really gotten any good sleep for a few days with traveling and such. Then I took the rest of the afternoon to walk around and try and locate places here at the resort (it's really easy to get lost, lots of walking paths surrounded by trees with an inaccurate map). Oh, and don't forget a dip in the pool with some sunbathing...Sabbath appropriate right?!? ;)
Monday morning I had another hike. This one called the Alex Oak hike, more of an upward climb up to an oak tree on the hill, total time of about an hour and a half. Once again, I ate breakfast and went back to bed (I had a lot of sleep to catch up on). That afternoon I taught my first class here on the Ranch, Zumba format of course! I think the class liked it! The guests here are much different than I had anticipated. They need extremely simple choreography and a lot of low-impact/intensity moves. Perfect! That makes things super easy on me. After Zumba, I was the assistant for "Partner Thai Massage" so I got to be the instructor's dummy while she demonstrated the massage. I know, it's rough.
Tuesday morning was occupied with another hike. This time I was the "Shepherd" for the Quail hike. That means that I follow the last person of the group and make sure everyone gets back to the Ranch. I also carry a first aid pack and a radio, very official! Then I met with the fitness scheduler and talked about the classes I'm interested in and things I want to do while here. In the afternoon, I took "Pool Pilates" and "Stretch & Relax" followed by a writing workshop (I just thought I'd see what it was like! Ha!).
Today was technically my day off, but I wanted to get some classes in since I kinda slacked off the first couple days and I have to get in 400 hours of "work" while I'm here. No hikes today, but I attended a "Hot Latin Dance" class, followed by Hydro-fit "Wave" class in the pool. After lunch I went to a nutrition workshop and a "Hip Openers Yoga Workshop" and a "Restorative Yoga" class. That last one is pretty sweet...basically 45 minutes of lying down with your eyes closed. This evening I got to play sand volleyball with some of the staff. I got recruited to play on the "Police" team, which consisted of all the staff who work security. White Idaho girl playing volleyball with a bunch of local Mexicans...haha.
For these first two weeks I'm just supposed to be attending lots of classes, getting the feel for the ranch. this caused some anxiety at first because I wasn't sure what to do with such freedom. But now I'm getting the hang of things, scheduling out my days and keeping myself busy. I'm still meeting everyone, there is a lot of fitness instructors and they all have different schedules and a lot of them don't eat dinner in the dining hall with everyone. Speaking of dinner...the cuisine is lacto-ovo vegetarian. They do serve a fish option at dinner, which is keeping me sane. Everything is organic and very gourmet. I feel like I've eaten enough vegetables to last me a year or so!
I do get 2 days off every week. And as of now those days are Mondays and Tuesdays. So, I hope to be able to escape to San Diego and get my fair share of meat and other *gasp* unhealthy foods on those days. Well, I think I pretty much covered my first few days here on the Ranch. If you haven't fallen asleep while reading this, look forward to more updates! Most likely daily updates so I don't have to back track on my journalling. Enjoy!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Itinerary
No suggestions for this lost soul? Okay....
Well, tomorrow I begin my trip towards my internship. If you haven't already been updated, I walked at graduation last Friday at BYU-Idaho. I won't receive my degree until I complete a 400 hour internship in the recreation field. I've secured an internship with Rancho La Puerta, a destination fitness spa and resort. (Voted World's Best for two years in a row now!) Rancho La Puerta is located on the border of California and Mexico in Tecate, Baja California Mexico which is west of Tijuana and about an hour away from San Diego. I arrive on Saturday, July 30th and will be staying there until Saturday, November 5th, which is a total of 14 weeks. It is unpaid, but I receive room and board from the resort. While there, I will be auditing fitness classes, teaching fitness classes, going on hikes, etc. They've even already asked me to teach Zumba my first week at the Ranch. Eek!
So I decided to make a road trip out of my travels down south. Tomorrow I will be driving to Fallon, Nevada where my friend Candice lives. Then on Thursday I will travel to El Monte, California (near Los Angeles) to visit my "roommate/sister/friend" Ashley. Friday I will venture to Valley Center to my "roommate/sister/friend" Amber's house and will also be able to see my other "roommate/sister/friend" Maria. And finally, Saturday I will cross the border and arrive at Rancho La Puerta to start my adventure! Phew.
Peace out, Idaho!
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Change
A lot of changes are about to occur. Graduation is on Friday. Leaving for my internship the following Wednesday. Living in Mexico until November. Then what? I don't know. But I'm finished with my schooling at BYU-Idaho and it feels weird. I've made a lot of friends, acquaintances, and had a lot of fun. And while I'm more than ready to get out of here, I'm not so sure I'm ready to give it all up at the same time. Any suggestions for a lost soul?
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Shower!
I threw my first bridal shower by myself for my friend Candice this week. Two of her favorite things here in Rexburg are the self-serve frozen yogurt places and The Cocoa Bean (gourmet cupcake shop). I borrowed the ice cream machines from Aubrey's mom and the cupcakes were a surprise from Candice's mom in Nevada. She loved it! Here's how it turned out!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Beginning of the End
My. Last. Semester. At. BYU-Idaho.
I never thought it would come so soon. I still feel like a 19 year-old sophomore who didn't have to think much about her future. Too bad. 21 years old and about to graduate college. Now what? Well, I don't quite have to enter the real world right after graduation, but I will be doing an internship...somewhere. Don't ask me where, because I have no clue.
After completing my internship, I will have earned my Bachelor of Science in Recreation Management with a minor in Exercise & Sports Science. The next question people ask is: "What are you going to do with that?" Well...there's a lot of different things I could do with my degree. My interest is to go into city/community parks and recreation departments, gyms/fitness centers/health clubs, sports programs, and other various related occupations. There's not one specific thing that I want to do, but that's the area I would like to work in. So, having said that, if you know of any internship or job opportunities that might apply, please let me know. *Disclaimer: No, I do not want to do my internship at the Nampa Recreation Center. :)
So, besides internship/job hunting, I just started a new semester! Being so close to finishing my degree, I don't really have a lot of required classes still left. Since I'm on scholarship and it's my last opportunity to take classes at BYU-Idaho, I filled my schedule with lots of fun classes. (Some of you might be thinking "Haven't you been taking fun classes every semester?" Why yes I have. But this time around I only have about 2 classes that I will actually be in a classroom for. Here's the lineup:
Aerobic Fitness Techniques (learning how to become a group fitness instructor)
Intermediate Volleyball
Intermediate Tennis
Advanced Swimming
Circuit Weight Training
Volleyball Theory (learning how to coach volleyball)
Adaptive Physical Education for Special Populations (how to teach PE to kids with disabilities)
Doctrine & Covenants
Yep. In addition, I will be a teacher's aid for a Sports Conditioning class. So basically I plan on getting in really good shape this summer.
What else is new? My apartment! I moved to a new place called Northgate. They are brand new apartment complex here in Rexburg and I'm so happy I moved here! Take a look at amenities, floor plan, and pictures here.
As for catchup, here are a few pictures of the end of Winter semester:
Surprise birthday party...
...complete with german chocolate cake (my favorite) and flowers from Mom and Dad.
Congrats, graduate.
Frozen yogurt.
Hiked "R" mountain.
Almost won our volleyball league.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Pondskimming
Winter gets a little drab here in Rexburg. So students come up with some of the craziest activities to keep themselves occupied. One of those crazy activities is called pondskimming. Basically, participants (or contestants I guess) choose their modem of travel (ski, snowboard, airboard), slide down a steep slope of snow, and "skim" across a pond of water. The object is to skim across the entire length of the pond. Also, for some reason, the participants dress up in crazy costumes. Costumes of the evening included: bananas, Nacho Libre, Superman, and the list goes on. A lot of people biffed it, and very few actually made it across the pond. Here is a snippet for your enjoyment. :)
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Phlog
I am going to slowly start updating my Photography Blog...so keep watching! A lot of them are photos you may have already seen, but I need to post them. I'm hoping this will get me back into the photography mood...I haven't taken any shots since summer. Not good. So take a look at the photo blog (or phlog)! Go here: Hartley Photography
Thursday, February 3, 2011
No Snow Bunny
I am most definitely a summer baby! I loooooove the sunshine, swimming, biking, hiking, camping, and more. But temperatures below zero are not on my list of favorites. I know it's winter and everyone else has cold weather too...but I just want to complain for a bit. Can I just point out that I walk to campus every morning, then I walk from class to class every hour, walk home from campus, and then usually walk back to campus to workout or for an intramural game. This equals for a lot of time outside. On the brightside...I've gotten REALLY good at dressing appropriately. All of the following are a REQUIREMENT every time I step outside: long socks, boots, leggings, sweater, coat, mittens, beanie, and a scarf. And it never fails that I have to scrape my windshield any time that I want to drive anywhere.
Enough of my complaining....school is going well. I'm really enjoying the majority of my classes which consist of:
Exercise Physiology
Physiology Lab
New Testament (2nd half)
Risk Management
Research and Evaluation
Fundamentals of Coaching
Intermediate Tennis
I absolutely love my tennis class and my Exercise Physiology class. I'm learning so much! I'm also playing on 2 intramural teams: futsal and volleyball. Love it!
I'm living in the same apartment (American Manor Apt. D3) and still working as a student secretary in the Recreation Management office. If you didn't know already, I will be graduating in JULY. Am I excited? No, I'm scared out of my pants.
Enough of my complaining....school is going well. I'm really enjoying the majority of my classes which consist of:
Exercise Physiology
Physiology Lab
New Testament (2nd half)
Risk Management
Research and Evaluation
Fundamentals of Coaching
Intermediate Tennis
I absolutely love my tennis class and my Exercise Physiology class. I'm learning so much! I'm also playing on 2 intramural teams: futsal and volleyball. Love it!
I'm living in the same apartment (American Manor Apt. D3) and still working as a student secretary in the Recreation Management office. If you didn't know already, I will be graduating in JULY. Am I excited? No, I'm scared out of my pants.
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