Blessings by Ruth Davis
Counting Blessings
Our volunteering gig at the refuge in New Jersey is officially over. I worked my last shift at the Visitor Information Center on Saturday, and it was a full and fulfilling day. We had 158 visitors and sold more duck stamps, park passes, and gift shop items than any other day I’ve been there. We loaned out binoculars, showed the wonderful video, and helped folks identify what birds they saw on Wildlife Drive. I enjoyed the women I worked with, and I even teared up on my walk home.
That night we went out for Rita’s ice cream with our neighbors who live down the street. We’ve had dinner with them twice and chat when we see each other walking our dogs. It’s been fun to connect with people in the neighborhood.
And now today, Sunday, is a readying day: laundry, more laundry, packing the mosquito tent, taking out the maps. Marika is on an all-afternoon birding boat tour to watch migrating hawks. I am so thrilled that she is doing this. She’s enjoying a day in nature and I can move at my own pace and get it all done.
In between laundry cycles, I’ve been thinking about all of the blessings of this time here. That those first few weeks were all about settling into working with very-different-than-me people, not having any control over how anything worked, and finding ways to share my insights and skills without expectations.
And then, finally appreciating the heart of the job: interacting with the visitors. I think working a shift with Marika really opened me up to engaging in conversations and exchanges, and providing a friendly, welcoming environment.
From that day on, I was able to focus on these connections even when I was working with someone who I didn’t really vibe with. The challenge was that, many days, there were only 25-40 visitors in the entire five-hour shift. So there was a lot of down time. But I found ways to make it work, and even did a few extra projects, like counting volunteer shirts and hats, tallying how many volunteers are under 35, and emptying the lending library into boxes for donation. Nothing very challenging, but it was the perfect backdrop for being here, exploring the area, and closing my Mac training business.
The big reason we chose to volunteer in New Jersey was so that Marika could spend time with her last living aunt. We spent a few nights in Philadelphia and I finally got to meet Marika’s cousins, and then Marika drove up several other weekends to overnight with her aunt.
I got together with sixteen cousins and my last living uncle, and bonded with my favorite cousin from when I was three years old.
We handled all kinds of RV repairs- the new air conditioner, the water leak (twice), and the leveling jacks that won’t go down. (The repair parts are on order and we’ll be swinging back through New Jersey at the end of October to get it fixed.)
We did some fun touristing, had a great week with a visiting friend, and we each relived moments from our childhood on the Jersey shore. We drooled over real east coast pizza, Philadelphia pretzels, New York bagels, cheese steaks, local summer produce, frozen custard, fried shrimp, and live lobster, steamed at the supermarket.
And I met a Facebook friend in real life and we went to the Elton John concert together.
We have been camped in a most beautiful secluded place on a lake in the woods, still in easy reach of great food, museums, and all of the necessities.
And we finally took a glorious sunset walk on the beach!
And now we are heading out on the road, as tourists, to explore the color-changing landscapes of New England, learn about the Industrial Revolution, and eat lots of lobster rolls.
Yes, it’s been a wonderful three months, and I am so grateful that we both love living this lifestyle.
