GapYear | TravelGypsea

After staying with my friends family for a couple weeks, I found a position for a horse breeder, as a nanny. I’m one of those ‘once bitten twice shy’ types, and went out to visit the family before I started.

In addition to being lovely people, the lifestyle would allow for my own cottage that was shared condo-style with another, the 16 year old farm hand that had been there for a few months.

My cottage was being renovated, but had all of the initial comforts, and until my TV was hooked up and kitchen finished, I was welcome to use the ones in the main house.

Looking out my bedroom window, I would see part of the small garden in the gated front area, (gated so horses and cows wouldn’t wonder in,) adjacent to my window was a paddock that house friendly horses (that I have dubbed ‘neighbors’), and straight from my window I look across the property at the gently rolling hills spotted with gumtrees. The sun rises over these hills in the morning, waking me just before my alarm, which I prefer. The only motors heard are the 4 wheel bikes (ATVs) and the farm truck used to feed the horses. The quiet is broken by the parrots, magpies and kookaburra with the occasional horse whinny.

(My neighbors)

Life here is in a constant buzz in the day-to-day. Nearly everyday vets, breeders, buyers, trainers and riding students visit. The mornings are usually busier, with the heat of the day being near crippling. But once the day is done, and its time to relax, the sun sets, and as the temperature drops to a pleasant degree.

The setting sun turns the hills aglow in an orange that gives the illusion they are engulfed in flame. As the sun inches behind the hills, the red spreads to the few clouds spelling the bright blue sky, turning from orange, to pink, to crimson, to purple to show off the moon and a bright Venus, before giving way to the dark blue of the night sky doused with stars.

The sunset made for a beautiful backdrop to horses, the hills, and an abandoned farm house in the next town. The house has been taken over by vines, and what little that is left showing shows the chipped paint and the porch warped by heat and weather. The hay left in the barn has morphed out of the neat bales, carpeting the ground.

(Sunset behind an abandoned farm house and barn)

(Sunset behind abandoned house)

Why did the goanna cross the road? So that I would see it!

Besides the birds, the wildlife will make an occasional appearance. (While I was told that a Koala came through a few weeks ago, I still haven’t seen any in this area.) The real excitement was in seeing my first red-bellied black snake, (the first thing I’ve seen in Australia that could kill me,) which i was told to look around the garden areas before i let the toddler play. The snake had decided to hide in the carport/garage adjacent to the toddlers sandbox. We (the toddler and I) were just about to step out the door when I hear the farmhand yell for me to stop. 15 meters from the house is the farmhand, 8 meters is the snake, and we hadn’t made it out of the front door. I see the family dog start to run toward it and call for him to go inside. He and the toddler watch, noses pressed to the glass as I watch the snake while the farmhand runs to the barn.
Startled, it slithers into the sandbox as the farm hand runs around the gate, throwing the shovel he had in his hand spear style, killing the snake. (I now now not to get on his bad side.)
I got about 2 meters from the meter long snake, and that was too close to what I would want to be.

(Pretty flowers, to counter the snake story.)

Deep in the mountains of Colorado, nestled on the side of the range of 14-ers (14,000 ft above sea level mountains) known as the Collegiate peaks, named after the ivy league schools (Princeton, Harvard, ext.), is Buena Vista.

The town is rich in history, from the old brothel of Cock-eyed Liz, to the locals pronouncing the name wrong because a German woman settled the town, there is a lot to be offered in background.

In the winter the town slows. The misty chill leaves the night streets bare and during the day, skiing is the nearest thing to an activity that draws the out-of-towners. But in the summer, the town comes alive.

The town is situated along the Arkansas river, making it rich in rafting, kayaking and river surfing, and hosts FIBARK (First In Boating the Arkansas) a festival dedicated to river sports.

Summer camps situated on the outskirts of the valley bring youth from all over America, as well as all over the world, for work. High ropes courses, river sports, swimming, horseback riding, and archery are all apart of summer life of Buena Vista. And while the town is small, every one knows everyone else, and the one street light marks the center of town, the summer festivities are unlike any others.

Over the 4^th of July weekend, a parade, craft fair in the park, and a light show (as fireworks were banned this year.) But the event that drew the valley to the small center of town, was the street dance.

Closing off a large portion of main street, your group classics like the Macarena and YMCA would prompt dancing, as well as the few country songs that led into line dances. Families were dancing, the 20-somethings that were working the camps twirled and bounced their way around the street, which was dedicated the ‘dance-floor’. People walked by with icecream from the local restaurant that would give out gift certificates for the small competitions that took place throughout the event.

(Contestants of the bubble blowing contest)

I had lived here for a couple years back in High School. First time in a public school and had a graduating class of 75, and football games were a town event. My summers were spent waitressing and helping out at one of the summer camps with some wonderful people I still keep in touch with. But tonight it hit me – If I weren’t from little ol’ “BV”, and I wanted to just find a fun summer place to work while making my way along the U.S.A., I would choose Buena Vista, no competition.

And all the while, spinning, twirling, bobbing and stomping, the community joined together on main street. The mountains in the backdrop, buildings from the 1800’s flanking you, good music and fresh air, I thought ‘I was so lucky.’

(Swingin’ on the streets)

(Raft guides that got dressed up for the event)

Kiki Lathrop

TravelGypsea

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