21 Jul A Workshop To Remember
Two weeks ago, I drove down to the quaint little town of Leavenworth, WA to connect with my fellow EFTA interns! We stayed at the Sleeping Lady resort and spent three days connecting by hiking, birding, fishing, and even making stories together. Let’s go through the trip together.
Day 1 - Arrival
After driving about five hours from my site, I finally drove into the beautiful town of Leavenworth. Washington locals know the town as a Bavarian themed getaway deep in the Cascade mountains, known for its tourism and Hallmark-movie feel. The mountainside is beautiful- there were so many trees along the rock formations, not to mention the Wenatchee River that flows right alongside the buildings. Once I checked in, I got to meet the interns and settle into the cabins we were assigned. Then, after a couple meetings and seminars, we ate dinner and fell asleep early to prepare for the long day ahead.
Day 2 - Birding, Hiking, and Presenting
We woke up bright and early to go birding that morning, which I had never done before. We walked around the premises of the resort with our binocs, and got to spot different birds along with hearing their songs. Though we only really saw green-purple swallows, it was still so fun to get to observe the little critters >.<
A quick lunch later, we had presentations from the group about what our internship has offered us. It was so nice to see everyone contribute to their own individual projects and see their passion; I definitely felt more motivated to work hard throughout my time at the refuge. Then, we listened in on a couple seminars from different guests in Fish and Wildlife and the Forest Service. The best part of the day, though, was getting able to connect with the interns outside of work. We all decided to grab ice cream and hit the town. The others went to the bar (I’m not 21 so I couldn’t), but I still had a great time with everyone. It was a memorable night and perfect way to socialize before we all headed home.
Day 3 - fly fishing, lunch, and farewell
We started the day with more birding and some breakfast before leading up to the main event of the morning, fly fishing. First, they had us practice swinging the rod left and right on the grass with a piece of yarn attached to the line. Then we graduated to swinging back and forth before attaching an actual fly bait. Admittedly, I sucked at swinging- I’m used to bait fishing with a worm on a hook and line, but the fishermen helping us tried really hard anyways. It was time to suit up in waders for fishing in the actual river. The water was so refreshing after having been in the sun all morning, it was smooth and cold against the rubber waders. Though I didn’t catch a single thing, I really enjoyed being out there on the water with everyone just having fun. After this we came back to resort for lunch, a presentation, and goodbye games. Overall, I can easily call this one of the best trips yet.
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