A Grand Experience

It took almost 13 hours to get to the Grand Canyon. The car ride was long, but the people that were in the car with me made the drive go by a lot faster. There were 12 of us total and there wasn’t not a moment went by on the trip where I wasn’t laughing at the jokes they said or the inside jokes we made along the way. Being so far away with great people and doing great things to help the Grand Canyon was an experience I will never forget.

We went to the Grand Canyon to volunteer as interpreters, which means we helped people get to where they needed to go and answered their questions. The reason why we helped with this certain volunteering assignment was because the park was very understaffed for this season and did not have enough park rangers to help interpret things to the guests. Before the trip, I was so nervous and I kept asking myself, “What if I do not know how to help these people?” So I took on my first day bravely and when the day was over I felt like a pro at answering questions about the Grand Canyon. Then throughout the week I possessed enough knowledge to help every visitor out and in the end I learned a lot about the Grand Canyon whether it be facts or important information. Even if people did not need any help, I would ask them if they would like to know a fun fact about the Grand Canyon. If they did want to know I would usually tell them that almost all the animals at the Grand Canyon have the black plague, that the canyon is 277 river miles long, 1 mile deep, and 10 miles in width, or that only 6 percent of the park has been surveyed. I also got asked a lot about the wildlife there, so I would tell them that the large black birds that roam around the park are ravens and how they are very smart, I would also inform them of the California condors and how they were once an endangered species, and that the elk, especially in the spring, are known to be very protective of their babies and when threatened they will charge after you.

While at the Grand Canyon I had a lot of different interactions with the people that visited. All of my experiences at the park were amazing and they all impacted me positively. Only two experiences truly made an impact on my life and made me wonder if being an interpreter for a park would be my life’s calling. While on the trip I had an elderly couple come up to me asking where they could find Mather’s point, I told them the directions and they thanked me. Then they asked me if I was a park ranger and I explained to them that I was just a volunteer from Texas Tech University coming to help the park out during my spring break. The couple could not believe that I was spending my spring break volunteering and they told me that they are so thankful for me coming out and helping the park. Then right after our talk they asked to take a picture with me and as they left they said that talking to us helped make their experience great. Another experience was when I had a very shy little girl come up to me and her parents asked if she could get a picture with us. I started talking to the girl and then her parents told me they were from France and that she only speaks French. After we took a picture she turned and gave me a big smile and her parents were so happy that she was happy. The impact I had on them made me feel amazing and it made me realize that I really enjoyed doing this. This experience has made me understand how much an interpreter can impact a visitor’s experience, all you really need is to always have a smile and positive outlook as well as the information they want from you and the experience will be great every time.

From this trip I have not only learned a lot about the Grand Canyon, but I have learned a lot about myself as well. I have learned that I love to help people and make them happy. Being here and being apart of other people’s experiences has made such a huge positive impact on my life. It makes me want to do this sort of thing for the rest of my life. I also found out that I have a love for the Grand Canyon. This was the first time that I have ever been to the Grand Canyon and I feel like I have never experience beauty like this until I arrived there. This experience has shaped me into a more open-minded person and has taught me to the experiences shape my expectations.

In the end, I was very sad to leave, but the memories I have made at the Grand Canyon were far more than I could have ever expected. I made new friends, grand memories, and a new outlook on life. The lives that I have touched in terms of experience were the greatest feelings I have ever felt. Being the one to make a difference in the community has made me want to start doing volunteer service in my own community. I have already looked into multiple places where volunteers are needed, such as Lubbock impact, Special Olympics and the Women’s Protective Shelter of Lubbock. I have also decided to start getting very involved in Raider Service Breaks. I want to get more involved in Raider Service Breaks because it gave me an amazing experience and I want others to have the same experience that I did on my trip. The last thing I want to say is, do not take everything for granted and experience the unexpected.

-Katelyn Greebon