17 Jul New Beginnings in New Places

Hello everyone,

Let me start by introducing myself. I’m Raeann; I love books, hiking, animals, and all things related to rocks (geologists can’t help themselves). As I’m writing this, I have completed my first week at Wupatki National Monument. It was a 16-hour drive that I took over two days. On the way here I was pretty nervous because I was initially supposed to go to Florissant Fossil Beds and then everything changed. I wasn’t sure what was planned for me besides being an outreach assistant, but once I arrived all of my nerves settled!

The past couple of days have been me getting used to Wupatki and the nearby parks, Sunset Crater and Walnut Canyon. Very quickly, I have fell in love with this area and all of the history that it contains. With the climate we are in, I think it’s very important to understand what who was here before us and to respect the communities they built. I’ve loved hiking all of the trails and seeing all of the ancient pueblos and cinder cones in the area, and I can’t wait to bring it to others.

Image 1: Walking into Wukoki (my favorite pueblo in Wupatki

Image 2: An Eastern Collared Lizard (a new found love of mine) 

The most difficult part so far is the lack of cell service and internet. On one hand, there is so much going on in the world that it’s nice to take a break from it all, but on the other it’s been hard communicating with my family and LHIP. This isn’t stopping me though! I’ve been taking lots of photos of everything I’m seeing and I can’t wait to share more in the blogs to come!

Image 3: A good ole’ selfie at Wukoki (I really loved this place) please note the one orange cone in the background

Image 4: My being silly at the blow hole (It was the first thing I did when I got to Wupatki and it was very refreshing)

I’m in the beginnings of contacting Latino focused groups, and I’m hopeful that I will be able to help bring more Hispanic audiences to Wupatki. I hope to create new ideas for future events and opportunities that will last even once I’m done here.

I hope you’re all well! 

Raeann