06 Jun Sand Dunes and Mountain Ranges

  I have been working at Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve for about five days now and, let me tell you, it is absolutely beautiful!! I live in a shared house inside the park and the view from my window is breathtaking, as I wake up every morning to the sun rising above the snow-capped mountains. Since I’m from Texas, I  consider this weather freezing (40-50 degrees), as it only gets to 40 degrees in Texas during January and that’s our coldest month. During my trip up to Colorado I actually drove through a snowstorm, and it was beautiful and terrifying all at the same time as I’ve only seen snow once before in my entire life. I have begun my internship working at the front desk of the Visitor Center with a few other new interns. On staff there are two interpretation/education interns, three permanent park rangers, and two seasonal rangers that I work with, and they have all been very welcoming! Most of my day I spend hiking or talking to visitors, which is great because I am a huge people person and we have visitors come from all around the world to see the dunes. In a few weeks I will be conducting my very own educational outreach programs and I can’t wait! I am truly excited to see what this summer has in store for me, and I can’t thank the Latino Heritage Internship Program enough for this opportunity.   Find Your Park, people, because I have definitely found mine!!