Testing, Utah, Friends

Our EMT class is definitely wrapping up. Today we took our two class finals: our Urban EMT final and our Wilderness EMT final. The rest of the day was spent doing practical skills sign-offs to get ready for our National Registry and California state practical exams tomorrow (they're actually the same test). It didn't hit me that we're done until we started clearing the room to get ready for testing which for most of us meant packing up the books and paperwork that hasn't moved since the beginning of this month. I'm scheduled to take my practical exams tomorrow morning at 0900. When I'm done, I'm planning on going into the park with my friend Haley to climb for the rest of the day. Friday I take my National Registry written exam and then head out to Cedar City for the rest of the summer. To be honest, I'm not too worried. This class really has prepared us for the testing we're about to go through tomorrow and Friday. I passed both written tests today and I have no doubt that I'll pass the tests to come.

It's weird to think that I start work next Monday. I have my pack test first thing Monday morning, then a lot of training for the rest of the week. On the 12th I start at the air center. I have a lot to catch up on, physical training wise after that 24 hour bug completely wipe my system out. I am ready to switch my mind from the Emergency Medical Services mindset to that of fire suppression though.

I'm really happy to see that a lot of my friends are doing more and more adventurous things with their life. My friend Charles is planning to canoe from Lake Superior to the Hudson bay via Lake Winnipeg. If I was fighting fires, I'd join him for the entire trip. My friend Heather is driving from Cancun to Believe to work with birds of prey for 6 weeks. It's a relief to hear these types of stories from my own friends. It's a drag to hear people think that what you think is normal or crazed necessity (i.e. working out west or working in Antarctica) crazy and impossible to do. Anyone can work in Antarctica. Anyone can travel across the country or the world. All you have to do is tell yourself that you're going to do it.