Day 11 -- July 19, 2017

Travel Day: Wellpinit, WA to Couer d’Alene, ID

We are getting to the point in the journey where we are starting to have ‘lasts’. Last stop, last reservation, last time setting up my tent (which I am finally getting good at).

Our last stay is at the Coure d’Alene Reservation, right on time for their ____ feast. We rolled in and set up camp in time to join a small group of them for their elk and salmon feast alongside the lake. At the end of the feast, they gathered around a handmade canoe made by a tribal family, which they blessed in prayer and put in the water for the first time. Tomorrow they have a canoe race that launches from the lake we are camping alongside.

As lovely as my day is ending after a great feast and a quick swim (with no students to watch), today was a bit rough for me. Being about seventy-five percent of the way through the trip, my patience was low and tension was high. It is really exhausting being responsible for six teenagers 24 hours a day for two weeks, even with the help of other adults and college students to keep an eye on them. The lack of sleep is catching up with me, the lack of interaction outside of these 20 people is getting to me, and the large amount of driving is getting really hard.

Lakeside. Before the feast, we had a bit of time to enjoy the dock alongside the river. Only the Heritage Students would actually look at the camera. Those silly White Swan kids...

But being able to sit more than 100 yards from the water and hear the laughter rolling in from the dock only makes me smile. Because as difficult as today was, that laughter, those students having fun and bonding together totally makes it worth it.

 

Phone thief. I should know better than to leave my phone on the
table when Judy is around. I apparently need to put a lock on my
phone's camera. But then I would miss out on the awesome pictures I
can post on the internet, so it's really a toss up. 

We are having so much fun on this trip, and I find myself feeling a little nostalgic for all the ‘lasts’ that are going to be happening over the next few days. Don’t get me wrong, I am REALLY excited for my modern conveniences. But I have to say that I’ve enjoyed my time camping with these weirdos a lot more than I thought I would.

But here I am, writing a blog like it’s my final day. Still two more adventure days and a day driving home. We aren’t done yet.