Down past the hoodoos, across from the travertine terraces, within the borders of Yellowstone National Park, my home away from home is Mammoth, Wyoming. In this post, I’m going to show you where I live and give you my perspective on my living conditions. I’m going to take you into the world of Dorm Life.
Yes, I’m thirty-something and I’m living in a dorm.
First, let me provide a little background on how I found myself here. Dorms and fieldhouses are a way of life for the new natural resources professional. Many of us travel far from home to work seasonal jobs, hoping to gain experience. Housing is often provided at a reduced rate or sometimes for free. Some accommodations are better than others. Often, there is little privacy in less than ideal conditions. For instance, in South Carolina, the dorm was a smaller setting that was plagued by cockroaches — Southern living at its finest! This time in Yellowstone, I’m living with more people and there are no insects. However, I heard that there is an issue with mice but I haven’t seen any or their sign. Nevertheless, when I take a job, it’s hard to know exactly what I’m are getting into. For most of us, including me, we get used to spending time in these less than ideal circumstances — for the good or the bad.
In Mammoth, I live in a single story building that, from what I’ve been told, had another purpose in the past. The design has two wings that are joined by a common area. Each wing has a kitchen and bedrooms. The kitchens have multiple appliances — stoves, refrigerators, sinks, etc. — to accommodate the abundance of people and the bedrooms are divided into cubes to offer a semi-private place to rest. The men’s bathroom is on one wing and the women’s is on the other. The bathrooms have multiple sinks, stalls, and showers. The common area has multiple couches and tables, an entertainment center, and two tables that are full books and unclaimed stuff. Whatever function the building had in the past, it is certainly a dorm today.
By far, I’m the oldest of the twenty-some twenty-somethings that share this residence. The population is just about evenly split by sex. Most of us are employed in some type of resource management or biological science roll. There are two people in wildlife health (including me), one who works with birds, quite a few in invasive plant management, a fisheries intern, an intern of archeology, two architecture interns, a librarian/archivist, and a few camp counselors. For the most part, everyone rises early for work (none as early as I) and go to bed at a decent time on weeknights. The residents often recreate together on the weekends and the evenings can sometimes get mildly-rowdy. Everyone has been friendly and welcoming since day one.
The dorm culture is indicative of the twenty-something cohort. There is a mild herd-mentality that can be rather immature at times. However, I have found that if I can get a smaller group together, I can have enriching and stimulating conversation. In all fairness, besides my loner tendencies, I’ve engaged the group in both facets. To elaborate, on my three day weekend, I may hang out with the group for and evening or two, maybe go fishing with someone, and then have the rest of my time to myself. Sometimes these evenings can be a little crazy — drinking games and silly shenanigans. However, I noticed that campfires and good conversation are everyone’s favorite.
My perspective
Throughout my life, I never really felt like I’ve fit in anywhere. Why start now? Fortunately for me, in my adulthood, I’ve grown comfortable in my skin and I’ve learned to accept my own weirdness. When life presents an uncomfortable situation, I embrace and make the most of it. I know that the experience will influence me in some way — hopefully positive. For the last five years, I’ve been the old man. I call myself out and joke about it. Honestly, I’ve received much respect when I tell my story. I recall my first semester back in school. A fellow student said, “Mike, you are certainly different than us but you are one of us.” I took the wisdom from that 18 year old girl and kept in my heart as I traveled through this journey. Dorm Life in Yellowstone is no different.
Awesome to read, thanks for sharing! You should be proud of chasing your dream.
Thanks George!