Last day of work at Rio Grande Village in Big Bend National Park

So today was our last day of work at Rio Grande Village in Big Bend National Park.

On our last 2018 hike in the Basin

It was bittersweet since we have just completed our first workamping assignment at a National Park, made very good friends in the park we would miss forever, managed a store in a National Park, got to spend 6 months in the Chihuahuan desert, kayaked the Rio Grande River, had a fun weekend at Lajitas Resort, fell in love with Terlingua, found our favorite National Park and on and on.

Last stop at the store to say Goodbye

Thank you Forever Resorts,
Chisos Basis Lodge,
Rio Grande Village Store,
and Gary and Maria!! 

and off we go one to our next adventure!

This has been a one-time event for us, and we will never forget it.

We have memories and good friends that will last a lifetime.

It's been an eye-opening and enlightening experience for both of us.

As we leave our favorite National Park, we look forward to good times and travels throughout our home state of Texas for the month of September 2018.

After stopping by Seminole Canyon State Park & Historic Site, we'll head to Enchanted Rock state park to spend the Winter via Austin of course! 

I'll (Bert) be a volunteer park host, and Lupe will work in Fredericksburg.

And here is our Google Photo album of every photo we've taken (and saved) from Big Bend since 2014.

Meeting new friends, accidentally

My former High School band director, Mr. Banda, had been urging me to meet another one of his students that lives near Big Bend National park in Terlingua, Tx. while we're here.  Melissa is a school teacher there.  Mr. Banda sent several messages, to both of us and in 5 months we had not managed to meet up in Big Bend NP or Terlingua.

So each time I'm driving through Terlingua or shopping there, I have not called or messaged her and I feel bad about it but just go on thinking she'll not have the time to just meet us at the store or a restaurant. It's always an impromptu visit.  That day we had traveled through Terlingua to Lajita, then to the state park.  And the same thoughts had run through my mind.

Starlight Theater Bar

So, after hiking Closed Cayon in the Big Bend Ranch State Park we went to Starlight theater for dinner.  We walk up to the bar and, strangely, there were 2 spots next to each other so we sit down, order drinks and chips (it's happy hour) and start to relax.  There is a woman sitting next to us drinking her water and she looks familiar, but I'm not sure why.  So, I guess that she might be the Melissa that Mr. Banda had mentioned multiple times.  Hey, we're in a tiny ghost town so..

Automatically, I'm going to Facebook, trying to look at common friends with Banda while she and I have a casual conversation about our hike in the state park.  She talks about Terlingua and why she's there.  I'm not quite to the common friends yet when she mentions she's a teacher there and, I say 'do you know a Mr. Banda?'

Accidental friends

Well, of course, she did; we laughed at the coincidence and the many times we had both thought about the other while passing through.  Anyway, it was great to finally meet Melissa, and now we can let Mr. Banda know we've met, thanks to his generous prodding!