My Summer Epiphany

This past summer was filled with work and fun.   Sadly, the work to fun ratio was terribly skewed.   It was my first job ever; how hard could it be?   Turns out, working at Pixieland couldn’t have been worse.   The sweltering heat made that job unbearable, but I wasn’t going to let it destroy my vacation time.   I ended up getting only two weeks off throughout the whole summer, but I made the most of them.  
I got to go Mammoth Lakes for the first time.   My family and I went to a ski resort on our last day there and we took a tram to the highest peak on the mountain.   I couldn’t believe how cold it was in the middle of summer.   Once I stepped out of the tram the 40 mile an hour winds almost swept me right off the face of the mountain.   However, we had to stand right on the edge of the cliff to get the best view.   It was spectacular, and I could see for miles.  
The always beautiful Yosemite National Park was the finale of my family’s trip to the Sierra Nevada.   Our first hike was to Dog Lake.   The water was so still that I could see a perfect reflection of the mountains that lay behind it.   I had to stare at it for a while to take it in because it was so surreal.   Then we hiked to the top of Lembert Dome.   It was so rewarding, and an even better view than Mammoth Lakes.   Mother Nature continues to amaze me.   However, the best trip was still yet to come, and I was more than ready.
I had more than a month of work to survive until I could take my long awaited trip to Lake Tahoe, the bluest, most gorgeous lake I have ever laid eyes on.   Each day of work leading up to that vacation felt longer and longer as the weeks went on.   Pixieland was hell, and about the same temperature too.   I didn’t think it was possible, but operating rides got even more tedious than before.   It felt like all the kids were plotting against me and riding my ride just to push my buttons.   I wanted to scream.   I thought the month of July would never end.   But finally, it did, and I was so...