I have heard it said that “If you want to find your place in this world, then go to Glacier National Park” I personally can attest to this statement. I considered my road to Glacier Park to be much different than most. However, had it not been for this park I would not have found what I believe my calling to be, and would have not learned what I know about the importance of alone time and reflection in the Christian faith.

My journey to Glacier stared in the need for a personal escape and was rather impulsive, in March of 2019, my fiancé had broken off our engagement and needless to say I was heart broken. My sister unwittingly showed me the website “coolworks.com” where I came across ACMNP. I knew that for me, I no longer wanted to live where I was after forcibly inheriting the bachelor lifestyle again, so, I applied. From my application to the first day of work in the park was about six weeks. Glacier was not a park I wanted to go to, in fact I had never even heard of it until I was assigned to this blissful Eden on the far reaches of the Great Plains.  While I established my residency there I came to know great people from all across the globe totaling more than 6 different countries and languages!

I soon became familiar of John Muir and some of his famous quotes, “The Mountains are calling, so I must go” and “Into the forest I go to lose my mind and find my soul.”  I fell in love with the latter as I hiked a little over 300 miles in four months while working a full time job. However, after a hike I was driving back to my room and was staring at Mt Gould off in the distance I finally understood the call of the mountains, and how they ever so gently whispered my name, begging me to come back in their midst.

To me, Glacier National Park is a place of solitude, had I not been assigned this park and not gotten away from the outside world and all the distractions that it brings I would not have grown in my Faith. I learned the importance of reflections as I wrote every night about the day I had. I know I would not have gotten as good therapy sessions about my new singleness as only the mountains, glaciers, lakes, valleys, hikes, laughs, and fully seeing the milky way can provide. After leaving Glacier I knew, with some thought and prayer, what I was going to do with my life, something that I was always so uncertain about, and that is to be a Fire Fighter. Now I can say that I have received an offer of Employment with a Fire Department and I know for certain that this direction is only by the grace of GOD. I prayed for his direction in my life and I am certain that it is this, and I believe that he put me with this specific department I am with for this specific time in the momentous period of history that we find our selves in today.

I just wanted to say thank you to ACMNP and whoever placed me in Glacier National Park, this time serving ultimately changed the course and trajectory of my life.

Zachary Bobbitt, Lake McDonald, GNP ‘19