The tourist season at Yellowstone is almost at an end. My last day is October 4th and then I’m heading back home. It has definitely been an interesting year, for the world and here at Yellowstone.
Over the four months I’ve been here, I’ve seen people who refuse to wear their masks, and had some… unique interactions with them. A few weeks ago, I was on the door and someone tried to get in past me. I told her politely that she had to wear a mask to enter the building, but she accused me and the company I work for of “illegal practices.” She claimed to have a medical problem and can’t wear a mask. I’ve been told that we aren’t doing anything illegal, that this is for the health and safety for everyone. The woman yelled angrily at me, before turning away and leaving in a huff.
Recently, I was making a reservation for a man wanting to stay in the hotel. Several other employees were standing behind me, talking about the increased attendance to the park (it looked like the 4th of July, there were so many people), when a man came in and got one of my coworker’s attention. He wanted her to call the rangers, because he believed a crime had taken place. She asked him to put on a mask before she made the call and he immediately started yelling at her, saying that wearing masks was illegal. Both the guest I was helping and I looked up at that, our eyebrows raised. When she insisted that it was all perfectly legal, the screaming man stormed out, saying that he would call the rangers himself. I never saw him again for the rest of my shift, so I don’t know whether he was successful or not.
I’m glad I came and I met a lot of nice people, both my coworkers and guests. I’m going to miss every one of them when I leave. There have been so many kind and thoughtful people. A woman asked me a for a comment card a few days ago. She wanted to thank the maintenance workers who came to help her in her cabin. But, all in all, I’m going to be happy to head home. I’m homesick for my parents and our pets and, I’m ready to start the next phase of my life, hopefully as a successful author.