Bittersweet Goodbye

I am writing this blog as a last chance for me to say thank you, goodbye and how great it was to meet all of you. Throughout my past four summers working at Seagull Outfitters I have met an abundance of faces and personalities that I could never forget. The outreach of customers I have had in the last couple weeks since I left Seagull Outfitters is incredible. My parents came up to Seagull a few days before I left to help me pack, take in a little more of the Northern solitude and to relax with Deb and Dave a few more nights. We had a blast eating burgers and playing darts. From there, I headed back to St. Cloud where I had a postcard waiting for me from a Seagull customer, Linda... and have received a couple since. Today, I was fortunate enough to get a call from long time Seagull customer, Jim, who was passing through Duluth. We were able to meet down at Grandma's restaurant and have a nice lunch. Prior to leaving Seagull I received endless support for my grad school endeavors and was reassured it would be worth it!... I hope reading over 100 pages each day is worth it! :) All of the support warms my heart and I look forward to crossing paths with many of you in the future.

 

I truly want to thank Deb and Dave for everything... mostly for putting up with me for four years!... For those of you that know me, that can be quite the difficult task!! The success of Seagull Outfitters became so evident to me after working so closely with each of them. They put their heart and souls into their business day in and day out... working from sun up to sun down. If I gained a small portion of their work ethic, organization, and drive, I know I too can be successful in grad school and beyond. I learned so much about how to run a successful business that I began to wonder what I was doing going to grad school for Exercise Physiology rather than Business Management. It will one day take an extremely special person to continue the success Deb has started. They are hands down my second parents and there are not enough words to thank them for all they have done for me! The two of them have been there for me endless nights and I appreciate it so much.

I miss Seagull Lake already but I guess living on Lake Superior for the next year will have to work. I already look forward to future visits up the Gunflint Trail and to one day tell my kids the great stories of the amazing friends and customers I met while working at Seagull Outfitters.

Such a bittersweeeeeet goodbye,

Katelyn

Fall Foliage

Yellowing leaves over at our Paddler's Lodge

The leaves are just starting to turn up here in the Northwoods! We're excited to watch the wilderness change its attire even though it means that things are starting to quiet down. As the season slows, our staff has been cut in half and we're missing all the kids that usually come through now that they're back in school! Katelyn, who just finished her fourth and final year as a Seagull staffer just started her graduate program in Exercise Science in Duluth. Three of our other staffers headed back to college last week as well, leaving just four of us. Although they'll be missed, we're loving the dropping temperatures and changing landscapes. It's a beautiful time of year to head out into the woods -- hardly any bugs, comfortable weather, and amazing scenery. We're making the most of the time we have left! Here's a picture from my camping trip last week:

Sunrise on Seagull Lake

With just over three weeks left in the season, you've still got a chance to make it up here for a quick fall getaway before the school year gets into full swing! Or, begin planning your vacation for next season. We've already begun to book cabins and canoe trips for 2013!


Thanks for reading, and we hope to see you soon!

Katie