Expedition Journal Entry 1

SEARCH FOR A NEW HOME

I don’t remember my home. When I was just a baby, a beast drove my family and the rest of the Crypto Yeti Nation out of the mountain where we used to live. The beast is the reason I’ve grown up here at what I like to call, The Temporary Lodge, or Temp Lodge for short. It’s actually not very temporary because we’ve been here for 16 years. We’ve set this up as a little base camp while we search for a new mountain home.

With so many mountains around you might wonder if we are actually looking that hard, but it’s tricker than you think. We can’t set up home on any old hill. We need a mountain that has enough caves for everyone in the nation, and is isolated to keep us protected from the beast. It would also be a plus if the mountain had some nice slopes for skiing. It’s kind of a yeti thing.

Whenever my dad talks about abandoning the old mountain, he always tells the same story. The beast was rampaging through the caves and everyone was scrambling to grab what they could and get out. He says he had to make a split second decision between grabbing his favorite woolen socks or my parents wedding photos. He grabbed the photos and says he’s regretted that decision ever since. My mom says that’s not what happened, but either way we made it here and have been living at the Temp Lodge ever since.

The Temp Lodge isn’t so bad. It’s got a game room, lots of books, and really anything you could want, but I’m bored of it here. I’m ready to be on an expedition team, to be out there exploring, and helping find our new home. Instead I’m stuck here waxing all the explorers skis. Pretty soon I won’t have to wax anybody's skis. I’m almost old enough to go out on the expeditions.

To be an explorer you have to be one of the bravest, smartest, and toughest yetis. That makes me a perfect fit. Any day now, the leader of the exploration team is going to choose the new recruits. I’ve been preparing my whole life for this. The only thing I’m missing is a good pair of explorer skis, but I’m pretty sure my mom has been making me a pair. She was trying to keep it a secret for my birthday, but she made me stand still for all these measurements. She said it was for a new sweater she was knitting, but I’m not buying it. I can’t wait to see them. My mom is the best ski builder around. Everyone comes to her to get their skis repaired. She’s been teaching me so I can take her place, but I’d rather be an explorer.

Well, I’m on firewood collecting duty tonight and I’ve got to go get it done before it gets too dark, hopefully this is the last time.