This morning the camp host here at the fairgrounds came over and had us fill out and sign a bunch of paperwork for Express Employment. Then she told us to go to the hotel where they set up the orientation.
When we got there, there was a roomful of us Workampers. We watched a video all about safety and how to do things, and then they called a couple at a time over to a table to go through our paperwork and make sure we understood everything. What I found almost more useful than the actual orientation was visiting with the other folks at our table. Some of them have been coming to do the sugar beet harvest for several years and were able to give us some idea of what it’s like. They were equally as interested in hearing about our summer in Alaska. (Mike and Rose, I told one couple to contact you about next summer.)
One thing we learned is that we need really good boots with good tread for the job. Mark has some, but I didn’t until today. We went to a farm and hardware store and I got a pair of very expensive boots. I hope they prove to be worth the money!
Other things we found out: We have another orientation on the job itself on Friday, but our job doesn’t start for real until October 1st; Saturday the folks here at the fairgrounds are going to have a potluck; and we got a map of Sidney showing where everything we need is.
I also talked with a young woman who looks like she’s in her early 20’s. She’s one of those who has worked here for several seasons. She said there’s a group of young folk who boondock (camp with no hook-ups) in another location. She and her friend have a pickup camper and I guess there are some tent-ers and such who need to be able to have fires to cook over and there are no fires allowed here at the fairgrounds. I asked her how she got involved in Workamping and she said that three years ago she and a friend wanted to spend a year seeing the country. They heard about Workamping and decided that would be a good way to fund their trip and see the country. Now she brings different friends with her every year. She is proof positive that we aren’t all elderly has-beens. We were sitting at a table with four people, none of whom looked a day over thirty, if that. Workamping is for the young and the young at heart!