Crewmember drilling into a fence that lines a lake 

April 25, 2019 | I joined the conservation corps to get away from people. I’ve always thought that I needed solitude. A week of quiet work away in the woods is what I needed to be happy. 

That is not what I got. I have been surrounded by seven others for the last couple months. When I wake up they are all there, and they remain there until I go to bed. 

I’ve learned two things. I was wrong about what I needed, and I may be the luckiest man in the world. I’ve been bonded to seven of the funniest, most genuine, hard working, caring beautiful souls on this earth. I am blessed. 

I have laughed more in the past months than I have in the last five years combined. I feel alive in my skin. I am free, and they are with me. We express ourselves however we wish. We are a beautiful group of bandits fighting for the good of the earth. 

My heart is full and I’m happy. 

-Blake Johnson, Crew 949