You will never truly appreciate time-off until you have worked 23 hours of the day-which is the norm for Pali. Instructors get 1.5 hours off per day (sometimes less, we had some zip line time that ran late) and there are some weekends that need workers and you get guilt-tripped into working them. 75% in-cabin does not sound like a lot until you are in a situation where you begin to dread the start of work. It's simply too exhausting.
Everyone burns out. Everyone. Burns. Out. The negative energy seeps through the staff so even if you have a better positive attitude than most, your time will come. How could it not, if you have so little time to recuperate? The staff gets sick all at once and you need to keep working. The admin can be good, but eventually you realize that those who make it past 2 seasons are essentially the ones to move up-so it's not really on skills and suitability and more like timing for how long you last.
It's difficult to not leave this place with some bitterness. I came in with a positive attitude and I am glad to have done it but I will never go back again.
Also, there are mountain lions. It was a deterrent to trying to go for runs!
