The final diary entry from a melancholy Team Leader Jake Westrich:

I can’t believe it’s over. One guy on my team asked Patrick [Gallo, SCA program manager] very early on how long the season might feel, and he was told it depends on his experience.

We had times where life was slow and times where it zoomed by. Now that it’s over, it definitely feels too short for me.

This past week was pretty much a continuation of the past two weeks. More hard labor, more coin, some R&R in the lounge, etc.

A couple of rare occurrences: I couldn’t be at work Monday due to flights being canceled while I was visiting home (Houston), but I made it up just yesterday. It was near freezing one day with dense, rain-like fog, and we had to leave a little early.

Our last day was very emotional. We did what we’d always done, though, and finished strong. Had a nice presentation at the end, and said our goodbyes.

All of it has left me pretty sad, but I’m also happy at the prospect of returning to all of these locations again one day. It’s been a great ride!

Read more about the SCA Roving Trail Team’s adventures at thesca.org/rove.