Whenever people ask me where I am employed, I always get a delighted reaction each time I report that I work at a zoo. I then get bombarded with questions about the animals, and I finally have to say that I am not a zoo keeper. This factor however, does not stop me from feeling an immense sense of belonging and pride in a place that has been intrinsically weaved into my life since childhood.

The zoo has been a constant throughout my life. Though it continues to grow and develop the land and layout will forever resemble the original place that I walked through as a toddler. As a young child I was continuously delighted by the train, and various animals, taking a liking to Betsy the Bison who I would wave at as I passed by. In elementary school I once again returned with my girl scout troop to a zoo sleepover, where the sound of lions awoke me in the morning as I slept alongside reptiles and monkeys. In middle school I spent a week as a junior zookeeper, following around the keepers to see how they did their jobs. This experience made me want to be an employee myself, and as a young teen I volunteered for several years until I was old enough to apply for a real job. At 16, I applied and thus began my career at a place I knew I always was meant to be at.

Not many can say that they happily remained at their first job for years, but that is what I, and many others I worked with did. Walking into work each day I was not only greeted by people who soon grew to be some of my closest friends, but by the sounds of various animals ready for breakfast. Through new employees and old, ups and downs, my coworkers and I stuck by each other developing friendships that will last long after our work is done. We all shared one common denominator: our life was the zoo. Not to mention the fact that the summers brought us even closer (maybe too close) since we often saw each other 40 plus hours a week, every week for three months.

Regardless of the amount of time spent there, it is a place that has brought people together, employees and visitors alike. The best moments in the job were witnessing children light up when seeing an animal they never had before, or families genuinely enjoying themselves. Each year, excitement ensued as new baby editions were added to the menagerie of animals already exhibited. With baby orangutans, warthogs, and red pandas, among many others, people delight in being a part of the naming process, and for employees it was always a perk to know when the babies were born often before many others knew about it.

Though this zoo may not be the biggest or best, it will forever be a part of my life. Perhaps when I am older my old coworkers and I will reunite with our own children to visit a place that once was our whole world. When life is a zoo it gets wild, but it's good to know I have people to share it with.

To my zoo pals: "Zoo Squad for life"!