I had intended to update everyone once a week, but unfortunately things get in the way. Today I came in to work at seven to find that I did not actually have to be here until nine thirty, so I have some extra time on my hands.
A lot has changed in the last month and a half. I now reside alone. I like my apartment, I don't like the exorbitant cost of rent here. One thing it HAS taught me is how to budget. Anyone who knows me knows that I am HORRIBLE with money, but living in such an expensive place has taught me how to plan ahead so that I can make rent. It also helps that we only get paid once a month. Now if I could only learn how to save.
The last couple of weeks the weather wise have been rough! I see everyone's pictures back home in bathing suits and sun dresses and I get a little jealous. It is usually about fifty degrees and then add in a lot of rain and wind. The word today is that later in the afternoon the wind should be up to about sixty five knots. Working out on the docks is not always ideal. My "waterproof" boots cannot withstand the Ketchikan rain. Tomorrow I will be picking up a pair of Extratuffs... the Alaskan choice of footwear.
Everyday I feel more like an "Alaskan". I caught a King Salmon, I've set out multiple crab pots, I will soon own a pair of Extratuffs and I dress appropriately. My newest pet peeve is seeing people come off the ships wearing short shorts and tank tops and asking me if I think the rain will stop. Just because you are on the Royal Caribbean cruise does not mean you are in the Caribbean. Also when we talk about the south here, we mean Seattle and I use the phrase, "the lower forty eight" now too.
Every time I get homesick for sun I remind myself of where I am. I live in the Tongass Narrows and have the luxury of both mountains and sea. I spend my days off kayaking, going to crab feasts, riding jeeps on old logging roads, and staying at remote cabins in the woods. I am truly lucky. I can feel that I am changing and growing as a person and I am curious as to how I will see home when I come back.
My next planned stop is hopefully going to be Hawaii. I see myself in January mixing cocktails at some sort of resort pool in my bathing suit. If not that, then a concierge job. I've also thought about working on a cruise, but I don't know if a can commit to working everyday for six months straight and not having a place to get away from the "creepy cruisers." Next winter I am thinking Yosemite. I miss rock climbing!!!
I'm so blessed with all the friends I have made here. I don't know that I could brave the wild without them. I had a wonderful dinner party last night and it is always comforting to fill my home with food and friends. The white king salmon and dungeness crab I caught was enough to feed ten and I only cooked up half the fish!! Looks like I might be having another smaller gathering planned for tonight. I don't think I will be able to eat salmon anywhere else again. And pulling up a crab pot, cracking it open on the dock and boiling it up in the sea water is heavenly.
Amber and I spend quite a bit of time together. If she hadn't shown up here this season I might be back in St. Louis moping about how I gave up the opportunity to live in Alaska just because I got dumped. She and I have the same sense of humor and have similar backgrounds in the useless degree category. Hopefully we will make it to Hawaii together.
As much as being left hurt, I definitely think it was for the best. I have more freedom now to discover new things about myself and come closer to the person I want to be. I also like only having to answer for myself. I've needed to learn how to be alone for a long time and this is as good a time as any. It's not easy. Most of the time I hate it, but I know that eventually that will change.
The parade here starts at eleven and tonight fireworks will be going off at the top of Deer Mountain. What a place to be to celebrate the Fourth of July.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
The end of training... the beginning of training.
Greeting from Ketchikan!!
I have to keep this one super short, although I have much to say. Unfortunately I do not have the internet at my house. I am a friends and Alaska charges the internet somewhat like phones: by the minute or something. I can't quite wrap my head around it. Anyhow, a brief recap of the week and the weeks to come.
This week was our training week at Spirit of Alaska Tours. My official title is tour coordinator. Unofficial title is dock girl. We direct tourists off the boats and on to their buses to "experience" Alaska in 6 hours. I don't think I have any desire to ever go on a cruise. I had trouble believing my boss when she told me that we would sometimes have problems with weights on our float plains being that the maximum weight is 1500 per plane, six people to a plane. That is 250 pounds per person. On my first day I was proved wrong. Cruisers are large!
Being that I will be telling thousands of people about our various tours, we spent the majority of our training doing the tours, and I got paid for them! We started with zip lining through the rain forest (where Benjamin is a guide) rode Adventure Karts through the mountains, had a crab feast at George Inlet Lodge and rounded out the trip with a float plane trip through the Misty Fjord's which brought me to tears.
With training for work over, my own outdoor training has begun. I am reading "The Bible" which is A Mountaineer's Guide and it truly details everything that you could ever want to know about hiking, backpacking, climbing, etc.
Benjamin, Krystal, Kiera, and I climbed Mt. Minerva on one of my half days this week. It was my first summit ever and one that I will never forget. There were many lessons learned.
One: going up is not always the hardest part.
Two: Snow is fun for awhile, but not so much when you are not properly dressed for it. Freezing feet and a sweaty upper half is not a fun combination.
Three: Bring sunglasses and sunblock.
Four: DO NOT LEAVE THE TRAIL EVEN IF YOU ARE WITH STRONG HIKERS. A strong hiker is not necessarily a smart one. We ended up getting fed up with the snow and it was suggested we cut across the mountain to the road we set our compass to. I for one wanted to stick to the trail, but did not speak up enough.
Five: Learn to use a compass and read a topography map. Luckily Benjamin excells at that.
Six: Bushwhacking is not very fun, it's exhausting and when twilight is approaching it is a bit scary as well (DISCLAIMER: at no point were ever in danger! Just uncomfortable).
Seven: Stay calm and positive. Nobody likes a negative nancy on the trail.
We finally made it to a road and were able to hitch a ride into town. The girls are powerhouses, both claiming they felt like they could go for a jog. I, being the slowest of the group, find that slightly hard to believe, although they both have grown up in the mountains. I grew up in the midwest.
After that day I have decided to go into training. Not only will I be a smart outdoorswoman, but a strong one. I do push ups and sit ups through out the day and will jog the trails with my pack on my days off. I also happen to live next to a horrifically horrid hill to climb after work, but will begin to go up and down up and down as many times as I can with my pack full.
Wish me luck. I've never put this much effort into anything, but I guess I've never wanted anything this much.
Sidenote: Call me, people!! You can't have forgotten me this quickly.
As for now, good bye until my next post. I'm sure new adventures will arise soon!
I have to keep this one super short, although I have much to say. Unfortunately I do not have the internet at my house. I am a friends and Alaska charges the internet somewhat like phones: by the minute or something. I can't quite wrap my head around it. Anyhow, a brief recap of the week and the weeks to come.
This week was our training week at Spirit of Alaska Tours. My official title is tour coordinator. Unofficial title is dock girl. We direct tourists off the boats and on to their buses to "experience" Alaska in 6 hours. I don't think I have any desire to ever go on a cruise. I had trouble believing my boss when she told me that we would sometimes have problems with weights on our float plains being that the maximum weight is 1500 per plane, six people to a plane. That is 250 pounds per person. On my first day I was proved wrong. Cruisers are large!
Being that I will be telling thousands of people about our various tours, we spent the majority of our training doing the tours, and I got paid for them! We started with zip lining through the rain forest (where Benjamin is a guide) rode Adventure Karts through the mountains, had a crab feast at George Inlet Lodge and rounded out the trip with a float plane trip through the Misty Fjord's which brought me to tears.
With training for work over, my own outdoor training has begun. I am reading "The Bible" which is A Mountaineer's Guide and it truly details everything that you could ever want to know about hiking, backpacking, climbing, etc.
Benjamin, Krystal, Kiera, and I climbed Mt. Minerva on one of my half days this week. It was my first summit ever and one that I will never forget. There were many lessons learned.
One: going up is not always the hardest part.
Two: Snow is fun for awhile, but not so much when you are not properly dressed for it. Freezing feet and a sweaty upper half is not a fun combination.
Three: Bring sunglasses and sunblock.
Four: DO NOT LEAVE THE TRAIL EVEN IF YOU ARE WITH STRONG HIKERS. A strong hiker is not necessarily a smart one. We ended up getting fed up with the snow and it was suggested we cut across the mountain to the road we set our compass to. I for one wanted to stick to the trail, but did not speak up enough.
Five: Learn to use a compass and read a topography map. Luckily Benjamin excells at that.
Six: Bushwhacking is not very fun, it's exhausting and when twilight is approaching it is a bit scary as well (DISCLAIMER: at no point were ever in danger! Just uncomfortable).
Seven: Stay calm and positive. Nobody likes a negative nancy on the trail.
We finally made it to a road and were able to hitch a ride into town. The girls are powerhouses, both claiming they felt like they could go for a jog. I, being the slowest of the group, find that slightly hard to believe, although they both have grown up in the mountains. I grew up in the midwest.
After that day I have decided to go into training. Not only will I be a smart outdoorswoman, but a strong one. I do push ups and sit ups through out the day and will jog the trails with my pack on my days off. I also happen to live next to a horrifically horrid hill to climb after work, but will begin to go up and down up and down as many times as I can with my pack full.
Wish me luck. I've never put this much effort into anything, but I guess I've never wanted anything this much.
Sidenote: Call me, people!! You can't have forgotten me this quickly.
As for now, good bye until my next post. I'm sure new adventures will arise soon!
Sunday, May 1, 2011
It's been a week...
We are officially residents of Ketchikan, Alaska.
I apologize ahead of time for how jumbled this will probably be.
There are so many things to say about this place. The words that come to mind that describe it best to me are mystic and surreal. From the moment the clouds and mist parted on the plane and I got my first look at the Pacific Ocean and the snow topped mountains until now that is how I've felt.
Today is Benjamin's first day of training. I start tomorrow and am very excited. For now, though, I am sitting in Ketchikan Coffee Company, which seems the be the only "cool" place in town. There is a mirror in front of me and every so often I look up and see the reflection of the harbor, the misty rain and mountains. All the tables are full and I can already spot who is a local and who is working here for the season.
I grabbed a twenty before I left our apartment, grabbed my pack full of about 20 pounds of laundry, and strapped my laptop on. We've probably walked about 50 plus miles since we got here so I opted to take the bus, which was free through April. I realized stepping on the bus that today is May 1st, and no they don't have change. All is well, a nice couple paid my fare, making my day.
Although everything is harder here, i.e. getting around, groceries, transportation to and from work, it makes everything taste so much sweeter. Everyday I wake up with a smile and I feel proud of myself, something I haven't felt for a long time. I ran 2.6 miles the other day! Anyone that knows me knows that I have NEVER ran over a mile and when I did, it was forced on me by evil gym teachers in high school... and I walked most of it.
It's been about two months since I've quit smoking, which feels great. However, it has caused my appetite to go crazy and I'm eating all the time. In two months I've gained about ten pounds. I am at the weight that I have always wanted to be, BUT I'd rather have it be muscle weight and not this layer of fat I've acquired. So I've been trying to work out and eat healthier. I knew one day that my metabolism would finally catch up to me: cue fat people with evil laughs.
The people are strange,but very friendly. Every one nods, but does not say hello. The women are generally over weight. I think it is because there are quite literally 10 men to everyone 1 woman, so I'm guessing they don't have to try very hard. The men are burly and have beards. The teenagers are freakish looking. They are all scrawny, pale, and their eyes are set far apart. Freaks I tell you. I think its some weird mix between the white people, the natives, and the Filipino's.
The restaurants are ridiculous. "Authentic Mexican Food: Best Pizza in town!" and "Thai Fare and Hotdogs!" Most of the places are mediocre at best, but I don't mind too much. I love cooking and we won't spend as much money. Although I know that daily I will be tempted with sushi for lunch.... Courage!
I can see why people come here with the intention of only working for the season and end up staying forever. It's a magical place. When you go to the grocery store instead of seeing seagulls circling the parking lot you see raven's and bald eagles. I've been told when the salmon run begins we will be seeing blue, humpback, and orca whales in the harbor. You treasure the sunny days, but the rainy ones are beautiful in there own way too. Don't worry, though. I won't be staying. I have many more adventures to come.
Speaking of adventures, I guess I will end my first post with this: I encourage everyone to start their adventure today. I've come up with excuse after excuse for years as to why I shouldn't. A guy, depression, and just plain being a self sabotager. I've watched friends move to Korea, Thailand, New York, California, South America, and Europe and I stayed behind. And here I am now, taking large strides in becoming a stronger, better, happier person. It's a beautiful world and I want to see all of it.
I apologize ahead of time for how jumbled this will probably be.
There are so many things to say about this place. The words that come to mind that describe it best to me are mystic and surreal. From the moment the clouds and mist parted on the plane and I got my first look at the Pacific Ocean and the snow topped mountains until now that is how I've felt.
Today is Benjamin's first day of training. I start tomorrow and am very excited. For now, though, I am sitting in Ketchikan Coffee Company, which seems the be the only "cool" place in town. There is a mirror in front of me and every so often I look up and see the reflection of the harbor, the misty rain and mountains. All the tables are full and I can already spot who is a local and who is working here for the season.
I grabbed a twenty before I left our apartment, grabbed my pack full of about 20 pounds of laundry, and strapped my laptop on. We've probably walked about 50 plus miles since we got here so I opted to take the bus, which was free through April. I realized stepping on the bus that today is May 1st, and no they don't have change. All is well, a nice couple paid my fare, making my day.
Although everything is harder here, i.e. getting around, groceries, transportation to and from work, it makes everything taste so much sweeter. Everyday I wake up with a smile and I feel proud of myself, something I haven't felt for a long time. I ran 2.6 miles the other day! Anyone that knows me knows that I have NEVER ran over a mile and when I did, it was forced on me by evil gym teachers in high school... and I walked most of it.
It's been about two months since I've quit smoking, which feels great. However, it has caused my appetite to go crazy and I'm eating all the time. In two months I've gained about ten pounds. I am at the weight that I have always wanted to be, BUT I'd rather have it be muscle weight and not this layer of fat I've acquired. So I've been trying to work out and eat healthier. I knew one day that my metabolism would finally catch up to me: cue fat people with evil laughs.
The people are strange,but very friendly. Every one nods, but does not say hello. The women are generally over weight. I think it is because there are quite literally 10 men to everyone 1 woman, so I'm guessing they don't have to try very hard. The men are burly and have beards. The teenagers are freakish looking. They are all scrawny, pale, and their eyes are set far apart. Freaks I tell you. I think its some weird mix between the white people, the natives, and the Filipino's.
The restaurants are ridiculous. "Authentic Mexican Food: Best Pizza in town!" and "Thai Fare and Hotdogs!" Most of the places are mediocre at best, but I don't mind too much. I love cooking and we won't spend as much money. Although I know that daily I will be tempted with sushi for lunch.... Courage!
I can see why people come here with the intention of only working for the season and end up staying forever. It's a magical place. When you go to the grocery store instead of seeing seagulls circling the parking lot you see raven's and bald eagles. I've been told when the salmon run begins we will be seeing blue, humpback, and orca whales in the harbor. You treasure the sunny days, but the rainy ones are beautiful in there own way too. Don't worry, though. I won't be staying. I have many more adventures to come.
Speaking of adventures, I guess I will end my first post with this: I encourage everyone to start their adventure today. I've come up with excuse after excuse for years as to why I shouldn't. A guy, depression, and just plain being a self sabotager. I've watched friends move to Korea, Thailand, New York, California, South America, and Europe and I stayed behind. And here I am now, taking large strides in becoming a stronger, better, happier person. It's a beautiful world and I want to see all of it.
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