Adventures in Alaska: Taking things one day at at time :)

Hi Everyone!

I've been sitting here trying to think of a fun or witty way to start this post, but it's 12:30AM and I've got nothing. This is probably going to be a pretty straight forward post, but hey! At least it's an update!

To be honest, life right now is good...really really good! School ended on a pretty great note, I have been checking things off my "Alaska Bucket List," my summer job is going very well...and there's a whole lot more I'll delve into in a bit, but ... I'm homesick. I miss home a lot. I miss my friends, I miss my dad and sisters more than words, I haven't really had the opportunity to spend much quality time with the Kijowski's or Gaggini's in the past two years (with some exceptions, but you catch my drift), I really need to spend a day at PNC park, and I just want to sit around the campfire and watch the incredible Pennsylvania Stars. I love Alaska, and I can't express the gratitude I feel for everything I have gained in the 2 years I have been here, but sometimes living on and island is suffocating. I don't mean to sound pessimistic, but it's a very real struggle that I have been dealing with for a while now. I have also come to the realisation that I really miss my mom. Does that sound funny? That I just came to the realisation? I suppose I should rephrase that. I think about, and miss my mom on a daily basis, but I've gotten in the habit of not really talking about it. It makes me sad, it makes other people sad. It hurts that all my amazing friends here don't know my mom, that they never will. And to be honest, I am homesick. I am growing up, and I am facing new trails daily, and I just want to call up my mom, someone who knows me through and through, and has the years of wisdom to back up her words, and cry to her, talk to her, laugh with her...especially laugh with her. Gosh, I miss her laugh.

Wow...that is really not how I expected this post to go, but I guess you can tell what has been on my mind! I am going to try to switch things up and go in a more positive direction!

I think the most exciting thing to report to everyone is that I have successfully made it through my 2nd year of teaching, and honestly, in quite a few ways we went out with a bang! In years past the Tongass School has ended their school year with a school talent show. I tried that last year, and it went pretty well, but I wanted to do something different to represent the music program. This year we had an end of the year concert where each grade did a musical theater song, and the 6th graders introduced each act by doing skits inbetween. It went REALLY well. I seriusly can't epxress how proud of my students I am. They completely blew me away. I have had strangers come up to me in the grocery store and tell me how well they thought the kids did. The day after the concert I told one of my classes that we were going to have a free day, and they asked me if they could perform their song again instead of playing games or watching a movie. I was shocked. I can't express how validating that feels.

So on the weekends I have been working my summer job as a guide for the Alaska Hummer Tours. It has been gong really well, but have no fear, some of my quirky luck has followed me and my quirky personality!! The very first day, I get to the "Duck Barn" which is where the Hummers are parked, and I go out to check my Hummer. I was assigned to "Yellow" which I was pretty pumped about because well a.) it's a Hummer and b.) it's bright yellow. What's not to be excited about that!?!? So I get in, I have my check list ready, I turn the key...nothing...I turn the key again...nothing. Seriously!? A dead battery on my very first day!? I kinda wanted to scream...but I didn't! I called my boss, but the amazing guys I work with were already on it. One of the other Hummer drivers and one of the Duck Tour drivers were bringing out a battery thing (whatever that technical name is... I don't know) to charge me up. They (unlike me) remained calm, and fixed everything. They were pretty much my heros that day! But don't worry, this story gets SOOOO much better. So I was a little late getting to the docks to pick up my guests because of the battery thing and I was a little flustered! But I didn't really have time to calm down because as soon as I got to the docks my guests were unloading and ready to go! "Ok," I told myself, "Stay calm you can do this" We get loaded up, and away we go! Honestly, these were the most amazing and friendliest people I could ever ask for. It was a middle aged couple, and an older couple. They were upbeat, positive, friendly, and so entertaining. We start on our tour and everything is going great! Then I realize...Oh my goodness! I still have 2 hours with these people, and I am pretty much out of things to say!!.... ..... .... ... "And here is our Wal-Mart!!! No, it is not 24 hrs! Oh and here you will find the only Carwash on the island, but don't try to shampoo your carpets, because it is always out of order!" I wish I was joking right now, but that is literally what I was resorting to! So I had this brilliant idea! We are going to go on a little nature walk. This is a little awful, but I was thinking, ok they are a little older, this will take some time! So I head back the road toward the trail and there is a State Trooper flagging me down. I start to panic! Crap! If he is about to tell me I can't take them back this trail, I have no clue what I am going to do for the next 2 hours!!!! So I slow down, and roll down my window and the conversation went something like this:
Trooper: Oh... You're doing a tour
Me: I am, is there a problem officer
Trooper: Well, are there any strong guys in there? I need some help lifting something
Me: Well, they are my guests, I don't really feel comfortable asking. But I am a lot stronger than I look. What do you need help with, I would be happy to help.
Trooper: Well, I have a deer here that was hit by a car. The homeless shelter is low on meat so we are going to take it there, and I have it loaded into a bag, but I can't get it into my SUV by myself
Me: Ok ( hesitantly) I can help with that (In my head I was thinking, don't be a wuss in front of your guests)
Guest in the back: Can I help!? I want to help!? Can I help the Alaska State Trooper!? I can help!
Me: Ok! Let's help the trooper!

So...I pull the Hummer over, we all jump out, and the three of us load the deer into his SUV, he makes small talk about where we are going, thanks us profusely and then we all go on our merry way. But wait this gets better! So we go up the road, we go on our nature walk (That thankfully takes a nice chunk of time) and when we get back to the parking lot, our friend the trooper is waiting for us. He came back to thank us one more time, and gave us all Alaska Jr. Trooper pins and keychains. They were so excited, and to be honest, it was pretty cool! I'm just gonna throw this out there, but my guest totally had the best story to take back to their ship! :-D The next weekend went just as well, although I haven't encountered anymore dead deer...or dead batteries! They have let me drive the Yellow Hummer everytime, and let me tell you, we've bonded. I feel pretty awesome in that thing. I tend not to be an over aggressive drive, and that still holds true in my Hummer, but it's super bright, and you can see my coming for a mile away. I don't know, it's like an alternate personality comes out and I'm super confident when I'm driving that thing on tours. "Oh you want to see a crab, ok, I'll flip over this incredibly large rock and pick up a baby crab for you and act like it's no big deal even though I am secretly afraid of them...no big deal I got this!" Maybe I'm being slightly ridiculous, but I'm kinda ok with that! :)

So this week is the first official week of summer, and the weather has been AMAZING. One of my very good friends is childless for a few weeks (her children are visiting their grandparents down south) So we have been trying to do a daily hike. On Monday we hiked Perseverance Trail. Now I know that this probably means nothing to a lot of you, but this is a trial I have wanted to do for a REALLY long time. I'm not the best hiker though. I really enjoy hiking, but I am slow and I know that. Also... I live in the mountains, which means the majority of the trails go up. You know, I'm not really a huge fan of just up. I was told this trail has a lot of steps (which I think is even harder than just up) and that it was long. Jenn talked me into trying it on Monday, and I'm not gonna lie, we were about .... 10 minutes in of constant "up" and I was thinking in my head, I don't know how I'm gonna break this to Jenn, but there is no way I am going to make it to this lake. Honestly,
it wasn't that bad!!! The first bit was a lot of up, but they redid the trail a little bit ago and they took out all the steps. They added some switchbacks or maybe they have always been there, I don't know, but they weren't crazy steep switchbacks, they were gradual. The trail was long, but it wasn't the longest I have ever hiked, and when we finally got to the lake, I felt such a sense of accomplishment and it was one of the most breathtakingly gorgeous views I have ever seen. I'll post some pictures, but they just don't do it justice. I know a lot of Ketchikan people hike this trail without batting an eye, but for me it was a big deal, and I was pretty pumped. I have a ton of trails I want to work on this summer, and I am pretty excited I already get to check one off my list. I have some family coming later in the summer (Trish and Jim!!!) and I think we are going to tackle this trail again.

Today I did an easy trail around Ward Lake, but it is one of my favorite trails, and it's so pretty there. I did it with Maggie who is an 8 year old, and one of my favorite people in Ketchikan. I know I have talked a lot about Matt and Nicole (Matt teaches with me at TSAS and is the Flyers fan... I don't get it either, but I try not to hold it agains him, and Nicole is his incredible wife) They are two of the most amazing people, and have become more than family to me. Maggie is their daughter, and she is pretty fabulous. They also have a pretty fantastic son, but he didn't go on the hike with us today. It's really interesting walking around the lake with an 8 year old. You notice things in a very different way, and seeing things like squirrels make the trip take on a whole new level of excitement. It was fun and honestly, it was just what I needed today.

I know there is so much more that I want to share, but it is getting really late, and I have a doctors appointment in the morning. I sprained my ankle a few weeks back and it's not exactly healing the way I want it to (maybe the hike wasn't my smartest move, but oh so worth it) Anyway, I just want to get it checked out and make sure it's just a sprain and that there is not any long term damage. As always I will leave you with a few pictures at the end! Thanks for continuing to check in with me even though I am so awful about updating! I love and miss you all, more than I could possibly explain!

Always,
Kate

These first 5 are from an AMAZING sunset the other night

Totem Bight (6/10/13)

North Point Higgins (6/10/13)

Lily pads on Perseverance Trail (6/10/13)

One of my first views of the lake (6/10/13)

LOOK....SUN!! (6/10/13)

The Lake (6/10/13)

(6/10/13)

Me and Jenn (6/10/13)

Relaxing by the lake! (6/10/13)

(6/10/13)

This happens a lot here. We don't have a lot of top soil so a lot of trees are uprooted by the wind. This is a pretty new one, but it will shortly become a nurse log, which means a lot of other trees and bushes will start to grow on top of it. It's pretty cool! :) (6/10/13)

I took a random drive up Brown Mountain the other night, and it was pretty incredible.

Brown Mountain (6/5/13)

Me and Maggie at the lake! (6/12/13)

Today at Ward Lake (6/12/13)

See! I'm a Junior State Trooper! (5/19/13)

Team Katie!! (Myself and Katie - another TSAS Teacher) at Beach Day!! 5/20/13

Memorial day weekend at Ward Lake. There was a Thunderstorm (which is really rare) and an incredible double rainbow. The sky kept changing, but I thought the way the mountains were reflecting in the lake was pretty awesome!

Ward Lake - 5/27/13