Planning for Alaska

While I am here in Vermont my head is in Alaska. Like I had before joining the Peace Corps, I'm hearing in my head 'what did you get yourself into?!' Of course before any new beginning there's a little back pedaling. I'm a drifter and a dreamer, I lead a manageably unstable life. Most people who know what I do think it's fascinating that I've been able to live in this non traditional manner, but they don't find it cool enough to do themselves. I understand, having that security of knowing that you're going to be living somewhere for a year, signing a lease, fully unpacking, having your things on the wall... however, I don't need that right now. I don't need to set down roots now. This does not mean that I rush into every new opportunity without a little hesitancy.

At first the whole 'live on a glacier, work with sled dogs, hand out puppies to tourists' sounds AMAZING but after mulling it over for a little while I'm beginning to see how intense this has the potential of being. They asked if I could wake up early, not a problem, working as a breakfast waitress has trained me to be on my game in the wee hours of the morning. Working in the wilderness, I've done that. The things that are now seeming to be daunting are the 1:10 human dog ratio (I thought just woody and buster were a handful!), necessary equipment includes a -20 sleeping bag, holy moly that's cold, and commuting via helicopter once a week into town to shower/ restock on anything I'm going to need (hope I don't forget anything!). Just getting there is going to be a journey in itself. If I have to go to Skagway instead of Juneau I fly into Juneau, then take a ferry to Haines, then from there take a ferry to Skagway. This traveling looks as if it might rival my journey from Cotonou, Benin to Rutland, Vermont. While I've taken some nastier bush taxi rides this is going to be up there with some other travel extravaganzas. Once it takes me longer than 24 hours to reach a destination I know it's going to be a story.

I know it will turn out fine, but these are things that are running through my head mixed with the excitement of a new adventure.