I missed summer, but I don't miss summer

Things are starting to wind down at the docks of Kenai Fjords Tours, so I have escaped for two days. That means one for hiking AND one for catching up, which is why I find myself here at a computer at long last. Now that the snow has finally cleared off of the mountains, it's time to hit the trails. Oh, wait- summer's over now. It's cold out at night and the sun sets a whole lot earlier. Well, that was brief- sorry I blinked and missed it!

Well, I've learned up here that I really don't care for hot weather all that much, and that the rain is really neat... but boy, do I miss swimming. I've been jumping into Ressurrection Bay on our tour sometimes when we stop for dinner at Fox Island and all of our 140-odd passengers head up to the lodge for their salmon bake dinner. It is a little brisk, and (perhaps fortunately) I don't have all that much time to wallow around in the waves like an under-buoyant sea otter, so I only kind of get my fix. But at least I have that. I'm glad I didn't apply for a job in a desert!

I've turned into a sea life geek, for those of you who might be wondering how all of this marine sightseeing might be effecting me. Today I was walking down our one main street with Ian and I was identifying sea bird calls as they echoed out of the Sea Life Center across the street. Geek! I also have an affection for humpback whales and orcas that rivals a child's feelings for the family dog. I don't know what I'm going to do when I leave here and can't see them nearly every day anymore... but I am getting orca call recordings from one of the boat captains. Definitely going to be among my top-rated tracks in my iTunes.

In case you're wondering about my life plan... well, I don't have one. Plenty of ideas are percolating in my head, including working in Hawaii (on wildlife tour boats again, or on a farm) or Nova Scotia (on an organic farm) or at a ski resort somewhere out west, but I've decided that it is, after all, pretty sensible to call these ideas rather than plans because that's all that they are and that's ok. I don't need to make any of them into a plan until it's time and I'm ready. I did call this morning and decline my Antarctica position, since the paperwork and physical/dental exams are near-impossible to complete when you're on a boat for 11 hours a day and you don't get internet and have no phone charger (for now), plus you're Julia and forget (usually just accidentally) to do things that feel an awful lot like chores sometimes. Besides, for my year off I am hoping to do something a little more enriching and meaningful than wash dishes for 10 hours a day, 6 days a week for 5 months. Antarctica does sound like a fun adventure, and I'm certainly not done with the thought of going to the Ice, but perhaps some better option than a dining attendant is on my horizon. Anyways, I'm really looking forward to road-tripping with a couple of Alaska friends back south to Willamette for a visit and then back east to Maine, hopefully with my brother in tow from the midwest on, to take time to explore Maine and hang out with my family and relatives. When was the last time I did that... never? I think it's long-overdue. So that is my only plan so far. But I'll keep you posted. Thanks, everyone, for the ideas and encouragement and wisdom you've sent my way.

Love to all, Jules