Today was the day when Julia stopped dragging her feet about deciding the next step and finally started to take action. The target: Maui's boating world. The weapon: one killer resume, edited by miss Geneva Wilgus; and a killer 5-second over-the-phone schpeel. Relentless, Julia tracked down phone numbers and followed up emails left and right...

OK, maybe it wasn't that intense or exciting, but it felt that way for me after being indecisive for so long. A phone call from Christine, an old neighbor who moved back to Hawaii, was the kick in the pants I needed. It feels good to be under pressure to reach a goal soon- busy season starts very shortly, so I'd better find a spot quick. I do miss working under pressure a bit: I guess old habits die hard.


In the meantime, not too much to report since my last posting. I have visited a couple of schools, including UMaine and the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont. It didn't knock my socks off like I expected, but the trip was a blast. I went with my friend Kyle and got to spend a night visiting my roomie Britt from Alaska (a UMaine alum from NH!). Kyle and I both (figuratively) drooled a little when we drove through the White Mountains, eager to hit the trail again. We got quite a snowstorm on the way back, which was rather exciting. Culinary school is still on my radar, but not as much in the forefront as it was previous to the visit and a chat with Geneva's mom about the difference between a passion and what makes you tick day-in, day-out. I know I love food and cooking, but I think that working in a restaurant likely wouldn't be the best outlet for that passion or the most gratifying career I might pursue.

I also got to spend a week in Tucson, Arizona, visiting my friend Alex from work this summer. We did quite a bit of hiking, which was great. One thing I've come to realize recently is how much I really love hiking. I may not be the most experienced backpacker, but sometimes I feel like the queen of day hikes. I also had no idea how much I'd like the southwest- it's beautiful, and entirely different than other landscapes I've seen. And it's surprising how easy it is to adjust to 80 degrees and sunny... what a shock when I had to walk back to my car at the airport in 12-degree darkness. Brr.


But for now, I'm doing the cold-weather chant. The pond out front looks like glass, but it's not quite frozen enough. Good. That gives me time to get my skates sharpened. :-)