So, if you know me on a personal level (or any level for that matter) you are aware that I'm currently attending the University of Alaska in Anchorage. I'm creeping ever so slowly to my goal of obaining that damn bachelor's degree. I'm currently an Elementary Education major; reasons being I love children, I want to be influential to future generations and I know I'd be a damn good teacher. BUT- I've been thinking lately of changing my major to English Literature. What can you do with that degree? Good question. Bartend, I guess.
I've been pondering my future a lot as of late and I've come to realize that I am really just after the piece of paper that proves I graduated from college. In the long run, the piece of paper isn't going to matter and I won't be taking it with me where ever I end up after I die. It will be the most expensive piece of paper I've ever laid hands on, but so-help-me it will be mine!
I don't want to be married to a career, I just want to wander for the next 10+ years. If I do decide to settle down somewhere, I'd still like to teach (high school English). I've chosen this subject to study because looking back on my childhood and teenage years, I loved to read and write! I have gotten away from writing and I am sad about it. Same could be said with me and music. But I was always a better writer than I was a musician. I'm changing my major and going down a different road so that I may hone my writing skills and appreciate the great works of others. Hopefully, 3 of my teachers will be proud; My 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. King (I use to always leave short stories on her desk); my 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Pickett (loved one of my poems so much she still uses it in her lessons); and my 8th grade teacher Mrs. Lavender (poor thing had to read the longest stories and poems ever scribbled). Thanks, Mrs. Lavender, for the inscription in the back of my yearbook wishing me luck with my writing career; though I never expressed wanting to have one.
All that said, I know it has nothing to do with Alaska. After all, this little blog is suppose to be my account of what I see and experience up here. Right now (this minute), that is nothing. Perhaps tomorrow I will report back with details of the snowboarding adventure we're going on!
I hope whoever is reading this has a lovely night.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Some Blogger I Am!
Well, howdy once again! I know it's been a few months since I've graced this site with my randomness, but I'm here now and you can all just chillax. Things up here have been progressing day to day, inch by inch. Spring semester has started and it's going to be a relatively easy one. My anthropology professor is helping out in Haiti right now, so I won't be seeing her for a few weeks. Though I like the lady, I like not driving to Eagle River for her class even more.
Let's see, work is fine. I am bartending a few days a week and serving still. Sometimes I am in roomservice, so I sit around and wait for people that are too lazy to come down to the restaurant to call and order something. I'm not complaining though because that's an automatic 21% gratuity (thank you, lazy people).
Today was a warm day! I think the temperature got up to about 34 degrees F. Snow and ice have begun to melt, only to freeze again over night. I'm also starting to notice that the days are getting longer. There is still a little bit of light outside at 5pm, when just a few weeks ago the sun was setting at 3:30pm and rising at 10:03am!
Wiley and I took a little drive down the Seward Highway past Beluga Point. I realize this means nothing to most of you. Driving south on the Seward Highway will eventually get you to the Kenai Peninsula where Homer and well, Kenai, are located. It's a gorgeous drive and even that is an understatement.
This summer, we're going up to Denali to work at a remote resort. Our best friend, Colin, is coming too. I'm very much looking forward to bartending up there because that means major money for the ol' bank account and an amazing experience to boot! We can potentially make so much money up there, we won't have to work until it's time to go back. How lucky we are to have landed such a job! Most of the people we'll be serving have saved their whole lives to take this trip and there we'll be getting paid to see the same things! I'll be sure to keep you folks updated from Denali (if they have internet).
It was cloudy here in Anchorage today. That means we couldn't see Mt. McKinley (sometimes that's the highlight of my day; driving over the Tudor overpass and looking north just to see the mammoth mountain off in the distance. Even from 160 miles away Mt. McKinley trumps the other mountains. And it occurred to me the other day that we can only see the tip of it from Anchorage! I can't wait to see the entire thing.)
Okay folks, I'm going to end this one here and maybe I'll see you here again in a few months.
Let's see, work is fine. I am bartending a few days a week and serving still. Sometimes I am in roomservice, so I sit around and wait for people that are too lazy to come down to the restaurant to call and order something. I'm not complaining though because that's an automatic 21% gratuity (thank you, lazy people).
Today was a warm day! I think the temperature got up to about 34 degrees F. Snow and ice have begun to melt, only to freeze again over night. I'm also starting to notice that the days are getting longer. There is still a little bit of light outside at 5pm, when just a few weeks ago the sun was setting at 3:30pm and rising at 10:03am!
Wiley and I took a little drive down the Seward Highway past Beluga Point. I realize this means nothing to most of you. Driving south on the Seward Highway will eventually get you to the Kenai Peninsula where Homer and well, Kenai, are located. It's a gorgeous drive and even that is an understatement.
This summer, we're going up to Denali to work at a remote resort. Our best friend, Colin, is coming too. I'm very much looking forward to bartending up there because that means major money for the ol' bank account and an amazing experience to boot! We can potentially make so much money up there, we won't have to work until it's time to go back. How lucky we are to have landed such a job! Most of the people we'll be serving have saved their whole lives to take this trip and there we'll be getting paid to see the same things! I'll be sure to keep you folks updated from Denali (if they have internet).
It was cloudy here in Anchorage today. That means we couldn't see Mt. McKinley (sometimes that's the highlight of my day; driving over the Tudor overpass and looking north just to see the mammoth mountain off in the distance. Even from 160 miles away Mt. McKinley trumps the other mountains. And it occurred to me the other day that we can only see the tip of it from Anchorage! I can't wait to see the entire thing.)
Okay folks, I'm going to end this one here and maybe I'll see you here again in a few months.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
A Brisk, Clear Sunday...
Today was one of the clearest days I've seen since we've been here. We could see Mt. McKinley (aka "Denali," 20320 feet) from town!
So I've heard from multiple sources that Mt. Diablo in the Bay Area of California has the 2nd farthest vantage point in the world, next to Mt. Kilimanjaro. If that is the case, I wonder where Flat Top Mountain ranks. Flat Top is just east of Anchorage, and though we didn't make it to the summit today, there were views from the ascent that rival the views from Mt. Diablo.
But- that's from my perspective.
So I've heard from multiple sources that Mt. Diablo in the Bay Area of California has the 2nd farthest vantage point in the world, next to Mt. Kilimanjaro. If that is the case, I wonder where Flat Top Mountain ranks. Flat Top is just east of Anchorage, and though we didn't make it to the summit today, there were views from the ascent that rival the views from Mt. Diablo.
But- that's from my perspective.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Anchorage Observations
Okay- so I wanted to take a second and talk a little bit about the "Municipality" of Anchorage for those of you curious about this city. I will do this in the form of a list (mostly of things that I've observed).
- Moose have no qualms about wandering throughout the city.
- The temperatures in the summer (and so I've heard about the winter) are rather mild, considering that most people think that it's always freezing.
- The population of Anchorage is roughly a third of the population of the entire state.
- If you drive just 20 minutes out of town, you feel like you are a million miles from civilization.
- The Chugach Mountains can be seen from pretty much everywhere in town (except on foggy days) and they lie to the east and south of the city.
- There is an inlet (Cook Inlet) to the west of the city.
- Anchorage suffered the worst earthquake in US history in 1964. 9.2 on the richter scale! There is a park approptiately named "Earthquake Park" in town that has been untouched so that people can see the extreme damage to the land.
- Most people I have come across are from somewhere else. Most of the people I work with are coincidentally from Florida.
- There are lots of Subway restaurants.
- In April, I noticed that every single vehicle on the road was filthy to the point that you could not make out the model. This is because of the melting snow exposing all the dirt. If there was a clean car, you could be sure that it's a rental.
- Most of the planes seen flying overhead are float planes, sea planes or fighter jets.
- People are generally friendlier than anywhere else!
- Minimum wage is $7.25, yet it is still incredibly expensive to live here!
- Some people put up their Christmas lights in October.
- There is a theater where you can sit at a table, order pizza and beer and watch a movie on the big screen.
These are just a few obsevations. I can guarantee there will be more later!
Introduction
Greetings from Anchorage, Alaska!
I wanted to create a blog so that my friends and family could keep track of what's going in the lives of Wiley and myself. I am constantly updating my Facebook status whenever something uniquely Alaskan happens (which lately has been frequent) and I'm sure that not everyone cares. But to some, such as yourself, it has proved entertaining or interesting. So this is for y'all.
Now- Wiley might stop picking on me about being on Facebook so much!
Last October, Wiley had gone online searching for colleges with good geology programs (even though we had already committed to attending Sacramento State University). He came across the University of Alaska in Anchorage and noticed that it not only had a good geology program but a good elementary education program, as well. Perfect for the both of us!! Wiley had also always wanted to go to Alaska (and I had too, just never thought of living there), so we both applied to the university and were accepted. Almost a year later, on August 11, 2009, we loaded up our Suburban with all of our worldly possessions and headed north on Interstate 5. From Stockton, CA we drove all the way to Bellingham, WA and boarded "The Columbia" (the ferry that would take us to Juneau).
The inside passage was beautiful and wild. At one point, I can recall seeing 3 bald eagles perched at the tops of the trees in one panoramic sweep. We also saw a few humpback whales and orcas (from a distance) as well as many jumping fish. I want to say they were silver salmon, but I can't be positive.
Waving to the Canadians was fun. The ferry actually stopped at one point and blew its horn to get the attention of some residents (and their dog) that lived right along the passage. They all came out, walked to the end of their dock and waved to all of us Alaska bound individuals.
We got off the ferry in Ketchikan and Petersburg and walked around. The towns were quaint, but we didn't have much time to really explore the area. In Ketchikan we did walk over a creek and to Wiley's joy, we saw a nice big salmon hanging out -probably resting before continuing his journey up the creek.
After arriving in, and spending a day in Juneau, we boarded the "Kennicott." That ferry took us in to Whittier, AK via the Gulf of Alaska. That leg of the trip was a little bumpier than the smooth ride up the inside passage.
Whittier was WINDY! But this is where we were able to drive our car off the vessel and from which we took our 45 minute drive to Anchorage! It was in Whitter that I felt the farthest from home. Perhaps this was because it no longer felt like a trip. We had arrived in Alaska and we knew that we would be staying here for a lengthy duration.
I wanted to create a blog so that my friends and family could keep track of what's going in the lives of Wiley and myself. I am constantly updating my Facebook status whenever something uniquely Alaskan happens (which lately has been frequent) and I'm sure that not everyone cares. But to some, such as yourself, it has proved entertaining or interesting. So this is for y'all.
Now- Wiley might stop picking on me about being on Facebook so much!
Last October, Wiley had gone online searching for colleges with good geology programs (even though we had already committed to attending Sacramento State University). He came across the University of Alaska in Anchorage and noticed that it not only had a good geology program but a good elementary education program, as well. Perfect for the both of us!! Wiley had also always wanted to go to Alaska (and I had too, just never thought of living there), so we both applied to the university and were accepted. Almost a year later, on August 11, 2009, we loaded up our Suburban with all of our worldly possessions and headed north on Interstate 5. From Stockton, CA we drove all the way to Bellingham, WA and boarded "The Columbia" (the ferry that would take us to Juneau).
The inside passage was beautiful and wild. At one point, I can recall seeing 3 bald eagles perched at the tops of the trees in one panoramic sweep. We also saw a few humpback whales and orcas (from a distance) as well as many jumping fish. I want to say they were silver salmon, but I can't be positive.
Waving to the Canadians was fun. The ferry actually stopped at one point and blew its horn to get the attention of some residents (and their dog) that lived right along the passage. They all came out, walked to the end of their dock and waved to all of us Alaska bound individuals.
We got off the ferry in Ketchikan and Petersburg and walked around. The towns were quaint, but we didn't have much time to really explore the area. In Ketchikan we did walk over a creek and to Wiley's joy, we saw a nice big salmon hanging out -probably resting before continuing his journey up the creek.
After arriving in, and spending a day in Juneau, we boarded the "Kennicott." That ferry took us in to Whittier, AK via the Gulf of Alaska. That leg of the trip was a little bumpier than the smooth ride up the inside passage.
Whittier was WINDY! But this is where we were able to drive our car off the vessel and from which we took our 45 minute drive to Anchorage! It was in Whitter that I felt the farthest from home. Perhaps this was because it no longer felt like a trip. We had arrived in Alaska and we knew that we would be staying here for a lengthy duration.
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