Last Night in Juneau

FOR NOW!

I just finished packing. And it's only 6:30pm. I'm never finished packing until...well until about 5 minutes before I actually leave. I can't believe how much stuff I have accumulated this summer. I have two suitcases and I'm sure they're both going to be over the weight limit. Plus a duffle bag for a carry on. AND I'm leaving a box of stuff here. It's going to be like Christmas when I get back and realize the exciting stuff I have in that box. Stuff that I most likely will not be needing in Southern California.

Today was my last day at work. And lucky for me, I got to stay in the office. It was miserable outside. Windy, raining, and freeeezing. I am a little nervous for my morning flight tomorrow. I went across the street to get Kally and myself some Chinese food, and the guy was like "summer is definitely over!" It's now winter. There's no in between here.

My last weekend in Juneau was awesome. We went out Friday night and it seemed like everyone in town was out at the bars. 4 of us went out in one car, and all came home separately and at completely different times. (all safely, of course) Saturday was another no ship day. About 11 of us went out kayaking to the glacier, which was amazing. Kayaking was one of the things I really wanted to do this summer, so I'm glad I got to do it. It was a nice day out too. Romeo made me nervous the entire time out to the glacier, especially when he fell off the kayak and into the freezing water. Chris scooped him up no problem...but then he was shaking the rest of the day. He was on my lap the entire way back from the glacier, which made it difficult to paddle. Or maybe that was just an excuse, since my arms were killing me. In between though, we hiked through a couple ice caves. It was phenomenal! The one cave we went into was just insane. There were so many of us taking photos, and I feel like not one picture can capture it's true beauty. I still think everyone needs to come to Alaska and walk through a glacier once in their lives. It is by far one of the best things I have ever done.

I'm feeling weird about going home tomorrow. For a lot of reasons. Mostly because of some news I just received. But I'm trying not to focus on that right now. I just want to get home. I'll deal with it tomorrow. For now, I'm going to try to enjoy my last night. I am going to miss this place so much. It's awesomeness and beauty. And I'm going to miss the people! ugh, I don't even want to think about it! I already started crying saying by to Romeo. And he's a dog. Ridiculous.

My ear hurts!

Last week, I took a break from work on a slow day...and wandered over to Pair-a-Dice tattoo and piercing. In Prague, Kally and I were going to get pierced, but we never did it. So I decided to do it here. I got my conch pierced (look it up). I got really really nervous right before, thinking it was going to hurt really bad that I would cry or something. But it wasn't bad at all. Until today! It freaking kills today for some reason.

In other news, I'm now obsessed with Silverbow Bakery, which I have only recently discovered. It is amazing and their cream cheese frosting is to die for. I can't believe I hadn't been all summer. But I'm also glad, because I'd probably weigh 50 more pounds right now.

We have actually had a couple days of decent weather. No rain. No sun really either...but that's ok. Even the temperature was up, so I was able to wear cuter clothes than my unattractive rain gear.

Less than a month until I leave this beautiful place. I think it will be bitter-sweet. I am going to HATE leaving Kally. I don't know what I'll do without her. And so I'm going to stop thinking about it. I am actually getting kind of excited to leave, but really only because 1. I get to see my family 2. Europe (+Karina and Akis) I miss my family soooo much!! And being on the phone with Carly and her asking me if I'm "coming home tomorrow or before the tomorrow," just breaks my heart! We bonded so much while I was living there, she's going to be so grown up when I get back. Miss that little munchkin. And Little Lucy too. I can't believe she's already 1! Seems like just yesterday, I ran home from work at Mona Lisa, brewed some coffee, packed some stuff, and headed to the hospital. Crazy how time flies.

AND....I'm still trying to figure out what I will be doing this winter.......opinions? please, help me.

Rain, rain go away....no seriously-shove off

I am sooooo tired of this weather!!! Cold and rainy every .single. day. It would be different if I were working inside. But I'm not. So I hate it. It's just miserable working with everything being sopping wet: pens, tickets, pictures, signs, my face...so annoying. I miss the sun..and my bikini. I feel pretty lucky that it's just hitting me now though, missing summer. It would have been bad if I was feeling this way mid-July. I only have one more month here. One of the guys on the docks told me that September of last year was beautiful, that they had like 2 weeks of straight sunshine. I'm really really really hoping that happens this September too. Vitamin D me.

I'm a little homesick lately. I miss my family, and my kitty, and my car. And I miss good cocktails and good restaurants. I'm craving In-n-Out. And Yogurtland. Those two are definitely a must in the 3 days I will be in California, before I begin my European vacation. And happy hour somewhere. At least the beer is good here. I love me my Alaskan White. yum yum.

A lot of people are leaving this week. It's going to be weird on the docks. It already is, without Rachel. And tours without Brad..and us telling everyone that it's his birthday...everyday.

Early day tomorrow, bed time.

4 MONTHS

April-
  Kelsey: "I'm going to Juneau for one summer."
  Kally: "You never know. Alaska changes people. People say they're coming up for one summer, and 
               they end up coming back again the next."
  Kelsey: "Yeah, that won't happen to me. I think one summer is plenty."

HA!

I have been in Juneau for over 4 months now! Crazy. Sometimes it doesn't seem like that long, and other times, I think about something that happened when I first got here and it seems like a lifetime ago. It has only been recently that this job has been wearing on me. Some days, I feel so burned out on selling tours. It gets old. But I'm lucky because I do get to do other things in the office as well. I dispatch sometimes, and do emails and paperwork. So that's always a nice change. I still have like six weeks left here. But a lot of people are leaving soon, which makes me sad. Brad and Rachel are leaving on Wednesday. It seems like they just got here. I guess I'll just have to make a trip out to Vegas to vist them! Oh darn.

When I first decided to come up here, I didn't think I would be staying the whole summer. I thought I might make it to August and then decide to go home. Now I'm here till September 22nd. I'm so glad I get to stay till (almost) the very end. Then it's off to Europe for 3 weeks! I'm sooo excited for this trip! Karina, Akis, and I are going to have such an amazing time. My flights are booked, so it really feels real. And I'm taking votes on what I should do with my life after that. So if anyone has any great ideas, please send them my way. I still have no idea what to do. Karina, D-bo, Maci, and Lily should be included in the ideas too.

I'm still really tired of the rain and cold. Yesterday was really nice. If I could have a day or two like that a week, I would be a happy camper. I know I complain about the weather, but this IS what I signed up for afterall! I get so annoyed when tourists ask me if it's going to stop raining, or when the sun is going to come out. You are on an ALASKAN cruise. What did you expect??

Ok I'm falling asleep. Which isn't good because I'm still at the office and still have to drive home.

Haines

On Friday, I went to Haines...about a two hour boat ride from Juneau. The fair was going on, and one of the other tour companies set up a trip, food and beer and all! It was so much fun! I was bummed that we only had a couple hours to spend at the fair. Everyone kept saying that was plenty of time there, but I disagreed! I didn't get to have enough fair food. The fish taco I had was pretty awesome though. Haines is a cool little town. I thought it was cute. I wish we had more time to walk around there as well. We had to leave early because the weather wasn't very good that day, so we had to make sure we would make it back. Day drinking usually leads to one of two things: early to sleep...or night drinking. We kept it going by going out downtown when we got back. It was just such a fun day, totally worth the 2-day hangover I had. I maybe got 3 hours of sleep that night, and then felt awful yesterday. So when I got home from work, I took a shower and thought I would just lay down for a bit, (it was 7:45.) I then woke up at 1am so confused. Then went back to sleep until it was time to wake up for work. And I still didn't feel well! I think my body is just off. I worked soo many hours this past week, being on the dock all day..then up to the office to help out Kally. So it was nice to have that day off and have fun.

I am SO over the rainy weather. I miss the sun a lot right now. It was out yesterday for the first time in a week. But it was back to rain today. The only good thing about it...you don't have to worry about matching or looking cute, because you just have to put rain pants and a rain jacket on anyway. And now...off to bed.

song on repeat

I can be seen driving a 14-passenger Juneau Tours van around, belting this song out. I just love this song...almost as much as chocolate ice cream/peanut butter/marshmallow.

"Someone Like You"
I heard
That you're settled down
That you
Found a girl
And you're
Married now

I heard
That your dreams came true.
Guess she gave you things
I didn't give to you

Old friend
Why are you so shy?
Ain't like you to hold back
Or hide from the light

I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited
But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it.
I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
That for me it isn't over

Never mind
I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you too
"Don't forget me", I begged
"I'll remember", you said
"Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead."
Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead,
Yeah.

You know how the time flies
Only yesterday
It was the time of our lives
We were born and raised
In a summer haze
Bound by the surprise
Of our glory days

I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited
But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it.
I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
That for me it isn't over.

Never mind
I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you too
"Don't forget me", I begged
"I'll remember", you said
"Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead."

Nothing compares
No worries or cares
Regrets and mistakes
They are memories made.
Who would have known
How bittersweet this would taste?

Never mind
I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you too
"Don't forget me", I begged
"I'll remember", you said
"Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead"

Never mind
I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you too
"Don't forget me", I begged
"I'll remember", you said
"Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead"

Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead

I heart AK

I can't get over the fact that this has been the most amazing summer ever. When I first made the decision to come to Alaska, I kept thinking, "how am I going to miss an entire San Diego summer?? I will miss it too much." And I had to keep telling myself that it was just going to be one summer out of my life; I would survive. Now I can't stop thinking about what I'm going to be doing this winter, before I can make it back here again. I'm so in love with this place.

I know it has been all over my Facebook, but the bubble net feeding of the humbacks seriously made my trip here. It was one of the most awesome things I have ever seen up close! I thought it was so cool just seeing whale tales and humps for so long. But seeing about 15 whales all at once, coming up out of the water with their mouths open...it's indescribable. We literally couldn't stop saying "OH.MY.GOD." I just love the nature and wildlife up here!!

Another thing to cross off my bucket list would be riding in a helicopter! It was never anything that I had a huge desire for. Until I came to Alaska. We sell the tour on the docks, so I had heard what it was about..never actually selling it myself. Yesterday was just such a beautiful day. So Monty called to see if we could get up. They said we had a good chance, so we headed over to Douglas. But then Monty wasn't able to go, but told me I still should. It was amazing!! It's expensive for the amount of time, but so worth it. It's definitely something to do once in your lifetime! We landed on the Taku glacier and it was sooo cool!

In life, I think that everyone should: see the Colosseum, go to Prague, walk through the ice caves of a glacier, see bubble net feeding, and go on a helicopter. I can't wait to blow up some pictures and frame them....for the apartment that I don't have.

I'm getting more and more confused about my future. All I know right now, is that I want to come back next summer.  But I still have 2 more months here, so I am going to enjoy them! And then I will have an amazing trip to look forward too (and already am!).

obsession

currently obsessed with melted marshmallow, chocolate ice cream, and peanut butter.

busy bee

I finally have time and energy to blog, and I don't even know what to write about! It has been so long since I blogged last. I can't even remember what has happened. All these days run together, it takes me a minute to even remember what day it is. I can't believe it's July! I've been here for 3 months! I'm actually bummed out that it's July already. This summer is flying by way to fast. I am going to be so sad when I leave :( I'm already thinking about coming back next summer. Who knows what I will be doing between the end of this summer and next summer though....

Some highlights of the past few weeks:
-today was a beautiful, sunny day-the first one in like 2 weeks! good thing, I was about to go crazy with all the rain! being on the docks for 8 hours a day isn't much fun in the rain.
-I got a haircut. and a massage.
-I actually got dressed up and went out one night. And I had a great time. (despite some drama rama. oh Juneau)
-Romeo spent the night, best. cuddler. ever.
-I went on a booze cruise for a birthday celebration
-Then wore diaper (over my clothes) into a bar.
-Later, I held Kally's hair over a turkey pan in the garage, where she insisted on sleeping.
-Celebrated the 4th of July-Juneau style. Party at the Twisted Fish, and midnight firework show.
-Caught my 2nd fish.
-Went halibut fishing and we actually caught some.
-Watched Kally and Brad filet the fish.

I guess that's it. I feel like there's so much more that has happened. But I guess this is what happens when you don't blog often enough! On the days when I get off early, I'm usually doing something. And when I get off late, I'm tired and too lazy to blog.

travel

(stolen from Kiley's blog)

Lessons Learned

I've learned so much since being in Juneau. Obviously I have learned a lot about Juneau itself. But I'm learning lots more. I've learned that if I wasn't addicted to coffee before I got here, I most definitely am now. I drink SO much in a day! I can't help it. Not only do I have to stay awake, it's nice to drink something hot on such cold days. I've learned that I looove halibut. So delicous. (At least the way Sky makes it is.) I've learned that I'm a better salesperson than I ever thought I would be. (Not that I'm that proud of it...if I were a tourist, I'd hate us.) I've learned that there is a big difference between 21 and 26.

On a deeper level, I'm learning a lot about myself. I've always thought of myself as a decent human being. I've never been the kind to do things just to spite other people. I don't ever do things to intentionally hurt anyone. And even though working in a restaurant for so long made me able to be a little more rude to people, I'm generally a nice person. (Which is why, on the docks, I try to just sell our tours as amazing, rather than talking shit on the others. And it works out in my favor a lot of the time.) Anyway, lately I've realized certain things that I do that I want to change. I'm working on being a better person. I'm watching what I say and what I do. I can't stand it when people I care about are upset with me for any reason. So I want to make sure that this doesn't happen. I'm not going to get into any details, but I think I know what to do to fix some of the habits that I have.

Even though I am learning a lot about myself, I'm also getting more and more mixed up with what I want to do with my life. It's only June, and I know I'm here till mid-September so I know I don't need to figure it out quite yet. But then again, these past two months went by crazy fast. I've been meeting people from all over the world, who do all kinds of things. It just makes me want to travel more of the world. I want to go everywhere. More Europe this Fall, which will be amazing. But when will I get to Asia? The English teaching thing is creeping up in the back of my mind again........

Blisters and more bruises

I think I'm getting used to bruises, scrapes, welts, etc. Not the blisters though. I hate blisters! I guess the blisters are better than having to hike with wet feet. My boots just aren't very comfortable when walking long distances. I went camping last night with the Vegas girls and some of the other salespeople. It was a lot of fun! There were 8 of us, plus Romeo. The hike out to the cabin was 3.4 miles. I got to camp with one blister. And then got back to the car this morning with two more. We took booze and hot dogs. We actually started drinking on the way there. So much more fun than the way back. Waking up at 5:30 and going hiking is a good way to work off a hangover! The little cabin was nice. Just a spot for sleeping. It was right on the water, with an amazing view. There were tons of eagles hanging out on the rocks, and a few seals playing around in the water for a long time. It was so cool. Yesterday I realized I'm actually getting used to seeing bears. I took a picture of one eating grass on the drive out there. But then when we were hiking, we saw one really close and I was too lazy to get my camera out of my backpack. That's when I realized it. Ever since seeing one walk across the street with her three cubs right in front of my van...well, it just doesn't get more awesome than that! So seeing one just sitting there isn't that exciting to me anymore! Crazy.

Now I'm going to sleep because I'm so very tired. It's almost 10pm and still light out. Eye mask here I come.

check it

April 12th

June 3rd

So much has changed in the short time I have been here!

Funk

I'm in a funk today. Annoyed with people. I got way too much attitude from tourists today..and instead of killing them with kidness, which is what I usually try to do..I got a little attitude-y back. I don't know what my deal is. Just one of those days I guess. Blah. And I'm still not done...gotta go pick up whale watchers in an hour. At least these ones are cool. We got to go out on the new boat last night which was amazing. Although, I was kind of in a funk then too. What the heck! Get me out of this mood!

Billy No Mates

Today was a decent day, despite this cold that I have and the fact that I was cold all day. I blame the library for that one...blocking the sun from the dock I was at all day. It just gets so cold in those booths! Even if the sun is out, it doesn't come over the library until the late afternoon. It was a pretty slow day until someone who bought a shuttle ticket from me came back, yelling at me. Apparently he didn't listen to my instructions very well and ended up missing the shuttle. He threatened to call the police on me because I was scamming him. I wanted to be like, "well that wouldn't be the first time I've had JPD called on me since I've been here." I'm one of the nice, calmer people down there, why am I getting so much crap?! I just think it's funny :)

I ended up being the very last person on that dock selling today. It worked out pretty well for me in the end, selling a group of 20 on a tour, which boosted my sales and commission for the day. So that was nice. But there were lots of comments from people boarding back on their ship, about me being down there by myself. This one English guy called me "Billy No Mates." Thanks, sir.

In other news, Sky got his new boat! It's a 24 passenger boat for whale watching. It's brand spanking new and so pretty!! Smells like a new car! (boat...I've already been corrected) I think we might all go out on it this weekend...so excited! Ok I guess that wasn't really "in other news"....all work related.

And now it's time for bed because my nighttime cold meds are kicking in.

Hike

I never wrote about my hike! The Vegas girls and I went on a hike with Jeremy on Thursday. West Glacier Trail. It was amazing. I can't remember the last time I went hiking. So while we were doing it, I kept thinking "this is the first hike of the summer?!" I thought I might die from falling off the side of a mountain. But I didn't! yay. I only fell hard once, not bad. Every time I would start to slip, I would put my hands out and Jeremy would yell "butt butt butt!" The hike to the glacier was probably like an hour  and a half or so. The view the whole time was so great. And then we got to the glacier and it was indescribable! We walked through the ice caves. The water is melting, so it's like it's raining in there. It was one of the most awesome things I have ever done. Everyone needs to do that at some point in their lives. If you love the outdoors, come to Alaska. Psh, even if you don't, come to Alaska. You won't regret it! Whales, bears, eagles, glaciers...what more could you ask for??

:)

14

That is the number of bruises I counted on my body. Bruises from the hike, my booth, and probably a couple from nights at the bars. And maybe one from the signs I dropped on my leg as I was trying to smoothly put them in the van. So smooth. And I don't even really bruise easily!

This weekend was pretty lovely. It could have used some more sunshine, but other than that, it was pretty relaxing. Work was somewhat slow for me. We had a BBQ on Friday night for all the employees to meet each other. Salespeople, drivers, mechanics, everyone. There was an "adult prom" that night, which I still don't understand. But I got dressed up to go, and then we didn't even go. So I ended up being super overdressed at the bars, but oh well. Yesterday I got off early in the day. So I went on the boat with the boys. It was nice and relaxing, just trolling and listening to music. I was really hoping they would catch some fish! Not yet though.

I'm pretty excited for some sun that is supposed to be out the next few days! I'll believe it when I see it though!

Good Day

Despite the fact that I was pretty hungover from Erin's birthday celebration and the fact that I was dressed for rain and cold weather when it ended up being super sunny, I had an amazing day. It was probably partly because I didn't do much driving today. And the driving I did do, wasn't really tours. I had a lot of down time today which was really cool. I'm loving all the people I work with..plus I get to hang out with Romeo, my new favorite dog in Juneau. It was a gorgeous day and I hope that it is tomorrow as well because I'm going to dress properly for the weather and hopefully go hiking!!! I can't believe I haven't really done any hiking yet! We've just been so busy! And it's always my luck that when we have slow days, the weather sucks. It's supposed to be 73 tomorrow, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it stays that way! Toms shoes and capris here I come. Who would have thought I would ever be so excited to see weather above 65 degrees?!

rain, rain go away

The highlights of last week were: whale watch/booze cruise and making dinner for everyone and having it be pretty successful, (which is kind of difficult when you live with Sky.) One of the other companies took all the employees out on their boat and got us beer, pizza, and snacks. It was so much fun! And we saw so many humbacks. But then two days later, my tour groups that went whale watching saw a bunch of orcas! I was pissed. I want to see orcas! I miss Shamu.


There are now two girls from Vegas here. And naturally, their names are Vegas Girls. (Erin and Jessica) It's nice to have some more girlfriends around this joint.


Another highlight, but I wasn't there for :( ....my best friend and dear boyfe graduated! Karina, so proud of you! I'm sad I couldn't be there. But we will be celebrating in Europe at the end of summer and I can't wait!!


I was a little homesick this week. I'm so thankful for my cell phone! Talking to Karina, my mom, and my brother was so nice. And Skype with Carly is always a good time! That kid cracks me up!

It has begun!!!

The summer season has officially begun! I can't believe I have been here for 4 weeks now. Time has been flying by! So the first cruise ship came in on Friday afternoon and there was only one. And I found out about an hour or two before that, that I would be giving a tour. I was pretty much freaking out. I haven't even been on a tour myself. I drove around once with one of the native drivers, but I was still completely unprepared. It ended up not being that bad. It wasn't good, but it could have been a lot worse. Saturday is when things got pretty ugly. I was put in a booth on the docks, just to watch and learn. But then we sold some whale watching/city and glacier tour combos. Which only fits 6 people. Which meant it was up to me to give another tour, as well as take them to their boat. Well I had only been out on the boat once. So I went to the harbor where we had taken the boat out. It was the same place the other driver told me "this is where you drop off people for whale watching." Well, it wasn't. I couldn't figure out where to go. I was walking these people around and had no idea where I was going. It took a while and a lot of phone calls back to the office to realize that I was at the wrong harbor. It still took me a while to find the right boat. It was so so so awful. I don't know if I have ever been more embarrassed. I cried the whole way back to the office. It obviously wasn't my fault, since no one had ever told me where to go. But I was the one that ended up looking like a complete idiot. It was a pretty bad day. It made me a little homesick for the first time since I've been here. But I survived. And drank lots of wine after that.

There were no ships on Sunday, so Kally, Sky and I all went on our own little tour of the city. They took me around to some spots I hadn't seen yet, including the Shrine, a little church "out the road." It was soo pretty! Makes me appreciate where I am. And less homesick.

Today I was on the docks, selling. I liked it a lot. I was freezing, but it was fun. It's competitive out there, but I think I did a pretty good job of keeping up. Shuttles to the glacier are easy to sell, so I just sold a shit out of them. And I had a decent number at the end of the day.

Seeing bears yesterday was definitely one of the highlights from my trip so far! I had been wanting to see some so bad! And I would have driven right past them. I guess these Alaskans have better eyes for that sort of thing. It was exciting :) And of course, I had been charging my camera battery so the only pictures I got were on my phone and the zoom isn't as good. Oh well. Hopefully I will see more soon!

PS I'm an iPhone snob now. And I hate to admit it, but I LOVE it!

Lily

Having Gravy next to me makes me miss my Lily. Even with drool hanging down from her mouth.

PJ Day

I stayed in my pajamas all day today. I definitely enjoyed it, since I won't be able to that again for a very long time! I got Kally into Glee, which wasn't hard at all. One episode and she was hooked, so we've been watching season 1. This weekend was very relaxing. Calm before the storm I guess. The first cruise ship arrives on Friday! I'm so excited, but there is still a lot to do this week before it all starts.

We had a few days of really nice weather last week. But the past couple days have been rainy and cold. And that's the way the rest of the week looks too. I make a mistake everyday when I look at the weather on my ipod touch. Because I always look at the weather in San Diego too. Dumb move! I miss SD so much! But then I remind myself of where I am and how exciting it is to be here. I'm having so much fun already..and it hasn't even started yet!

A different kind of day

Today I:

-researched Juneau most of the day...from the comfort of my bed.
-felt like I was in college again, taking notes, but then getting distracted by Facebook and Youtube.
-did my hair and put on a regular shirt...but kept my pj pants on all day.
-drank a whole lot of coffee.
-peed a lot.
-got covered in cat hair...thanks Gravy.
-ate a lot of wasabi and soy sauce flavored almonds.
-realized I'm obsessed with "Marry You" by Bruno Mars and I have no idea why, but it does remind me of a drunken night in PB like a year and a half ago.
-have only stepped outside once for about 30 seconds to take a quick photo for craigslist.
-thought I was hearing weird noises from the other side of the wall...then realized it was Gravy, snoring under my bed.
-helped William, who is doing the addition to the house. So pretty much, I helped build a house.
-talked to Lis on the phone for a good half hour, which was lovely.
-and I now realize that I haven't done much in the way of being productive...and feel guilty.

Bald Eagles

I've been here for almost 2 weeks now, and I still almost crash my minivan everytime I see a bald eagle because I'm too busy staring at it fly around instead of paying attention to the road. Ok that's an exaggeration, but I'm just still in awe.

This weekend was a really good one, with the exception of feeling like crap all day Saturday and missing the fishing trip out on the boat, in turn missing out on seeing a black bear and a brown bear and some sea lions. But 80s night out on Friday was sooo much fun. We all looked ridiculous walking into the bars...it was amazing. And having our own, decorated party bus was pretty great too.

Apparently Sunday was Easter. But Kally, Sky, and I spent the day painting the house rather than hunting for eggs. It was actually pretty enjoyable. We blasted our girly music from the car and the weather was actually really really nice. I was even able to take off my sweatshirt for a while. Kally made halibut for dinner and even though she said it was dry, I thought it was delicious.

Today I did some walking around downtown Juneau, which I liked a lot. Trying to get used to the streets and where things are located. Some of the touristy shops are starting to open. And of course, I want to go in and look at all the Alaskan souveniers....but I won't, yet.

Jackhammers and Cake Pops

I'm used to "it's hammer time!" meaning it's time to drink. Today it meant time to jackhammer. I'm also used to a different meaning for jackhammer (Vegas trip Aug. 2009...anyone?). When I was asked if I wanted to try to use the jackhammer, I thought it was a joke. It wasn't. So even though the thing was almost as big as I am, I decided to give it a whirl. I was a little nervous considering I don't have health insurance. But I had safety glasses, I was totally fine. I only did it for about 10 seconds, but it was kind of awesome. Then Rachel and I decided to go back inside, and back to being girls. We were in the middle of making cake pops for Kally's bday shindig tomorrow night. Bar hopping in Juneau...in one of the tour buses...decked out in 80's gear. This should be interesting.

Oh and it SNOWED today! yayyy! I was so excited! I was probably 14 the last time I saw snow falling. It didn't really stick, but it was still really pretty and so exciting to wake up to this morning.

Tomorrow morning I get to go get my CDL. (another acronym, surprise surprise) If I knew what it stood for I would tell you. Chauffer's Drivers License maybe? eh, close enough. I really need to start practicing driving big ass vans around..and talking about Juneau...all at the same time.

It's Wine O'clock!

One whole season of America's Next Top Model, a gazillion signs stripped, and 10 raw fingers....definitely time for some wine. Rachel and I slaved the day away using blow dryers and razor blades taking the old prices off the signs for the tours so we can update them. At least we were able to sit inside on the couch, warm and comfy!

Yesterday, not so much warm. But so much fun. We took the 6 person whale watching boat out and it was awesome! Even saw some whales! In the distance, but still. I think Kally got some pictures on her fancy pants camera. It was a really pretty day out. But towards the end, I was freeeeezing. Definitely the coldest I have ever been. I need some good, insulated boots asap! I was even wearing two pairs of wool socks and my toes were still cold. We were going to go paddle boarding, but we didn't end up doing it. I was glad because I want to do it, but I just really didn't want to yesterday because I didn't even want to take my pants off to put on a dry suit. Next time, next time.
So naturally, I came home and drank lots of wine to warm up. Worked like a charm....until I woke up with a headache. not cool.

And now, what am I doing? Yep...drinking wine! Alaska is a wine kind of place I've decided. Prague was a beer place. But wine makes me warm :) it's great.

Things I'm excited for this week: new episode of Glee, watching Harry Potter without falling asleep, buying new boots, and mostly-another celebration of Kally's birthday, going out 80s style!

holy keys and acronyms

I have never seen so many keys in all my life. Lucky me got to sort them all. At least I had Gravy's help. He came and laid right on top of all them. So helpful!

So lots of keys. But a million more acronyms. I hear Kally on the phone "yeah can I get the VIN on the RTS and the PLC. is that for the 732 or the 725?" I'm so confused.


(I do know VIN...vehicle identification number. so I've learned one in 4 days. maybe by the end of the summer, I will remember half of them!)

Yamahama I'm in Alaska

Kally and I have already started another round of randomness that has become our inside jokes. And we giggle and people look at us like we're crazy. Picking up where we left off in Prague and Rome.

So not quite Korea, but a new adventure for me. And I'm happy and excited to be in Juneau. Besides hanging out and being cold, I have been learning about Kally and Sky's buisnesses. It's a lot to remember, but I'm slowly learning about it all. I'm excited for the cruises to start coming in and seeing it all happen. The first ones come in on May 6th. So still a ltitle while. Right now, we're just working to get the season going.

Not a lot to blog about yet. It's so so so beautiful here. I love looking out the window and seeing the snowy mountains. I can't wait to see the glacier (soon hopefully). I am already a little homesick. Missing my kitty. And Carly! ughhh...I miss her. I feel like we did so much bonding the past few months. And I already miss her saying "good morning Kelsey!" at like noon. Saying bye to her was so hard :( she kept saying "Ugh,why do you have to go to Alaska? You don't have to go there and spend the night." Maybe I'll finally make some money and take her to Disneyland, since she's been pretty concerned with that.

Off to bed. Had a lovely birthday dinner for Kally, with lovely (expensive!) wine. Thanks, Sky! Harry Potter tomorrow! yessss.

My new life