And now, for my biggest adventure yet...!

Hey all! I unfortunately have no pictures to post, because a) my laptop is nearly out of space (most likely due to the 23 days' worth of music, thousands of pictures, and dozens of movies i have stored on its harddrive--anyone want to buy me an external harddrive for christmas?!), and b) i left my laptop at mary's house in sitka and am currently typing on a library computer. But just thought I'd post a quick update before heading off and out of communication for 40 days!



First of all, I fell in love with Sitka during my two weeks there and was just starting to really get involved when I got a phone call from Alaska Crossings. The original plan was for me to spend a week in Wrangell, shadowing an Alaska Crossings program as a sort of internship, then go back to Sitka (about 100 miles north) and continue to wait tables, substitute teach, and volunteer with Search & Rescue over the winter. Then I was going to come back and start working with Alaska Crossings for real come spring.



Anyway, one of the program directors called me and said that they had an immediate need for an extra staff member for a winter expedition from Nov. 10 thru Dec. 16--and was I interested in jumping on as a full-time staff rather than just a week-long intern? And could I get my stuff together and get to Wrangell on two days' notice?



I'm never one to turn down a challenge, so I'm sure you know my answer. Plus the thought of banking five grand in a month's worth of work (granted it'll be stressful, cold, dark, wet, physically and mentally demanding work) kinda swayed me. So I had a whirlwind two days of tying up loose ends in Sitka, quitting the jobs I'd just started, packing, and saying goodbyes, then yesterday I hopped on the southbound ferry and arrived in Wrangell at 5:30 this morning! Amazingly, I only have my one big backpack and one small backpack for all one whole month of living outdoors in the Alaskan winter! I will admit I am very proud of my newfound packing skills/



Anyway, so I'll be with three other staff members and 12 Alaskan boys between the ages of 11 and 19. I'll be paddling the Stikine River in British Columbia, hiking in the Tongass National Forest, and ocean kayaking in the Inside Passage, camping out every night under a tarp.