"So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun."
-Christopher McCandless

Monday, July 26, 2010

Hello all!
Once again, sorry I haven't posted too much in a while! Things are awesome though! I took the job at the tattoo and piercing place and I love it Everyone that works here is super cool and friendly. I'm actually working now, but it's slow so I'm on the computer. Thought I would utilize this time to make a post! Working here isn't too hard, but there is a lot I need to learn about piercing. All the different gauges, and types of piercings and pricing and just a lot! haha But I'll get it all probably just as I'm about to leave haha Murphy's Law! Things at my other job are good aswell too. I got my schedule changed a bit, so not I'm only working there part time so I can work more at the tattoo shop or go exploring! I'll probably go exploring haha


Last week I had a lot of fun. My one friend from work, Amber, and I, went and hiked Flattop. It's the one hike that everyone does here in Anchorage. Flat top is to Anchorage as The State of Liberty is to New York City. haha It was a cloudy/rainy day, so the veiw wasn't amazing, but what was really cool was that we were above all the clouds, so when you looked out, it looked like it was the end of the world or something. Just awesome!
Then a little over a week ago I saw the coooooooolest thing. I was on the coastal trail, right by town with some friends from work. The sun was setting over the ocean, around 11PM and it was just rediculously beautiful. The tide was coming in and it just couldn't be any more perfect! haha Then I look off to the east and in about the same level in the sky as the sun was, there was the moon. By far one of the COOLEST things I have ever seen. It kinda put the whole world into this awesome perspective. It's crazy how small we really are here on earth.
Next kinda cool thing....haha. I got to work at Trappers the other day and everyone was looking out the front windows at something. Turns out that Kate Goslin from "Jon and Kate plus 8" was across the street shopping with her clan of children. And then they came into our store! haha I could really care less about her. But it was interesting to watch a celebrity in action. Her kids were all super cute. I was talking to them and stuff. I helped bag there stuff when they checked out. Turns out they were thatr awesome though. Her kids needed to use the bathroom, and after they left we saw that they trashed it. haha That wasn't exactly the coolest. But oh well.
So next cool thing that I'm RIDICULOUSLY excited for. G. LOVE AND THE SPECIAL SAUCE is going to be in concert here on the 31st and guess who got a ticket!!! haha I'm soooo excited to see them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I guess that's its for now. I'm on the computer at work, so I can't really post any pictures, but if I have time tonight I'll try and post some. I'm not really on the computer much any more. I'm enjoying being detached from soceity and main stream media. It is soothing to the mind. haha

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Hellooooooooo!!
I know I haven't posted in forever and I apologize.
Things are going well though. Work is kinda all I do now, which is frustrating. But I do enjoy work for the most part and I like the people I am working with. Work dynamics are interesting as well. I work mostly in the back doing back stock and restocking. I like doing this though. Tourists can get old fast. haha.
There is a good possibility I may be getting another job at a tattoo and piercing shop in the area. I had an impromptu interview last night, went well for the most part. Everyone there seems really awesome too. They said I pretty much have the job if I want. They just want me to come into the shop one day during business hours to see how it all work and see if I like it. Then I tell them if I'm down to work or not. I think I'm gonna go in and do that tomorrow. It seems like that would be a really fun job there.
I still think I'm going to be quitting my Trapper Jack's job by the end of July. It is just way too much and it's all I do. I did not come up to Alaska to fold T-shirts....haha So I'm gonna save up all of my money from there and at the end of the summer go crazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzy! hahaha

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while. I have been working and my whole schedule is off. I work Monday-Friday 3PM to 11.30PM. But the commute is the not so fun part. I have to leave my place no later than 1.30 to catch the bus about a mile away by 1.43 or 2.10. Then I work and when I get off I have to bike 8 miles back to my place. So I usually don't get back until about one o'clock at the earliest and then I am just really tired. Then I just pass out until i repeat it all again. I'm not sure how long I'm going to do this whole work thing for though. I came up to Alaska to adventure, not to show tourists where the magnets are. Maybe I'll switch to part time. Or maybe I'll work until my next paycheck or two and then just travel everywhere. The possibilities are endless! haha. This weekend I have a lot of options...not sure exactly what I'm going to do. Trying to get to Seward for the mountain man race. But if that doesn't pan out I may go into work tomorrow and get time and a half. But I'm trying to let that be my last resort because I didn't come up here for money. I came here to explore!


And Happy Fourth of July!!

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Yesterday was the day of my awesome boat ride. When we left the harbor it was a bit rainy...but the day quickly turned around! All in all, we saw 4 humpback whales, an orca, two pod of porpoises, puffins, sea otters, sea lions, and of course glaciers! The cruise was sweet. Everyone was super nice, they even ended up giving me a meal too! There was a park ranger on board too telling us all about the Kenai Fjords National Park, which is the territory we were in most of the time. He was awesome, him and I would talk in between his narration. Some of the boat ride was a bit bumpy though and most everyone was in the cabin throwing up. I felt kinda bad, but I was outside jumping trying to get more air when we hit the waves! haha I learned and saw a lot. We got back to the harbor around six o'clock and I headed back to the hostel.


The harbor in the morning

Bear Glacier (I think)

A humpback whale and her calf




Orca!

Skee Glaicer (we got really close to this one, it was huge!)


Took a picture of another tour boat for scale

Aialik Glacier

Blinking in front of a glacier!


Turned out to be a really nice sunny day!



There's a little weather monitor station on top of there! ha!


sea lions!

Soooooooooooo many seagulls


Puffin, with fish or seaweed in his mouth







On the way back


The dotted line was the cruise I was on


Since it was a Saturday night, the hostel was poppin'! There were a lot of people there and everyone was awesome, a large variety of characters, but we all got along really well. Canada man (as I like to call him) brought his guitar along and long story short, there was a jam session down by the coast. It was so so so so so much fun!


Crazy Canada Man


Jam session location


Katie and I. (Katie worked at the Hostel for room and board and she was awesome)

Dancin!

at "night", this is about as dark as it gets here

Washington, Canada, PA, Ohio
Me and some of the crazy locals. The kid with the ears....also had a tail.....hahaha


It was a good night.....I got to see the sun come back up at 3AM...hahaa




Today, Sunday, I didn't really do too much. It was rainy and I was tired. Chilled around town and then headed back to Anchorage. I start work tomorrow! Hopefully that goes well!! :)

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Seward Day Two!

Mission Accomplished! I am getting my free boat ride tomorrow!
It's really safe too it is actually a catameran going out for a tour, so there will be tons of people on board....the only difference between them and me is that I got to go for free! haahaha. I think it's about a six hour cruise. It is gonna be sweeeeeeeeeet! Here's a picture of the boat that I will be going out on......



Today was a bit more overcast and gloomier than yesterday. But still beautiful. dI walked down to town today with the same girl as I did yesterday. I just walked around town for a bit then I headed over to the Alaska Sea Life Center. I was nice! Got some cool shots of the animals and just hung around there for a while. Afterwards I went back to the hostel to get some food. Read a bit then rode my bike into town. Chilled by the docks, and then headed over to the trail on the coast. Just on the beach for a while and read. Met some cool people and chatted with them for a bit. Met a lady from Las Vegas, and then an older man with his granddaughter from Seward. I did a lot of other random stuff today too, but its too much to write about! haha
There's a bunch of the people at the hostel tonight, probably because it's Friday. But I am meeting people from all over! Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Australia, Canada....and of course the United States....haha










hahahaha






Cruise ship came into town today!




Saw two bald eagles in the tree by the park!


Quote for the day......

one of my favorite quotes by Buddha