A Life Extraordinary

We get one life, so lets live!

Tag Archives: Alaska


by Leave a comment

100 Extraordinary Adventures

(**Adventures 1-11 can be found at the bottom of the post!**)

Hello dear friends! Continuing with the updates, the Rebel Badge Book isn’t the only challenge I’ve taken on recently.

Let me explain.

10, maybe 15 years ago it was super popular for bloggers to challenge themselves every year with a number of challenges aligning with their age. So 20 in 20, 31 in 31. You get the idea. The aim was to finish those challenges by their next birthday. I was totally sold. I faithfully made my lists of challenges for a few years and I promptly forgot all about them a couple months later. Seriously, I doubt I ever finished even half of a list.

This year, in the middle of July I turned 37. A number I still have trouble wrapping my mind around because I definitely don’t feel 37, but that’s not the point of this post. Anyways, a few days after my birthday I started to feel the itch for a challenge. It was before I found my Rebel Badge Book again so that wasn’t even on the radar. That’s when the memory of those birthday challenges of old popped into my mind, but they weren’t quite right. I didn’t want to come up with a diverse list I wouldn’t finish. Instead I tried to think of a challenge I actually had a chance of finishing.

And then it came to me.

I love travel, I love adventure, but I definitely don’t take advantage of all the opportunities I could. I wanted 37 to be my year of adventures. But 37 didn’t feel like enough. I felt like I could finish 37 easily. Instead I wanted more of a challenge. Thus the year of 100 Extraordinary Adventures was born.

I did set some guidelines for myself, so I wouldn’t have to question if something would count (or wouldn’t). Here’s what I decided qualifies:

  • Any event, experience, or activity that I don’t regularly do in my life
  • Experiences can overlap, but they have to be distinct (ex. A trip to NYC as one and going to the top of the Empire State Building as another)
  • It can be something I’ve done before
  • It can be events I experience that are a result of circumstances beyond my control
  • The same experience can’t be counted twice even if done twice (unless they are similar but distinct. Ex. I can count going to two different concerts but I cannot count going to the top of the Space Needle twice)

So there you have it! So far I’ve been 37 for about 50 days and I’ve been on 11 adventures. I still have a long way to go to hit 100 but because of this challenge I have a lot of adventures planned for the fall I probably wouldn’t have otherwise planned.

My plan is to share these adventures with you here. Starting with those first 11 adventures I told you about.

Adventure 1: After my shift in in July I stuck around Alaska for a week. The original plan was to go halibut fishing out of Whittier but the weather didn’t cooperate. That’s OK, I got to visit friends on the Kenai Peninsula, go to the AK Sealife Center, and hike in Whittier (which I’d never been to before!

Adventure 2: I got to go see Train, Jewel and Blues Traveler at Climate Pledge Arena with Mom! It was amazing! Even better, I got the tickets from FirstTix so they were almost free!

Adventure 3: Leah sent me a text one day and asked if I would be willing to do a Polar Bear Plunge with her in Barrow (so the Arctic Ocean). I knew this may be the one time where I’d actually agree to do it so I said yes. The water temp was about 32 degrees and the air temp was barely warmer, but I’m so glad I jumped in!

Adventure 4: This is one of the situations that was out of my control but an adventure none the less. We flew to Point Lay to do a medevac but when we got there the front landing gear wouldn’t deploy. We then had to return to Barrow and go through a big emergency landing procedure. In the end the pilots were able to get the gear to deploy at the last minute and all was well.

Adventure 5: I spent the first 18 years of my life in Washington State and various years since but I’d never been to the WA State Capital. My friend Marybeth and I went on a thrifting adventure that took us to the Olympia area so we thought huh, why not stop by! It was the weekend so it was closed, but still, it’s a cool building to see!

Adventure 6: I’m a big nerd at heart and I’ve always wanted to go to a Comic Con. This year, since I was going to be home for it I decided to go ahead and splurge on a ticket to Emerald City Comic Con! It was so work it. I loved seeing all the different things for sale, the cosplay, and I got to see a panel with Rachel Leigh Cook and Freddie Prinze Junior, from the second row!

Adventure 7: The weather was gorgeous on my August break in WA so one day I decided to take my nephew Zeek to the Cougar Mountain Zoo (which I hadn’t been to since I was his age. Then afterwards we stopped by XXX Rootbeer for ice cream and onion rings. We even made a quick detour at Snoqualmie Falls before heading home!

Adventure 8: Remember how I said the August weather was awesome? Well it was hot too so my Dad asked if I would like to go boogie boarding out at Westport on the WA coast with him one day. Unfortunately it wasn’t nearly as hot on the coast (more like 64 degrees), but we went in the water anyway! We would come to Westport all the time when I was a kid but they last time I was there was 2009!

Adventure 9: So I bought a new car! That’s not technically this adventure but it was part of it. The day after I got the car I drove up to Sunrise on Mount Rainier to meet a friend and hike around. The wildflowers that day were insane!

Adventure 10: I love going to FUNKO HQ in Everett but it’s a decent drive so I only go once every year or so. Ever since I’d learned you can build your own Pop! That looks like you I’d been wanting to get up there so I loaded up my new car with my sister, BIL, and nephew and we made a day of it.

Adventure 11: I don’t spend much time in downtown Seattle, mostly because it takes so much effort to get there. I had a friend come in from out of town for a cruise so we met on the Seattle waterfront, got fish and chips from Ivars and fed the seagulls while watching the sunset. It was pretty great.

And there we have it! Adventures 1-11. I’m currently at work so adventures may pop up, they may not, but these next 2 weeks off I have are shaping up to be pretty exciting indeed!

XOXO,

Amanda


by Leave a comment

I’m Back Baby!

Hello friends! Long time no talk! So much has changed since the last time I posted…in 2020. So, instead of boring you to death with every little detail I’ll give you the Cliff Notes of what’s happened since then and then I’ll get to the part about why I’m back!

Where I’ve Been and What I’m Doing Now

Ok, when we last saw each other the Pandemic had just started. I’m was living and working in TX and about 4 months into my no (low) spend year. Since I’m a paramedic there was no time off or work from home for me in 2020. Between my fulltime job and my PRN paramedic job I actually worked more hours in 2020 than ever before. When it comes to my no spend challenge I did do super good the first half of the year, I even took a super frugal road trip to the southeastern US (Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida). I car camped and swam and went crystal digging. It was marvelous! And then by the time September came around all the stresses of life (plus the fact businesses weren’t taking cash anymore) caught up to me and I definitely started to spend my emotions. I didn’t go wild and crazy, but “I fell off the wagon” would be an accurate description.

By the time 2021 rolled around burnout was really catching up to me. All of the work hours, mandatory overtime, long work commutes… I just wasn’t enjoying it anymore. So I decided to contact the FD I had worked at in Alaska in 2017 to see if they needed any contract medics for the upcoming Salmon fishing season. I got hired and mid march I moved out of my apartment in Bastrop, put all of my stuff in storage, and flew out to Bristol Bay where I spent the next 8 months saving the lives of fisherman and enjoying everything Alaska had to offer again.

When the contract ended in November my general plan was to return again for the 2022 season and spend the off months with my family in Washington State. Then I found a job posting for a flight medic position with the North Slope Borough in Alaska. It was cool and unique and I couldn’t pass it up. I interviewed and they offered me a temporary position (which is turning permanent next month)! It’s a government job which is almost unheard of in this field and we do both Medevacs and Search and Rescue. Oh and it’s literally in the Arctic! We’re based out of Utqiagvik (Barrow) which is the most northern town in the US and literally sits on the Arctic Ocean. I work a 2 weeks on 2 weeks off schedule, which has it’s challenges, but I love that it gives me the chance to travel without needing vacation time. I still spend my off weeks in WA (usually) and hope to get an apartment soon. Then I fly up to Alaska for every work shift. I’m definitely collecting some airmiles!

Ok, Now the Why I’m Back to Blogging Part

I won’t lie, I’ve considered getting back to my blog for awhile now but I just felt blogging is almost a dying art. Everyone watches Youtube or Tiktoks or gets on Instagram…but none of those places are good for writing out stories and visual words…

Back in February of this year I traveled to Europe with a friend and had the privilege to meet and have conversations with a lot of awesome humans along the way, several of which, when they heard about my life. told me I should start a blog or youtube etc. and they would totally read it. I seriously considered it. I got so far as to make a post in March. It was just a pic, but it was a start! Still the motivation wasn’t there though.

The kick in my pants actually came from a recent challenge I decided to tackle. Several months ago I bought a book on Amazon called the “Rebel Badge Book” which is basically a guide to earning merit badges for doing life shaping activities and adulting. There’s even a pretty thriving community online, which is cool considering the book only came out in 2021. Anyway, I’ll talk more about the book later, but one of the badges, aptly named “Writer,” has “start/write in a blog” (and be consistent for 6 months) as one of it’s components to earn the badge. So here I am!

In the weeks and months to come I plan to share a lot. I plan to share about my progress with the badges, share about my life in the Arctic, and share about my favorite, budget adventuring! I have two trips planned so far this fall (Vegas and Europe) so I should have lots of content! Then I may throw in some creative and budgeting stuff along the way. We’ll see!

Anyways all, I’m happy to be back and can’t wait to share this journey with you!

xoxo, Amanda


by Leave a comment

Life Right Now: Bristol Bay

Well y’all it’s been a year since I last posted here.  When it comes down to it there wasn’t a lot to report on honestly.  I spent last fall in TX completing my final internship so that I could finish paramedic school.  By early December I had finished all the tests and details I needed to take me national exam, and I passed!  Oh it felt so good, because, I can’t lie the NREMT Paramedic exam is dang hard.

After that I worked most of the spring at a clinic in Soldotna before being offered (and accepting) a seasonal paramedic position with the Bristol Bay Borough Fire Department, which is where I’ve now been since late May.

Today I thought I’d go ahead and give you guys a little snapshot of my surroundings out here.

Bristol Bay…Bristol Bay… how do I describe Bristol Bay?  Picture Alaska in your head.  Whatever you think Alaska should looks like.  Got it?  Ya Naknek (the town I live in) looks  nothing like that.  If I squint real hard on a clear day with no haze I can see the mountains in Katmai about 50 miles away.  Naknek itself is tundra as far as you can see. Tundra meaning flat boggy low bush plant life with little to no trees.

IMG_9959.jpg

Tundra leading up to the bay.  You can see the Peterson Point Cannery in the distance to the right.

But people don’t come to Naknek to play tourist, they come here to fish.  With about a dozen canneries in town the population swells from less than 1,000 to over 10,000 for the Salmon fishing season, hence why they hire people like me to help out in the summer.

The Bristol Bay Borough Fire Department (henceforth referred to as BBBFD) actually only has one full-time year-round paid employee, my supervisor Deb, whose official title is EMS Coordinator, but she really does everything.  Everyone else with the department is a volunteer.

There are three fire stations.  One in Naknek, another in King Salmon, and another in South Naknek (which is only accessible by boat or plane), but almost everything is run out of the Naknek station.

IMG_9962.jpg

The Naknek Fire Station.  It isn’t big, but don’t be fooled, there can be 5 different apparatus squished in there.

The town doesn’t have a hospital but it does have a decent clinic, so if you’ve got a cold or cut your finger they can handle it, but anything worse and there’s a good chance you’ll get medevac’ed to Anchorage from the airport in King Salmon, and expensive event ($30,000+) if you don’t have medieval insurance.

While we actually have 4 ambulances in the area, our primary rig, Rescue 1 is kept in a “barn” next to the clinic and our bunkhouse, which is about a mile from the fire station.  This way we can have access when we’re on call (during the work day we just drive it to the station).  Currently we also have our Reserve Ambulance, and the oldest in our fleet, parked out front as well.  We typically only use it if we have two calls/patients come at the same time, which has happened twice since I got here.  I personally had to run one call in it just last week, and well, it was interesting.  A blast from the past.

IMG_9881.jpg

The ambulance barn with Rescue 1 inside.

IMG_9882.jpg

Our reserve ambulance parked outside.  That thing is at least as old as me.

IMG_9880.jpg

Our clinic, the Camai (pronounced Chuh-my) Medical Center, which is about the size of your average doctors office.

Behind the clinic is the Fire Departments bunkhouse, which me and my two coworkers stay at,  although right now we also have a seasonal police officer, a parks dept. intern, and the engineer working on the towns sewer project living with us as well.  All in all the bunkhouse is a pretty nice building.  There’s a guys wing and girls wing with 4 bedrooms each and a bathroom. Then in the middle there’s a living room, kitchen and laundry area.  There’s not a whole lot to do in our down time, especially since we’re on call 5 nights a week, so we’ve been watching a lot of movies and playing a lot of board games lately.

 

There’s also a lake right next to the bunkhouse which has some pretty killer sunsets over it.  I’d actually have a pretty awesome view of it too if I didn’t have that garish yellow  connex right out my window.  You win some you lose some.

Ill go ahead and leave you today by introducing you to my team this summer…

 

18813573_1422583414468940_2275796037731121741_n.jpg

L-R: John, a paramedic from Texas, Nate an EMT 2 that actually volunteers with me at the fire dept back in Soldotna, and then of course me!  I should also mention that this picture was taken by the Heart ‘o The Shire, a coffee shop/cafe (I guess you would call it that) here in town that has THE BEST cinnamon rolls.  Just sayin 😉

 

SaveSave


by Leave a comment

That Time I Ran With the Reindeer

I’ve often spoken about how my love for history and all things travel was sparked and fueled by my fathers (and grandfathers) extensive collection of National Geographics.  The sites, the cultures, the experiences, all so different from my little corner of the world.  I was completely captivated.

One of the events that has always captivated me was the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona.  While I never actually had any spark of desire within me to run with the bulls myself, the concept was just so interesting.

Enter Alaska.

Every spring, around the start of the famous Ititarod, Anchorage celebrates Fur Rendezvous aka Fur Rondy.  Being as this is Alaska and we have a lot of great nature things to do but not many non-nature activities, I always keep my eye out for new and exciting opportunities. So, when I took a look at this years Fur Rondy schedule and noticed an event called “The Running of the Reindeer” I was immediately intrigued.  I did a little research and immediately knew I had to do it.  I mean, a three block dash, in the snow, being chased by reindeer, while wearing costumes, what could be better?!

I immediately recruited a couple friends to do it with me and then we officially faced our first challenge.  What would we wear?  We considered many different options.  Mario characters, animals, minions…. Eventually we decided on Where’s Waldo.  A fun, cheap, and easy option.

Now lets fast forward to race day.  It’s no secret that our winter here in Alaska has been less than steller.  It’s been warmer that normal and slightly dry.  They actually had to bring in snow to cover 4th Ave for the race and other events there (Including the most important event of them all, the Ititarod, which had it’s ceremonial start that same morning).

Although our winter had been warmer than usual, the race day was still fairly cold.  I’m actually pretty impressed that I managed to fit three layers of clothes underneath my striped Waldo shirt.  Thank goodness for stretchy fabric!

About 30 minutes before the dash was about to start everyone began congregating in the middle of the street and it became such a fun atmosphere.  People were dressed in all sorts of costumes and it became one big photo-op with all the different groups wanting to get pictures with eachother, whether they were people you knew or not.  I can’t even begin to tell you how many photos we were in that day.

PicMonkey Collage1

The dash itself happened in 4 heats: Men, Women, Groups, and Tourists.  We signed up for the group heat because we were originally going to have our guy-friend Skylar join us, but afterwards we were definitely wishing we had done the womens heat. Why? Because the group heat was HUGE.  Definitely the biggest of them all.

Photo Mar 05, 4 14 35 PM (1)

We found more waldos!

When our time finally came to run we were pretty frozen from standing so long so we were ready to go.  Finally the announcer called for us to get ready, Hobo Jim started playing and song, and we were off.

Everything was great at first, but let me tell you, y’all, running in the snow is dang hard!  I probably made it 100 ft before I had to slow to a trot, but that’s ok because the reindeer were still nowhere in site (since our heat was soooooo large).  It actually got to the point where I thought I would finish the track before I even saw a reindeer so I slowed to a walk, and finally, about 2 blocks in the first reindeer came whizzing by, wedging itself quickly between me and my friend Leslie.  Soon there were reindeer all around.

PicMonkey Collage2

*I got these pictures off of Instagram.  I was obviously a little preoccupied during the dash

And then there was the last reindeer.  My empathetic side came out and I felt so bad for it.  It seemed scared and confused.  It would stop, turn around, run in circles.  By this point I had started jogging again and before I knew it this little scared reindeer was right in front of me… and then it stopped, and I bet you can guess what happened next.

Yep, I ran into a reindeer.

That’s right, the reindeer didn’t run into me, I ran into it.  Poor little thing.  Fortunately neither of us were knocked over.  Also fortunately it was one of the reindeer without a rack.

By the time we reached the end of the track my lungs were on fire and I was seeing stars.  Of course the paramedic in me started to diagnose myself.  It was like everything I had learned in class about perfusion and ventilation was coming to life, and I didn’t want it to.

Photo Mar 05, 4 45 18 PM (1)

After the dash.  Completely real emotions.  Feeling death.

In the end we all had a lot of fun. Would I do it again?  Possibly.  If I had a good group and good costumes to go along with it.  I will say it’s definitely a must-do at least once in your life.  You just can’t beat the experience!

 


by 3 Comments

Eye Candy: Homer, AK

Hello my name is Amanda and I’m a tired Paramedic student.

Ok, now that I’ve gotten that out of the way… Recently I’ve been thinking more and more about how blessed I am to live in not only in Alaska, but on the Kenai Peninsula.  Guys, this place is really gorgeous!  Mountains, oceans, lakes, it’s never ending!  So, I thought I’d share some pictures today from my last trip to Homer, one of my favorite spots on the Peninsula, from when I visited at the end of last year.  It’s a small town without much to it, but it’s oh so beautiful.  While it’s fun to visit during the tourist season (the end of May to Labor Day Weekend) while everything on the Spit it open, there’s a certain magical quality of visiting Homer during it’s winter abandonment.

Homer Spit

Look across the Spit and Kachemak Bay.  The day, while freezing, couldn’t have been more perfect.

Homer Spit

The beach felt absolutely abandoned.  It’s such a unreal feeling to have a place like this all to yourself.

Homer Spit

The iconic Salty Dawg Saloons’ lighthouse rising up from the Spit.

Homer Spit

So, in the afternoon, as we were leaving the Spit in search of food we looked to the left and saw a bunch of creatures floating in the slushy bay.  Upon closer look we found at least 50 sea otters relaxing and playing in the surf.  I’d never seen so many otters (my favorite animal) in one place!

Homer Spit

Summer, Spring, Winter, Fall, no matter the season eagles can always be found hanging around.

Homer Spit

So there’s this spot, up on the hill behind Homer, where you can get a great vantage point over the city and the bay.  The absolute best place to watch the sunset.

And finally, just a quick shot of us and our freezing selves.  The air temp was in the teens so with the wind and Lands End (at the far tip of the Spit) it had to have been close to 0 degrees!

Homer Spit

So there’s some eye candy and travel inspiration for the day.  If anyone wants to come visit let me know!

 


by 3 Comments

Currently

Well hello there, it’s been awhile.  Looking at the blog, the last time I wrote was in April, not because there hasn’t been anything to write about, but because writing takes energy and unfortunately that’s something I’m running a little short on these days.

To catch you up a bit, the school year ended at the end of April and instead of going back to Washington for the summer to visit family and friends I opted to stay in Alaska to work and save money.  While it was difficult to not go home, even for a visit, staying in Alaska really was the best decision.  I was able to work full time at the front desk and doing media work for the Residence Hall here at KPC and I was able to enjoy an Alaskan summer, which I must say really agrees with me.  It’s not to hot and not to cold and a whole bunch of beautiful.

The first week of May I finished my basic firefighter training with our local fire department and officially started pulling shifts as a volunteer in July.  While call volumes are usually light I feel like the experience I’ve gained these last couple months truly is invaluable, and it gets me even more excited for my future in EMS.

July held many adventures.  My parents came up for a visit and I spent the week showing them around the Kenai Peninsula.  They both loved it and I’m pretty sure my dad would have stayed if my mom would have let him.  I also splurged a bit and went whitewater rafting on 6 Mile Creek with friends.  It was frigid and exhilarating.  We tackled class III, IV and V rapids and only fell out once!

In July I also officially entered a new decade, 30.  It’s hard to believe my 20’s are behind me, and I’m sometimes sad to see the things I wanted but didn’t accomplish, but then I remember the incredible things I did do (graduate from college, move overseas, travel the world…) and I realize life isn’t so bad.  Now I can’t wait to see what my 30’s will hold.

Summer 2015

(Some pictures from summer.  Clockwise from left: Caines Head Hike, Seward; Fire Training;
Brown bear near Cooper Landing; In Seward with Mom & Dad; Misty day in Cooper Landing;
White water rafting; The View from Fort McGilvray on Caines Head; The 4 summer RA’s ready
to escape to Seward for Labor Day weekend; Fish & Chips with Mom and Dad in Homer;
We finished the Color Run!; Residence Hall hike to Juneau Falls)

 

That brings me to CURRENTLY…

Currently I am in my 5th week of the UAA Paramedic Program.  This week we are reviewing how to do IV’s and administer medications.  Tomorrow I leave bright and early for Anchorage to spend the day with our sister campus out of Mat-Su to do orientations for clinical sites in the city.  Then, come October, clinical season officially begins and the little sliver of life I have now officially disappears.

Currently I am also working 20 hours a week for the school (in IT again & also doing media work for the ResHall) as well as pulling RA duties at the Residence Hall + training and the occasional shift with the fire department.  I’ve never been so glued to my planner in my life, but without it I would be totally lost.  I am busy, very, very busy.  Busier than I’ve ever been in my life, but thankfully I’ve staked out a few days in October, between clinicals where I have nothing planned.  I call these my “vacation from life”days and I am protecting them like a mama bear protects her cubs.  I’m going to sleep in, maybe watch some Netflix, or gasp, read a book for fun!  I guess we’ll see.  They’re still a few weeks away haha.

But, as busy as life is I’m incredible thankful for everything I have.  Right now it is a lot of work but I know in the end it will be so worth it.  I can’t say when the next time I’ll update the blog is, it may be to say “Horray! I’ve finished the paramedic program!” or it could be a lot sooner.  I guess we’ll see, but in the mean time any prayers for strength and the endurance to make it through this semester and the year are greatly appreciated!
Signature
 
RAs

Our 2015/2016 RA Team
(P.S. Part of my job this summer was to design these shirts.  What do you think?)


by Leave a comment

Catching Up

Hi all, how’s it going?  Long time no blog.  2015 thus far has been by far the busiest year of my life, it doesn’t look like things will slow down anytime soon and you know what?  I’m OK with that.

So let’s do a little catching up shall we?

Let me start with work, or what I refer to as my 3 jobs, yes you read that right 3 jobs and no that doesn’t include being a student.  As many of you know I was offered an RA (Resident Advisor) position in the KPC Residence Hall for the spring semester.  It is SO much work, more than I ever imagined but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.  We have a total of 6 RA’s right now and we rotate duty days every week.  If my duty night falls on I week day I’m only on for 12 hours (8pm to 8am) but if it falls on a weekend that shift turns into 24 hours, and those 24 hours usually drag on.  Not being allowed to leave the ResHall during a shift can be both a blessing and a curse.  For some reason I always run out of something I need right at the moment I can’t go to the store, go figure.  But at the same time, not having the opportunity to run away, in theory should give me more time to get things done, although instead of doing homework I usually find myself on Netflix like your average 20 something… oops.

Aside from all the RA-ing I find myself doing, I also work at the helpdesk in my schools IT department (the same job I had last semester) aka job #2, as well as spending several hours a week doing media work for the ResHall (updating the website, taking pictures, making flyers, posting to facebook) aka job #3.  When you do the math all of this essentially equals up to a full-time job, which yes, after many years of being in the workforce and working full-time I am used to, but tack that on to being a full-time student and things start to get tricky.

Which brings me to that whole student thing.  I’m taking 13 credits this semester, nothing compared to the 18 credits I usually took a semester in college the first time around, but when you’re used to not having homework, like ever, it feels like a whole, whole lot.  My EMT 2 class officially starts tomorrow, meaning Monday-Friday I now have no downtime, but wait it gets even more complicated!  More one that in a minute but first let me make a quick caveat because…

I’m now not only a certified EMT in Alaska, I’m a Nationally Certified EMT (NREMT)!  Most of my classmates took the test back in December right after we finished EMT-I but, because I went back to WA for Christmas I had to delay my test a little bit.  I originally was going to take it in January right after I got back but I put it off and put it off and put it off.  You know how that goes.  I finally scheduled the test and took it in my schools learning center last Monday.  To be honest when I finished I was convinced I had failed.  It’s the type of test that can have more than one right answer and you have to choose which one is the best.  It was stinking hard to say the least but the next day I got my results back and I had passed!  That was a huge load off of my shoulders and I couldn’t be more excited.

Ok now back to why life is getting even more complicated.  When I first got back to school in January I saw signs posted around the ResHall that Central Emergency Services (CES) our local fire and rescue department was looking for volunteers.  I went back and forth on whether I wanted to apply for it because with everything else going on I didn’t know if I would be able to handle it too.  I decided to go to the informational meeting they held at the beginning of February just to check it out and I left that meeting wanting to be a volunteer more than anything.  I put in my application and last Thursday had my physical agility test and interview.  I found out Monday that I got a position and start fire training sometime next month!  If I wasn’t already busy enough right?  But gosh, to be able to start working now in a position I want to be my career will be amazing.  I can’t wait!

So there we are, all caught up.  This coming week is spring break, and while I wish I was going somewhere fun and exotic, I’ll instead be working full-time.  My friend Kirsten and I have a couple of day trips planned around the area, but with an arctic blast heading our way it’s looking like spring break will be chilly indeed!EMT

 Horray! I’m an EMT!

Met. Redoubt

A view of Mt. Redoubt from the school.  It was tough leaving Mt. Rainier behind but Redoubt is pretty stinking beautiful.  You would never guess there’s the whole Cook Inlet between us.

Extras

They’re going to be filming a big budget Hollywood movie in Whittier over the next couple months so we headed up to Anchorage a couple Sunday’s ago in the ResHall van to try our luck at becoming extras for the movie.  Fingers crossed!

Moulage

Kirsten and I got a chance to volunteer to be victims in the final drill for a recent CERT class last weekend.  The moulage person didn’t show up so we got to do our own.  Considering the tools we had were very limited I was pretty proud of what I did.  I even got a piece of “shrapnel” to stick out of my forehead.  So much fun!

RA board

Every month the RA’s have to make a new educational bulletin board in our quad.  This was my board for February.  I think it turned out fairly well 🙂


by Leave a comment

Here’s to 2014, Looking Back At This Last Year

Oh what the difference a year can make.  2013 was not a good year and by the end I was feeling terribly discouraged.  As I looked ahead to 2014 I had hope, hope that good things would happen and determination to make them so.  Now, as I reflect upon this last year I can confidently say it was everything I wanted and so much more.  I would even go so far as to say it was one of the best years of my life.

That’s funny for me to say considering the year contained one of the worst months of my life.  You see, March was not good to me.  It started out with terrible cement burns on my legs that made just moving a horrible chore and ended with a highly publisized controversy in relation to the organization I worked for that caused immense heartbreak for me and my co-workers.  Thankfully, when you hit the bottom there is nowhere you can go but up and give each blessing, big or small, that much more significance, and let me say, the rest of 2014 was full of them.

2014

In May after months of prayer and research I made the decision to apply to go back to school to finally become a paramedic.  It was a scary move for me and one I didn’t fully trust for another 2 months, but it ended up being one of the best decisions of my life.

At the end of June I once again headed to Tijuana, Mexico with my church to build homes for those in need and once I got home I was in full planning mode for the transition from full time employee to full time student.  At the end of July I officially gave my two weeks notice at World Vision and leaving was definitely bittersweet.  While working in a call center is not my calling in life (I actually hate talking on the phone) I couldn’t have worked for a better organization and my co-workers made each day so special.

2014

Mid- August brought the big move.  I loaded up my new car (Praise the Lord!  One of those blessings I was talking about earlier) and began the journey north to Alaska.

I got the incredible chance to spend the first half of the trip on the Alaska ferry traveling from Bellingham, WA to Haines, AK.  I saw sights I never imagined I would lay eyes on.  The inside passage is so gorgeous (when it’s sunny) and met so many great people.  The remaining drive to Soldotna was long and lonely but provided perfect time to think and reflect. In case you were wondering, Yukon territory really is as empty as you would imagine, go figure, but as soon as I pulled into the school after 3 days driving I knew I was home.

2014

This last semester I was given best friends, got to go on incredible adventures and laughed more than I had in 28 years.  I couldn’t feel more blessed.

2014

Now, as the year wraps up and I’ve officially got the first step in my pursuance of becoming a paramedic finished (EMT 1, hooray!) I eagerly look forward to what this next year will bring, and I remember that no matter what happens that God is good!

Happy New Year Everyone!  Here’s to 2015!


by Leave a comment

Thankfulness

Today marks the 9th Thanksgiving I’ve spent away from my family and while it’s bitter-sweet in ways I couldn’t be more blessed.  It’s truly been an example of God’s provision to me.  I had several friends invite me over to their homes for Thanksgiving and in the end will get to spend the day with one of my best friends families as well as my surrogate family here at the res hall.  There will be Turkey and potatoes and tons of desert.  It will be amazing and I am so, so thankful for it.

In truth, I have a lot to be thankful for this year.  God has given me so much.  New opportunities, the chance to live in Alaska, the ability to go back to school, to follow my dream.  Good friends, a great car, a safe and beautiful road trip to Alaska, good grades, a great job with awesome co-workers, snow, a new nephew, just to name a few.

2014 has been a year full of changes and a year full of blessings and today…

I am thankful.

How about you?  What are you thankful for today?

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Thanksgiving


by 1 Comment

Savoring My Season

Hi y’all it’s been awhile, I know, but I’m alive, yay!

Things have quickly changed up here.  The leaves turned and were on the ground within a week and since then it’s just gotten progressively colder each day.  Like bitterly cold.  It was 14 degrees last week y’all, brrr.  It’s going to be a long winter.

Being back in college is hard, I can’t lie.  Tests and homework and roommates….  There were times in the last 7 years when I really, really missed school.  I know crazy right?  I mean, as my senior year of college wrapped up I absolutely couldn’t wait to be done with school, FOREVER.  This is something I distinctly remember, but still, as the longs days of class and nights filled with homework became distant memories I thought “hmmm, maybe I should go back to school again.”  Obviously, as I’ve stated before becoming a paramedic is something I’ve wanted for years but I actually considered going back to school several times to pursue several different avenues, studying Egyptology in Egypt is still one of my favorites.

Surprisingly I don’t hate tests and homework this time around, maybe it’s because I finally know what I want to do with my life?  Or maybe it’s because I’m not bogged down with 18 credits, not sure, but it really isn’t so bad.  That said I am still counting down the days until Christmas Break (37 days!) although it kinda terrifies me at the same time considering I have my EMT certification tests right before I fly home.  I mean, I’m sure I’ll do fine, but its scary none the less.

Moving away from class and homework and all things academic, I really am liking living here in Alaska.  While my specific living situation is less than ideal many days (long story, not for a blog), I do really like living in the KPC Residence Hall and have managed to find myself a small group of great friends.  We’re together so often others have come to call us “the elite 4” but we prefer to call ourselves “The Pevensies” (ala “The Chronicles of Narnia”) since no, we are not elitists.   Nights are usually filled with card games, late night runs to the store for ice cream, playing Wallyball or watching shows on the big TV out in our common area.  So far we’ve polished off “Sherlock” (and I’m tearing out my hair at the thought of having to wait another year for a new episode!) and now we’re working on “Warehouse 13” via Netflix.  If you haven’t seen it you totally should!  The pilot was absolute garbage but it’s gotten really good I must admit, and we can’t just sit an watch one episode at a time, we need to do at least 2 preferably 3.

We also try to have adventures as best as we can.  Things really close down/seal up around here after the tourist season ends but we manage to have a good time.  Recent adventures have included a bonfire at Kirsten’s moms house to roast hot dogs/marshmallows and burn Keevens disgusting shoes (they were real bad, trust me), a road trip to explore the beach up at Captain Cook Park, swimming at the Nikiski pool and a short jaunt to Girdwood for dinner (ya, Girdwood is a  2 hour drive…).  To be fair, after getting dinner we did run up to Alyeska to play in the snow and get a bit of our Narnia fix.  Totally worth it.

So there you have it, life thus far.  Not terribly exiting and not a lot to report on but so good none the less.  A year ago I would have never guessed I’d be here, and while each season has it’s challenges this one has been pretty sweet thus far and I’ve been happy to take a step back and really try to enjoy it.

Now if only it would snow, because lets be honest, the bitter cold and ice is getting old, and this Washington girl wants to go sledding!

And of course, what would a post be without pictures?  Keeven is a bit a of a selfie maniac so I have plenty to choose from like…

Lake night Ice Cream escapades to Safeway for Moosetracks!

Ice cream with friendsRoad tripping to Girdwood (R-L: Keeven, Kirsten, Me and Tobin)

Roadtrip to Girdwood

Building a mini snowman at Alyeska on our road trip adventure.

Roadtrip to Girdwood

Before I came up I found these fun photobooth props on clearance at Target so of course we had to play with the whilst singing “What does the Fox Say?”

friends

Oh and a picture from the Halloween dance at the Residence Hall last week.  I don’t have many pictures since I was the one behind the camera most of the time, but here’s Keeven and I, we were both Unicorns…

Halloween

And finally, a picture of a moose, because I feel like this is very Alaskan and I took this picture from my bedroom window.  There are so many moose y’all, it’s crazy!

moose

Fin