Lately

Wow! It has been quite some time since I have blogged. So sorry about that. I've been very busy with work and kind of forgot about this blog to be honest! Warning: this post is very long!

 Let's see here, what has happened since July 1...

So we had a big company party on July 3rd, because that's when a lot of people celebrate July 4th and that's when they have fireworks here in Skagway. The company party was a lot of fun: bonfire, alcohol, volleyball, music, football and of course, tons of great people. Later in the night we walked down to the docks and watched the fireworks. There was a lot of us out there chillin', screaming, and having a great time! That was a crazy night :)




Jess, Casey and I at the 3rd of July company barbecue, impersonating our boss's smile :)

Fireworks! Love them. (This picture's for you, sissy!)

The next day, July 4th, there was a huge parade through downtown Skagway with floats from all different companies around town. All 8 blocks of downtown were closed off and it was like a huge festival all day. They had an egg toss (which Alisha and I rocked!), a slow bike race (that's right, you had to bike as slow as you possibly could without falling off your bike), railroad spike driving competition, tug-of-war, arm wrestling, tons of food and a lot more. Here's what we did all day!




Our lucky egg

Slow bike race

Love my friends!

Yeah ladies, show 'em how it's done!

Also, we celebrated Alisha's birthday around the same time. She turned 22. I got a bunch of people to come out to the Red Onion (one of our favorite bars). Every Saturday they have dance night, and the RO turns into a pseudo night club. So it was the perfect night to go out and celebrate Alisha's birth =) (If you haven't figured this out by now, Alisha is my roommate and my absolute favorite chick here.) She seemed like she had a really fun night so I was very happy about that. Enjoy the pics...

There was also a drag show at the Red Onion, and one of our friends, Dallin, was part of the fun...



This is the "before" picture. What he normally looks like...

And "after"...

So Alisha and I like to be lazy on our days off. Lay in bed, sit on the computer, eat, listen to music, etc., which is definitely nice some of the time, to just relax. But we decided it was time to get off our asses and do something (and when I say "we" decided, I mean SHE decided lol). Now because we work for Holland America-Princess, and we work with a lot of other tour companies in Skagway, we get to go on a lot of complimentary excursions. So first we chose kayaking up in Fraser, B.C. on Lake Bernard. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, perfect weather. It is usually overcast, but this day was clear skies and sunshine. Our kayak guide called it "cloud failure", love it. It was so much fun! My arms were a little sore, but still fun. I'm glad my roommate is getting me to try new things! So here we are, kayaking like a bunch of pros!

Another thing we did was go zip-lining out in Dyea. Dyea is a small town about 9 miles away from Skagway. There is a dirt road that takes you out there, and there is barely anything/one in this town. There are gorgeous views and really cool wildlife. Anyways, we went with a company called Alaska Excursions. There were 6 of us drivers that went together. We had such a blast! I was very scared at first, but it gives you a little bit of a rush, which just turns into excitement. There were about 10 zip lines we went on. Our guides were a lot of fun too. They were showing us how to go upside down, backwards, do front flips off the platforms and all kinds of stuff. Alisha and I both successfully completed a front flip =) I would definitely do this again someday!



Our cute zip-lining guides :)

Gorgeous!

My birthday was August 2nd, so me and bunch of friends celebrated by going out to dinner. Then that following weekend we had a "birthday bonfire". My friend Joe's birthday was August 3rd so we decided to have a big combination party/bonfire. It was lots of fun. My wonderful roommate, Alisha, decorated my room for my birthday and also got me a card and had everyone sign it. She's the best!

Besides these events, nothing too significant has happened. Just trying to work as much as possible. I got sick about a week and a half ago and I'm just starting to feel better! I had a fever and went to the clinic in town (because my mother made me...) and he said to just rest, drink lots of fluids and take some Robitussin. I did all of that and 9 days later I am still sick. I don't get it. But, today I am finally starting to feel better.

Uncle Mike had to leave Skagway and return home to Arizona. There are important things at home that he needs to take care of. I was very sad to see him go =( He has been out on highway all summer, which means he's gone for 3-5 days at a time, so I didn't see him too often, but I loved checking in with him and hanging out. On his last day of work, me, him and Aunt Shari all paralleled together (which means we were all given the same tour, so we were with each other all day). It was a lot of fun! We all told our passengers that we were family and they loved that. Passengers really love when you let them into your world and they see what you're all about. So I told all of my people to go up and say "Hi Aunt Shari!" or "Hey Uncle Mike!" whenever they saw either of them at a picture stop or when we stopped for lunch. Aunt Shari and Uncle Mike also played a prank on their passengers. They were at a picture stop (a pullout overlooking a lake next to the highway), and Aunt Shari jumped on Uncle Mike's coach to use the bathroom. So Uncle Mike hopped on Aunt Shari's coach, fired it up and took off with all of her passengers! I guess they were kinda shocked but laughing about it as well. So all the tourists thought Uncle Mike was playing a prank, even though Aunt Shari was totally in on it. It was very fun to hear about though! So anyways, we had a great day together. Then, that night we got a big group of people together to go out for his last night in town. We all relaxed, had a couple beers, played pool and listened to Uncle Mike sing karaoke! He did awesome! It was such a fun night and I was sad to see him go, but I know he is needed elsewhere.

Sorry about this post being so long. I had a lot of stuff to catch up on! Here are some other random pictures of what has been happening the last 2 months. Enjoy and stay tuned!

I love Skagway =)

Update...

Hello all! So I haven't blogged in awhile because nothing new has really happened here. Skagway is still amazing and I am still loving it! Work is great and the people are great. I've been working quite a bit, but I still need more hours! Gotta make that money =) I feel pretty comfortable with my tours now. I still get nervous when I have a Yukon (the longest tour we do), but it always turns out okay and the tips are pretty good... Wait, what? I didn't say tips...

Guess what I did the other night? Yep, that's right, an Irish car bomb, some nasty shot that my friends convinced me to do. But I figured, hey, why not? I've probably had 3 shots in my entire life so I'll take one for the team and make them happy. We were all hanging out at the Red Onion on dance night.
I love my friends =)

I've met so many great people here. I feel like I just got here and people are already talking about leaving in a month and a half! It's so sad, I don't even wanna think about leaving yet! I really have made some true friends though. Especially my roommate, Alisha. She's my girl! We always have so much fun together. She gets me off my ass when I'm being lazy and I love her for that! However, we do have our lazy days. When we get off work, lay in bed and listen to some tunes, and just become complete bums for a couple hours. Then we go out and hit the town =) She's such a chill person and I know I can completely trust her. Definitely had to give a shout out to her!
There are so many other great people as well. To talk about them all would take hours. But I am so lucky to be here. So thank you Aunt Shari and Uncle Mike for convincing me to come to Skagway! It is definitely one of the best decisions I have ever made. You guys were absolutely right about this town. It is amazing, and such a great opportunity that not many people get to experience, yet everyone should. I would absolutely recommend this job to anyone. I've learned so much and I learn something new every day. It may sound kind of corny, but it is truly fascinating when you hear about all the history this town has. Thousands of people coming in and out for the gold rush, lots of families starting businesses that are still around today, hard working people trying whatever they can to make it big, original buildings and landmarks, etc. I could go on forever about Skagway, so I'll stop right about... now.

So I saw the coolest thing last night. Alisha and I walked outside to go to a friend's house across the parking lot and there was a black bear on it's hind legs, leaning on one of the dumpsters! As soon as he heard us he started running away because they scare pretty easily. So we went over to our friend's house and I decided to go outside and have a cigarette. While I'm sitting on the porch steps, I hear the sound of someone walking on gravel. I look over to the right and don't see anything so I turn back. Then I hear it again. I look over and RIGHT next to me is a black bear! It was probably 3-4 feet away. I could've petted him if I wanted to! It scared me a little bit, him being so close and all, so I immediately stood up, which scared him away, and he ran behind the house. I opened the front door to tell everyone and they all ran outside and to the left to go look for him. Well I went to the right, beside the river. Just then he comes out from behind the house and starts running towards me. So I scream "Oh my god!", which again, startles him, and he turns around and starts running away from me. Everyone comes over to see and he is sprinting along the river and disappears into the woods. It was the coolest thing I have experienced so far. I wish I had my camera with me because he was so ridiculously close. And I can't believe he came down into town. Usually the bears stay up in the mountains (or so I am told). So I got to see this same bear a few times within a couple hours. However, now every time I walk outside I am scared that I am going to get eaten. I should be okay though because I have a loud voice, so if I was screaming in agony, plenty of people would be able to hear me =) And that is my awesome bear story.

I was planning on going back to Phoenix over the winter and trying to find a job for a few months, and then coming back here next summer. However, talking to everyone here and hearing about how they are all world travelers has got me thinking... I want to be a world traveler! So I think I might try and travel over the winter instead. Save as much money as I can this summer, and then use that to travel. Maybe go to Australia, New Zealand, work there for a couple months and then come home. I am already going to Ohio in September to visit family for a month or so, so I might as well just keep on going! I do have Maysie though, my sweet, sweet puppy, so that is definitely something to think about. I don't know, I guess we'll see. I still have a few months left and then after that I think I am just going to play it by ear. I don't have a plan yet and I like it that way! What do all of you think about my idea??

Well like I said, nothing really new. Just wanted to update you all on my Alaskan adventure! I miss everyone from home very much and I hope you are all doing well. Love you all!

Stay tuned...

Bonfires, Bears and Booze

So I am having a FABULOUS time in Skagway. Like the post says, lots of bonfires, bears and booze! I am not drinking lots of booze, of course =) You should all know that! But we are having lots of bonfires and seeing lots of bears!
A few days ago I had my first Yukon tour. This means we drive our passengers up into the Yukon Territory to one of our vendors, called Caribou Crossing. This is about 2 1/2 hours away, so it's a long time with your guests, and a lot of touring. I was super nervous, so I tried to study and asked the returning drivers a lot of questions. It ended up going okay, it could've been better, but it also could've been way worse. I don't think I talked enough, but I'm pretty sure my people didn't realize that. That's the great thing about this job, most of your passengers have never been here, so they don't know what they don't know (did that convoluted sentence make any sense?) So they are pretty easy to please. Plus, no one wants to hear a tour guide talk for 2 1/2 hours straight; I know I wouldn't. So it's okay if you take breaks and are silent for a few minutes at a time. I had my next Yukon tour 2 days later. This tour went a thousand times better! I talked to a returning driver who helped me out and gave me a lot of information to talk about, and told me what he talks about at specific points during the trip. Plus, my group was amazing. I have had pretty good groups so far, none of them have sucked =) I always have so much fun with them. I love talking to random people and finding out where they're from and what they do. So I've been pretty lucky, but this group of passengers I had on my second Yukon was probably my favorite so far. I believe I had about 40 people, which is a lot; our coaches only hold 47. Big groups are good and bad. So far I like big groups better because that is more people that laugh at my corny tourist jokes =) However smaller groups are nice because it's more intimate and you get to know them better. Anyways, we were all getting along very well. They would ask questions about me and my life and vice versa. They were kinda rowdy so I asked if I had any trouble makers on board. Well one guy, named Ed, raised his hand, and told me his name was "Mr. Ed the talking horse". I knew from then on that this was going to be a fun day. I was with these people on and off for about 8 hours. My tour went really well, I had enough to talk about, and the tips weren't too terrible either. My passengers were so amazing that I actually did not want to drop them off at their ship. I wanted to hang out with them more! One lady told me when she got off the coach that she really enjoyed it, she loved the information and I "made her vacation". This was the biggest compliment I have ever received, and I felt almost honored (as cheesy as that sounds). You don't realize it until you do the job, but it's a lot of pressure being a tour guide. You really can make or break someone's vacation. These people pay hundreds of dollars per ticket and they are depending on you to help them have a good time. So that is kinda scary, but I think I'm doing an okay job so far. At the end of all of my tours, there are always quite a few people who say that they had a great time, loved the information, said I'm a good tour guide, etc. It makes me feel really good about myself because I was super nervous when I first got here about being a sucky tour guide. But as most of you know, I can be pretty outgoing when I want to be, so I just talk and joke around with my passengers, all while giving them valuable information. So I always have a good time on tour. Overall, I am loving my job. I feel completely spoiled that I get paid to live here all summer, see amazing scenery and hang out with tourists all day. This is the life =)
Yesterday me, Alisha and Trent went up to Whitehorse, which is the capital of the Yukon Territory in Canada. It has around 28,00 people I believe; much bigger than Skagway, but still a small town. (For those of you that don't know, Skagway only has about 900 year-round residents... tiny!!) Anyways, we wanted to get out of town for the day, so we drove up in the afternoon and hung out for the day. When we got up there we had sushi for dinner. Yes, sushi. I actually love it! Then we went to a couple stores and finally went and saw The Hangover 2. Sooo funny. I don't think it was as good as the first one, but still hilarious.
The drive is about 2 hours each way, so it was kind of like a mini road trip. We pulled over at a couple picture stops we go to on our tours, because we felt like being tourists for a second. First stop was Emerald Lake. Prettiest lake I have ever seen! It is even brighter in person. It gets it's color from something called marl. Marl is decomposed shells and clay mixed together that sits at the bottom of the lake. So when the sun reflects off the marl, it makes this beautiful color.

Roomies

Alisha and Trent

We saw tons of wildlife yesterday. 5 bears: 3 black bears and 2 grizzlies, and 2 bald eagles. I have never been so close to a bear! We were in a car so we weren't too scared to get close. We probably got about 10 feet away from this black bear...

I have seen 2 or 3 bears before this, but it was when I was driving on a tour so I couldn't take pictures. We were just stopped on the side of the road, watching them eat and walk around. We tried to talk to them and whistle, but they would just look up at us, and then go on eating. These were a couple of the grizzlies we saw...

The bear in this picture ^ was so cute, I wanted to cuddle with it! We could've spooned, but it wouldn't have been a very happy ending, because he would probably eat me.
Here is one of the bald eagles we saw, also very cool.

On our way back down to Skagway, me and Alisha decided to be really touristy and take a picture at the Welcome to Alaska sign because we had never done it before.

So we had a pretty good day. It was nice to get out of town for the day and do something different. After we got back we hung out at home for a couple hours and then you'll never guess what we did?? Had a bonfire, go figure. There was probably about 10 of us or so. And guess what we drank? Booze. What else do people do at bonfires? =) But it was a fun time, just all chillin' around the fire, talking and relaxing.
Today is kind of a day off. I have a transfer to do at 4:30, that will take about 10 minutes and that's it. So I'm just sitting here, being lazy with Alisha. We like to lay in our beds, laptops on our stomach, and alternate who gets to play music lol I love her, she's an awesome roommate and a great friend!
Well that's all for now. Stay tuned for more of my Alaskan adventures!

Just catching up...

So I haven't written in quite awhile. I know I said I would write after my next tour, but it wasn't too exciting so I didn't have much to say! By now, I have had about 5 or 6 tours, and a bunch of transfers. Transfers are just picking people up from a vendor or the train station, and transporting them to another location. So you don't have to tour them or even talk to them, however I do so I can get more practice touring. My tours have been good so far, nothing too exciting. The other day I had a tour that went to the suspension bridge which is in Yukon Territory, Canada. That is the furthest I have ever driven with guests so I was a little nervous, but it turned out okay. I picked them up off the dock and then drove them straight to the train depot which is about 2 min. away. I then staged for a few minutes (staging is just parking your coach and waiting for your next duty) until I had to drive up to Fraser, B.C. where I picked them up off the train. After I picked them up I drove about 15 min. north to the Yukon Suspension Bridge. It's just a small bridge they can walk across, there is a gift shop, a place to get snacks and some placards they can read about the bridge and the surrounding area. We were there for about 45 min. and then we left. We headed down the pass back to Skagway and I toured them the whole way. It was a lot of fun, they seemed to like it. I was joking around with them and laughing the whole time. I always try and make an effort to connect with my passengers and make them seem like we are becoming friends, and I'm not just some boring tour guide they have to listen to all day. I ask them how their cruise is going, where they're from, how they are enjoying Alaska, etc. And in turn, they ask me where I'm from, how I heard about the job, where I live in town, if I go to school, things like that. They are always very interested in me and my life, which I love! So we got back into town, I gave them a city tour and then dropped them off in town so they could walk around. They all said thank you and said they had a great time, and a lot of them showed their appreciation in other ways =) Wait, what? I didn't say "tips", I said in "other ways"... (We are not allowed to solicit tips or talk about them so we all pretend like it doesn't happen lol.) So that was a good day.
Nothing else is really new here. I've had quite a few days off which sounds like it would be nice, but I always seem to have days off when everyone else is working, so it's not that fun. And I really want more hours. Gotta make that money! I've still been hanging out with everyone, going out, and having a lot of bonfires! We have a bonfire about twice a week. There is a fire pit right behind the parking lot by our house so it's very convenient. We also had a bonfire up at The Point, which is a little area on the rocks off of a trail at the end of town. And this was our view...

It was so much fun! Here are me and all my friends that went =)

I haven't seen any other wildlife so far, I'm keeping my eyes peeled but nothing yet. Also, I'm gonna try and convince one of the guys up here to teach me how to play guitar! I really want to learn and there are 3 or 4 guys who can play so I'm gonna bat my eyelashes and sweet talk them into teaching me =D So I'll keep you updated on that.
Also, we went on a little hike to Lower Dewey Lake and a bunch of people went cliff jumping. I want to jump, but maybe later in the season. They all said that the water was so cold, it took your breath away when you hit. Here are all the badasses that jumped!

Stay tuned for my next blog, whenever that may be...

My very first tour!

Welcome back. I have been very busy with work, training, going out, hangin' out, so I haven't had much time to write in the last few days. I am still loving it here in Skagway, probably even more then the last time I wrote! Everything and everyone is amazing; and I especially love that I get to wake up to beautiful snow-covered mountains everyday. I could talk about the scenery for hours, so let's move on...
We had our first ship day about a week ago. The Disney Wonder came into Skagway. This was the first time a Disney ship has ever been to Alaska so there was a lot of pressure. I didn't tour, I just rode along, listened and took some notes. All of the returning drivers give really good tours. I was very impressed and figured there was no way I could do that well. So I decided to try and study and read more about Skagway. Me and my friend, Alisha, (she lives with me) made plans to sit down and study every night for about 3 or 4 nights in a row, and what ended up happening? We always went out instead of studied. You'd think in this small town there would be nothing to do but it's completely the opposite. There is always something to do, even if it's just walk around downtown. Most of the time we'll go out and grab some dinner and a beer, but one night we went to Dyea. Dyea is a small town about 9 miles away right by the water. There is a historical cemetery you can walk through, woods, tidal flats, wildlife and gorgeous views. Me, Alisha, Jake and Tony (2 other drivers) drove out there just to hang out and walk around. We walked through the cemetery then walked around the tidal flats, along the water and actually saw a couple people that we work with up there. I got to see a couple bald eagles, a couple seals, and what we thought was a bear's paw print! (Turns out it was just a big dog haha) But it was absolutely beautiful up there! (I'll post pictures on Facebook soon). So pretty much every night we planned on studying and found something better to do. Finally on Thursday night we went to the library and studied because we had our first tours on Friday.
I wake up on Friday morning at 5:30am, get ready and go out to the driver room to get all of my paperwork and go to my coach. I started the pre-trip (which is the inspection of the entire motorcoach before you can drive it anywhere to make sure it is safe and in good condition), and I let the coach run for 20 min. but it wasn't building air pressure. Our coaches are equipped with air brakes, so we have a couple air bellows that have to fill up with air and build air pressure so our brakes will work. The air pressure meter(?) on the dashboard wasn't rising so I radioed into dispatch (dispatch are managers that are always on our CB radio to help us out) and let them know. This was about 10 minutes before I had to leave to go the dock and pick up my guests. So he switched me to a different coach and I had to do another entire pre-trip. Of course I was late getting to the dock and by the time I got there, there was already a few of my guest waiting for me! Ah, I hated that. So I checked all of their tickets and passports and counted them up. Because some people arrived on my bus late, I had to get off the dock really fast and I didn't really have time to tell them a little bit about myself or give them a proper safety speech. I only drove them about 2 min. to the train depot and dropped them off. I then had about an hour break, then I went up to Fraser, B.C. to pick them up off the train. Now, to get from Skagway up to Fraser (which is where Canadian customs is) you have to take the Klondike Highway, which we call "the pass". We start down at sea level and we reach the summit which is at 3,292 feet. So it is quite a climb and it's curvy, on the side of a mountain. I had only driven up the pass, which is the easy part, but I had never driven down it. There is something called a "jake brake" that we use to slow down the engine when you're going down hill. So instead of picking up speed like you would in a normal car, the jake brake helps hold the coach at one speed. You can't ride your brakes down the hill because you would burn them, and probably start a tire fire. There is also a special braking technique we use so we don't burn out our brakes. So there is a method to going down this steep hill and I knew it, I had just never done it. So that was making me very nervous that the first time I was ever going down this hill was with a group of passengers with me. I picked them up in Fraser and we headed out. As soon as I pull out and start heading down the pass this little boy yells out "How many times have you driven down this road all the way into town?" Shit! What are the odds that someone would ask me that on my very first time driving down the pass?! So of course I lied and told him at least 20 times =) Hey, these people were already hesitant getting on my bus on the dock, because I look so young, I don't need to freak them out anymore. Anyways, I get down the pass and everything was fine, it was super easy because I had a great jake brake. The touring part was a little rough though. I started saying some things about Skagway and then my mind went blank. I was just sitting there driving in complete silence for about 2 minutes. I was shuffling through my brain trying to come up with something, anything! that would kill this awkward silence. I finally squeezed out some information about the gold rush and everything was all good. The rest of the tour went well. I dropped them off at Liarsville, which is one of our vendors we use where they get to see a little show, walk around, have a snack and pan for gold. After that I drove them through downtown Skagway, gave them a city tour and then dropped them off so they could walk around town. When they got off they all said thank you and were very nice; and there was even 4 or 5 people who said I was a great tour guide, they had so much fun, they loved the tour, etc. but I wasn't happy with my performance. All well, I'm glad the first one is over. I won't be as nervous for the second one now.
Not too much else is new... Last night we had a company barbecue that was really fun. There was probably about 60 people there? We hung out, ate, played frisbee, football, and then after that we went to the company softball game. It was the most intense softball game I have ever seen! So much shit-talking and heckling. I loved it! I don't even know who won to be be honest, but we had a good time. After that a bunch of us went to a friend's house and had a big bonfire. There was probably about 20 of us. It was lots of fun, just drinking and hanging out around the fire. All around it was a great night!
Today is my first day off since I arrived. Hallelujah! I have worked the last 14 days in a row, and I think the past 8-9 days I have worked almost 70 hours. Great overtime, but I'm so ready for a day off. I think that's about all I have to write about. I'll try and write again after I have my next tour.
Stay tuned...

Home Sweet Home!

So I arrived in Skagway, Alaska a few days ago, on May 1st around 4pm. I had to take a tiny 10-seater plan from Juneau to Skagway. I was really nervous at first, but then I realized it's not so bad. The flight to Skagway was absolutely beautiful! (I posted pictures on my Facebook if you are interested). So when I arrived, me and a few other drivers got picked up from the airport, and they took us to one of the company's offices. We did some paperwork, got our uniforms, then went on a quick tour of the town. Downtown is so cute and historical looking, I love it! The views are amazing. Everywhere you look there are mountains, covered with snow. Now, we all know that I don't like snow, but it's not on the ground, it is high up on the mountains where I don't have to deal with it =) This is probably the most beautiful place I have ever seen. I can't believe I am getting paid to live here for the summer. I am so spoiled! Anyways, I was then taken to my house, which is called MP2 or "Shophouse". There is the building where we live, but the yard behind it is where we keep all of the motorcoaches. This is definitely a plus because when I wake up in the morning I just have to walk downstairs to get to work. My room is pretty small, and I have a roommate, but she is not here yet. So hopefully I'll get to meet her soon. Everyone that lives here is awesome. So far there are 7 guys and 4 girls (including me). We have a  big common room when you walk in, where everyone hangs out. We also have a dining area, a huge kitchen, 4 or 5 bathrooms, and 2 laundry rooms. It's a pretty sweet deal, I love it so far.
So the first night I went out to eat with 4 guys that I live with, to the Skagway Brewing Company, or BrewCo for short. The food is really expensive here, so that is definitely something I'll have to get used to. But it was delicious! Then we came back and hung out at the house.
The next day I started training, which means I had to "dual drive" with a returning driver from last year. They drove for a little bit, and then I drove for a couple hours. They took me around town, showed me where all the docks, restaurant and shops were, and we also went up the pass (which is the Klondike highway, the only road that takes you out of Skagway, and you have to go through to Canada to get anywhere). We crossed the border and drove into Canada about 10km. That was the first time I have ever been out of the country. Woo hoo! =) That night Uncle Mike and Aunt Shari got into town, so I hung out with them at the Westmark (the hotel where they live).
So the last few days have been training, getting to know the city, and hanging out with everyone. This morning I went on a hike with Uncle Mike and a few guys that I live with. It was beautiful! Unfortunately I forgot my camera =/ So I'll have to take pictures another time. It was a good hike, not too hard, uphill most of the time, but the end of the trail was a lake that we stopped at and it was so peaceful; I loved it. It also made me realize how out of shape I am! I'm definitely gonna have to hike a lot more to get in shape. All of the drivers have a meeting this afternoon, then we're all going out for pizza. So it's going to be a nice, easy day. Tomorrow the first ship comes in, so all of us new drivers will ride along on a tour with a more experienced driver and a bunch of tourists, so we can get a feel for how the tours will go. I am super excited for that. The town is very quiet, with not too many people, but all of the shops, restaurants and museums are preparing for the tourists in a week or so. When all the ships start coming in, it's going to be very busy and crowded and I am so excited for that!
Well, time to go put on my amazingly stylish uniform and get ready for the meeting. I'll post another blog in a week or so.

Stay tuned...

End of the road trip, beginning of the journey!

So here I am, laying in bed at the hotel room in Seattle, WA. This is our last stop on our road trip, it's over =/ BUT, I will be in Alaska by tomorrow evening, so it's just the beginning! I am very excited to finally be there, but also nervous. It's getting closer and closer and starting to feel very real.
The road trip was fun, long, but fun. Poor Uncle Mike had to drive for hours and hours a day, but he's a trooper =) We had a good time on the party bus! The first day we picked up Rhonda and Todd in Vegas, then continued on to Mesquite, NV and stayed in a hotel there. We went to the casino to hang out and relax. Uncle Mike taught me how to play craps and blackjack. We won $18 =) Aunt Shari, however, started with $40, and walked out of the casino with $345!! Can you believe it?? She was getting so lucky at the blackjack table. So of course, she bought us all dinner! Anyways, it was a fun night, but the next day (Thursday) we were back on the road. That night we stopped in Jerome, ID. It was a tiny little town where they had a "derby" kind of contest thing to see who could shoot the most rock chucks (gopher-type animals). The winner of this derby got a gun as a prize! Yeah, it was a very hick town. But we hung out in the lobby of the hotel, had a beer, ate pizza and annoyed the front desk receptionist, Misti. Also, this young couple walked in with their 2-year-old daughter and checked in. While we're sitting there, Todd says hi to this little girl, then I said hi to her. After that she ran over to me on the couch, and jumped on my lap! It was so cute! Her mom kept apologizing but I didn't mind, I love kids. Well turns out, her name is Maysie, same as my dog! Weird, right? Anyways, that is the most interesting thing about Jerome, ID. Yesterday we left Jerome and continued on to Seattle. We were supposed to get to Seattle this morning around now (10am) but we decided to drive a little longer yesterday and got here last night around 7:30pm. We walked around, got some food and hung out in the hotel room. This morning Uncle Mike and Aunt Shari had to leave early to drop the motorcoach off at the docks. (The coach we used down in Phoenix for training is normally up in Skagway, but it was driven down for us students to use. Well, it had to be brought back up to Alaska for the summer, so that is why we drove it up here to Seattle, to return it. It will now go on a barge and get sent to Skagway, AK.) Anyways, now they are on their way to Skagway, in their pickup truck. They should be there on the night of May 2nd or morning of the 3rd. Todd left this morning to hang out with some friends for the day, but I'll see him tomorrow, because we are on the same flight to Juneau. Rhonda and Dan are in the hotel room next to me, probably hangin' around here somewhere. So I'm just being lazy this morning, and then this afternoon I'm going to hang out with one of my friends from the cosmetology school I used to work at. So I'll be able to walk around, relax, and see Seattle. Well, that's all I've got for now, I'll write more when I get to Alaska! Stay tuned...

Also, I uploaded a bunch of videos and pictures on my Facebook page, check 'em out!