31 December 2008

Adieu 2008

Russian Aleutian Sunset 2006

Two thousand eight was an interesting year for me. As the year began my funding for my research (and therefore job) had ended, I was living in a Town-Named-After-Purchaser-of-State, Alaska, a small town at the very end of the road where mountains meet the ocean. As beautiful of a place as it was, it was exceedingly cold, dark, and isolated feeling when without a job. (Did I mention I was also tired of being evacuated for tsunami warnings, volcanic ash fall, and flooding and having only road getting blocked off by avalanches for months on end?) So I decided to go south to spend time with my family in Confluence-of-Two-Gold-Medal-Fishing-Rivers, Colorado. I flew with the Disreputable Dog & Cat in tow and a cooler full of frozen salmon. Everything else I left in Los Anchorage in the garage of friends who were also formerly neighbors.


Winter River, Colorado 2008


Initially I was a bit overwhelmed being back in Colorado – not having really been back for more then a few days since before I went on exchange in high school. It was an adjustment for both my parents and I to live in the same house again. I was anxious having left my career abruptly and not knowing when I would resume work on it. Not knowing exactly if I wanted to. Two thousand six and seven had landed me in some hard emotional places in the work place – I had experienced some deep trauma and it made me unsure if I wanted to continue. So two thousand eight became a year for me to reflect and heal. It turned out to be a great year.


The Bookstore where I worked 2008


I temped for a time at a Green Building Company until I bored enough to prompt me to apply at the local independent bookstore as a bookseller. The bookstore was a good place to pursue other hobbies – I had great co-workers who were all very invested in the store and proud of it. I got to spend some very valuable time with my family. I was there for my parents when my mom had eye surgery that did not go well. I was able to brew with my dad, garden, go hiking with my sister, take my niece and nephew mushroom hunting and play at the pool with them. I had the opportunity to reconnect with old friends, spend time hiking and eating good food together and get reacquainted with many people with whom I had lost touch with over the years – sometimes deeply, sometimes just casually. Initially I was not comfortable with where I was or running into all of these people – invariably everyone comes through the bookstore – but after my summer drive down the Alcan Highway from Alaska to Colorado I found resolution and grew to enjoy these encounters. I re-connected with the town where I was raised and I healed and realized that I did want to continue with my career as an –ologist, that my passion for it was worth pursuing, that I was not yet done with Alaska.



Oh! And I had my first ever blogger meet up – Silver Fox made her way over from Nevada and we had a lovely time getting acquainted (that's us in the picture!). Thanks Silver Fox for getting in touch and stopping by!