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!