another day, another dollar

I've been adjusting to working here in Kodiak. The job's alright. I'm on call 24-7 so sometimes I dont get much sleep but in general, it's not too much work. The weather has been up and down. I like Kodiak though, hopefully I get to stay here for another month or 2 and make some major cashish. 

Back in Kodiak

So I havent had much time to stop and catch my breath since I started working but here's a little recap. I had a 4 day briefing in Seattle, and I hung out there a couple days more, and then a few more in Anchorage. I started my contract by going to Dutch Harbor to work on a pollock trawling boat, the Viking. I was kind of a strange trip, I went directly from airport to the boat, and after 1 6 day trip directly back to the airport. So I really didn't get to see Dutch Harbor or the Island Unalaska much at all. Just around the airport and the docks. It seemed fairly distinct from other parts of Alaska (or the world) I have seen. Beautiful white mountains, but oddly no trees. Maybe I'll go back someday and explore more. The trip itself sucked. The boat was nice and the crew was great, but seas were rough and I had a rude awaking with seasickness. The Bering Sea is a rough place and it's really, really horrible being seasick for long periods of time. But I survived only to go almost directly onto another boat in Kodiak. From Dutch, I went to Anchorage was there for about 6-7 hours to sleep before I had to catch a flight to Kodiak and get directly onto another boat. I went on a 4 day trip with that boat, Vanguard, and got back today. Unfortunately it was the same story: nice boat, rough seas, puking. Every boat has a unique way of rolling with the waves so changing boats on these short trips is tough. I'm not sure why this contract I have been getting seasick much worse than last time when it wasnt much of a problem, but whatever I will get better and stronger. I got a nice assignment for the time being working seaside at plants/canneries here in Kodiak, meaning I wont have to go out to Sea for awhile, (hopefully a long awhile) and I will basically live in here in Kodiak and work a semi-normal job. It should be really good, and I will have more time to explore Kodiak, which I like a lot. The weather is getting better and things are looking up.

Goodbye Dutch, Hello Kodiak

okay they're keeping me on the move here, i went on one trip to sea in Dutch Harbor. 6 days, went directly from boat to plane, spent the night in Anchorage, now I am flying back to Kodiak.

some photos

these are of anchorage. Im going to Dutch Harbor tomorrow.

Anchorage

So I've been back in Anchorage for a few days, just waiting to find out where I'll go next. It's a lot warmer this time around (though still way way way colder than California) and the days are long which is kind of nice for someone like me who operates on a later schedule. There's still snow everywhere, but at least the sidewalks aren't iced over and I can walk without falling all the time. It snowed yesterday while I was going on a long walk, and it was beautiful. Nonetheless, I don't like waiting when I should be working. I'm ready to move on. To pass the time I have been reading Anne Karenina by Tolstoy and watching the HBO show "the Wire" and I've been loving both. I wish I had more exciting stories to tell, but nothing much is happening right now until i get onto a boat. 

If I don't get shipped out tomorrow I'm gonna try to hunt around town for a roaming moose and get a picture (from a safe distance).

Back in the Emerald City

I've been here for 5 days now, I finished briefing and am all ready and waiting to be shipped out and up to Alaska. It is weird being back, everything feels very familiar which is nice. I'm pretty used to the routine of going to classes and living in a bunkhouse here in Seattle. It has been mostly rainy here, though it was sunny on Wednesday. I've been having fun hanging out with new friends, but I'm ready to start working. I still don't know where in Alaska I will be working, but I'm open for whatever. Here's a pretty picture I took of Lake Washington.