The Last Frontier

Perhaps it’s a little premature to be talking about The Last Frontier in the blogosphere…but I live my life in the light of possibility.  And there are a lot of possibilities, let me tell you.  And there’s one in particular that has settled quite nicely in my mind lately: Alaska.

I’ve been playing with the idea of going to Alaska all summer.  It kind of started when I was backpacking in the Rawah Wilderness.  As a friend and I sat on a grassy knoll above a shimmering lake, she told me about her trip to Alaska that spring.  It sounded like the kind of place I would fit right in to–wild, beautiful, and a bit rustic.  The next day, when our conversation had died down on the trail, my friend asked me what I was thinking about.  “Alaska,” I said with a grin.  And I haven’t been able to get it out of my head since!

After she left for Florida at the end of the summer, we started sending letters back and forth.  Kind of like how you wrote those pen pals you might have had in middle school, but a bit more grown up.    I think all but one of her letters has something to the effect of “Alaska calls!”  She’s working hard to get me to come to Alaska with her this summer.  And I think her effort might be paying off…

Today I applied for a job in Denali National Park.  I am a bit under-qualified, I’m afraid.  But the job is just a safety net in case the fishing job I applied to doesn’t come through (and I really want to fish–a friend of mine is the foreman for a small salmon fishing operation near Kasilof).

Sometimes I feel like I have to defend my choices in life, because I probably care too much about what other people think.  I might be crazy to think about leaving a steady job in this economy, but I have dreams to chase, too.  I don’t think I want to be a grant writer.  Wherever I end up going, I’d like to live simply, do what I love, and be in tune with myself and the environment (thanks for the inspiration, LF).  Alaska–and the jobs I’ve looked into there–seems like it would be a good fit in that regard.

I won’t know anything about those jobs I applied to for a month or so.  IF I get any of them, work won’t even start until May or June.  And although Alaska looks promising, I know if I leave I’ll have a hard time saying goodbye to the Rockies and the town and people that I’ve come to love.  But for now, Alaska’s just an idea.  I’m glad to say that I’ll still be here for a while.

If you’ve managed to read this far, you deserve a pat on the back for sticking with me here.  Half of the time I write on this blog for myself, to clear my head and expend a little of my writing energy.  I know some entries are not the most interesting, but some days I’ll have some material that will appeal to a bigger audience than the one in my head.

Until next time,
Andi

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