Wednesday, September 23, 2009

10 years, really?

I often ask myself, "where has all my time gone?" 

1999
moved to Fairbanks Alaska to begin a masters program in creative writing

2000
switched my focus from creative nonfiction to poetry 
got a summer job as a tour guide in Alaska's Arctic 
crossed the Arctic Circle for the first time


2001
dry cabin living --- got it down finally but never got over the slop bucket
Amy and Aaron came to visit from Nashville, TN
summer: guide

2002
graduated with an MFA in creative writing - poetry focus
considered nursing, looked into the program, decided against applying 
summer: guide, swam in the Arctic Ocean for the first time
winter: doll maker, attempt at my own business --- attempt failed

2003
agreed to be a dog handler for the Yukon Quest (the most out-of-character event of my life) Amy came to visit in the winter from Nashville, TN
summer: guide
winter: drove to WI with my dog, continued the drive to TN to visit Amy and then to FL to visit my brother (this marks the last time I've seen him to date)

2004
early winter: drove back to Alaska with my dog, it was very cold
summer: guide, met Doug and fell in love for he first time
winter: sewer and got paid for it

2005
summer: guide
met Rebecca, who was also a guide, and she changed my life forever by teaching me the importance of exercise and getting me over my fear of the gym
winter: sewer still being paid

2006
began taking prerequisite courses for nursing
trained for the equinox
summer: guide
ran the equinox
winter: HR (whatever that means?)

2007
turned 30, death ski 2007 happened
moved out of a dry cabins and into an apartment with running water (first time I lived without an outhouse and slop bucket since moving to AK in 1999) my extended camping trip --- over
summer: guide, flew to Barrow
Rebecca turned 30, hiked Chena Dome, lost a few toenails
Mom came to visit for a week in July, awesome
continued taking prerequisite courses for nursing
accepted into a fairly competitive nursing program, to my surprise

2008
began the clinical program in nursing (January)
Emily came to visit by working for the summer in Coldfoot, Alaska
summer: guide (after 9 summers of guiding, this was to be my last)
First solo hike in the Brooks Range

2009
summer: not a guide!!! lived in Coldfoot and worked at the Arctic Interagency Visitor Center in order to hike in the Brooks Range
finishing my last semester of nursing school (coming in November!)

I no longer wonder if I will ever leave Alaska, but I am constantly surprised to think it's been ten solid years. If anyone would have told me all this was going to happen, I would have punched them in disbelief. 

From this reflection I have learned...
a) I like it when family and friends come to visit
b) family and friends do not travel to Alaska often
c) it is true, what they say... 
we only get one chance; I am mostly happy for mine
d) Being a true Wisconsonite at heart, I feel like I deserve an anniversary gift, HI maybe?

Saturday, September 12, 2009

favorite season, second favorite tree

Summer Birch

Fall Birch


Only a moment longer:
approaching winds vibrate leaves 
in a belly rubbing samba
toward their winter graves

What I Learned on My Summer Vacation

During this past summer, the summer of 2009, I learned two of the most important lessons of my life.

This is a pretty good average considering that before this summer I had learned only two essential life lessons to speak of. The first I learned during a college environmental studies class in which the professor outlined the one extra credit assignment we all could achieve. Go for a purposeless walk every day.

This I took to mean that life is what comes to us, not what we go out to discover.



Around the same time, my brother offered a bit of wisdom about motorcycles, “never ride a bike you can’t pick up when it falls over.” After a brief pause Shadd continued, “in fact, Steff, that goes for about everything you do.”



This I took to mean that I shouldn’t take on more than I could handle.

So back to the lessons I learned this summer…

L E S S O N   # 1

Oatmeal can be eaten directly out of the packet

I spotted my good friend Whitney dumping a half-cup of water directly into the paper pouch of her cinnamon flavored oatmeal. I was shocked, amazed, overwhelmed and… my camping life would never be the same again. Gone are the mornings of scrubbing dried oatmeal goo out of the pan; or worse, wiping out the goo before dinner because I was too lazy to clean up after breakfast. I hope to wear in this lesson like a good pair of running shoes before my life is over. Never again will I frown as I stuff packet after packet of flavored oats into my backpack. Now I happily unpack my summer food supply of oatmeal wondering what genius came up with the secret idea of oatmeal in a bag/bowl and how on earth did Whitney discover such a small miracle?

 

L E S S O N   # 2

In river crossings, the goal of the group is to protect the weakest member

One day our boss sent us to the river to learn about safe river crossings from coworker well-versed in Brooks Range back country travel. Before we began, four of us stood along the river’s edge listening as Bob explained the most important rule of crossing the river. I expected something like, “don’t slip because that might be your last fatal move” or “unbuckle a heavy pack so it doesn’t bring you down.” Instead something so simple yet so essential to every aspect of life, the group is only as strong as the weakest member; therefore the goal of the group is to protect its weakest member. Standing there in the hot arctic sun, I couldn’t help but let my mind wander into a mythical world where we apply this lesson to everything we do.


Imagine a world where the winner of the competition is the person who helps the red lantern make it to the end. Imagine a world where the goal is not individual success, but rather the success of others. Imagine a world where we cared deeper in the face of another’s weakness. At a previous job another man I respect lives his life under the assumption that everyone is doing the best they can at any given time. This idea returns to me occasionally, most recently during a long day of nursing school lectures. Combining these two ideas, it seems I have finally met an ultimate goal for myself when confronting life’s biggest challenges: protect the weakest and remember the weakest might be the one crossing the river alone.