More Action Photos

What is the best way to annoy your sister? It won't be much longer before CEA doesn't let CMA get along with accidentally or intentionally making her fall down. I can't wait to see it happen.

Thanks for reading.

10 Miles in Flip Flops

Last week I went to Washington D.C for training with a new company to lead a student tour during the Inauguration. I arrived a day early since I couldn't find a flight from the west coast that arrived early enough to make it to our training and the weather was amazing. I flew into Baltimore and took the train into Union Station, where they conveniently have a baggage check, which I used quite a bit over my 5 days. I grabbed some lunch and headed out to reacquaint myself with D.C. I just started wandering, walking the National Mall, checking out the new WWII Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, I saw the President's helicopter land on the south lawn of the White House, walked through the Federal Triangle area. Towards 6pm I headed back to Capitol Hill to meet up my friend LM from Alaska, she is doing an internship for an Oregon Senator. We went for a walk to see the monuments lit up and then, since my feet were killing me, we went to have a drink. This is when I noticed one of those things that sets D.C. apart from other cities, bars were having debate watching specials and there were crowds of late 20 and 30 year olds to watch the final Presidential debate. I had to get to my hotel in Alexandria so I said good bye to LM and headed out on the Metro. In the end I had walked more then 10 miles, the first 8.5 were fine it was the last 1.5 the gave me giant blisters that hopefully taught me a valuable lesson.

The next day we were in training all day, learning the ins and outs of how the company works, from paperwork to communication. There were 40 people in our class, I knew a couple from my work here in Sacramento. Many were fresh out of ITMI, there were few teachers that had traveled with this company before and some of us had been at it for a while. The training was well done and the people we will be working for are supportive and knowledgeable. In the evening we took the Metro in to get the experience of moving a huge group on the Metro and to have dinner at one of our suppliers. Afterward we wandered about a bit then my roommate, a super cool gal from SF, and I decided to go back.

The second day of training was all on the road. We went into D.C. to get an idea of what we would be facing on Inauguration Day. Of course, it wasn't 20 degrees surrounded by half a million people and that would be the best scenario. I definitely began to wonder why I want to do this job. Everybody had to speak in front of the group as if they were talking to the middle school students that we will be leading. It was interesting to see how many people didn't understand that simple instruction. They showed the p/u and drop off points for the tours and explained a lot of the ins and out of working in D.C. From there we headed to Pentagon City have lunch at one of the food courts we use with the students and then on to Mt. Vernon. Many of our tours will head out there and along with seeing the mansion, they now have a great interactive center about the history of George Washington that the kids love. After that we had dinner and then went into Alexandria for a night walking tour. The tour guide told some great ghost and historical stories that the students will love, even though we had an abbreviated trip. Following the tour, KB, two other great guides and I headed out to have some beers, fortunately we found a nice Irish pub so we had to have some Guinness.

Our last day of training went until 3 PM. We talked more about the idiosyncrasies of working Inauguration, learned some people dealing tips and finished up the speaking in public. I said goodbye to my new friends and headed back into D.C. to visit the museums and hangout until it was time to meet my CouchSurfing hostess. The next day I visited the National Archives before meeting up with an old friend from UCD for lunch. It was nice seeing DB after all these years, Facebook reunited him with all of his old band-uh! friends. We ate at Clyde's near the Verizon Center and then I went back to my exploring. I checkout the new memorial to nurses which is new, the Korean Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial from afar. I had hoped to explore more but it is amazing how big an area it is to see. About 4PM, I headed out to Reagan National to catch my plane. It was a smooth trip home, arriving about 11PM.

The trip was a great success. I feel very comfortable getting around D.C. either on a bus or on the Metro. I met many of my coworkers and met some great new friends. I tested out CouchSurfing.com and give it a thumbs up. I know that I would really enjoy working for this new company as much as possible. Finally, I also know that I still love getting know places with the intention of showing it to other people.

Thanks for reading.

Staying for Free

What do you do when you are trying to save money and travel the world? Well if you are brave and friendly, try CouchSurfing.com. This site connects people that are willing to let you come into their homes to spend the night with people that have the need for an inexpensive place to stay. Of course there is a certain amount of faith and trust involved but what better way to get to know people around the world. I am currently sitting in a young ladies home in Washington D.C., using her internet and getting ready to go to sleep on a very comfortable air mattress. We prearranged a meeting time at the Metro stop near her home and then dropped my gear off in her studio apartment. She invited me to join her and some friends for dinner, so we hopped back on the Metro and out to VA for dinner. Her friends were as nice as she was and very interesting to spend the evening with. It has been a great experience and I look forward to hosting my first guest next month. A little trust never hurts.

Thanks for reading.

The Right Time?

As most of you know leaving my job 18 months ago, while difficult in a few ways, has worked out the way I had hoped. I have seen more of Alaska then most Alaskans and actually know where the Yukon Territory is. I know which roads in Napa Valley are the best for a bike ride and which winery has the friendliest pours. I've taught 4th graders about the short but important history of California and shown them the wonders San Francisco. I have had the opportunity to spend days, instead of hours with my nieces and get to help my sister adjust to one more in the house. This winter I am spending six weeks in Switzerland with the fabulous W's, definitely something I would not have been able to do while working my old career. I love my new life and look forward to taking the next big jump in my career. Can you hear the however coming?

Two things strike me at this point in time. The first, the safety net is gone and second the economy is playing games with my livlihood. Back when I left Cap Bev, I left on great terms, lets face it, they knew that if I could manage it, I would leave that grey window-less office behind to travel the world. Therefore, no bridges were burned and I knew that if the experiment failed I could probably return in some capacity. That is no longer an option. As of the end of the year Cap Bev will be owned by the giant DBI Distributing and my friends, co-workers and bosses scattered to other businesses and industries throughout Sacramento. I send my best wishes to all at Cap Bev, that they find new jobs without too much heartache or financial strain. As for me, I had already arrived to this point knowing that I would never return but now it is so final.

When I made the big decision to leave stability behind, most were very supportive and understanding immediately. For my dad it took a little longer. Of course, he is one of my biggest supporters now but back then I had to do a little convincing. The instability of the travel industry was his biggest worry, it had just recovered from 9/11 afterall, and what would I do if something like that reoccured. My retort was that I had never been in the lower 50% of anything important in my life why would I start now. In other words, if the travel industry was hit hard again, I should be in a position to keep going. The "recession" may put my theory to the test. I am looking to get farther afield in 2009 but that will entail working for new companies. Will they even be hiring? Will people want to bike or hike for a vacation and stay in beautiful places? I am willing to find out but just in case, I hope am right about the 50% and my new safety net is in place.

Stay tuned.

Thanks for reading.

Yeah, Yeah, So It's Been Two Months

Here are the headlines of the last two months:

• Working in Alaska was a great success. It was amazing seeing such untouched beautiful places and meeting adventurous people.
• I did come home 3 weeks early due to getting an unexpected 9 day break before my final tour. Fortunately, my boss agreed to letting me come home early without consequence.
• My early departure gave me the opportunity to work for the company the put on the huge Oracle convention in SF. The money more then made up for the fact that I stood around on 3rd St. monitoring our loading lanes.
• I am back working at Napa Valley Bike Tours for the fall. It was tough getting back on the bike after not riding for 4 months, but I am almost back to par. Right now the schedule is looking a little thin for October, I am crossing my fingers that people still like wine and riding bikes.
• I will also have the chance to work for a friend that is opening a new adventure tour company in Napa.
  
• In mid October I head back to DC to train for leading a tour for middle schoolers during the Inauguration. I am very excited for this opportunity, though I know it will be one of the craziest experiences I have yet to participate in.
• Everyday I look forward to my 6 week trip to Europe to visit the wonderful W's. I will be spending all of December and half of January in Zurich, experiencing a white Christmas and a real winter.
• Last but not least I will spend much of February with my sister and family helping out before and after the birth of baby #3. I will have plenty of time to spoil the girls and get a jump start getting to know the new member of the family.

I do plan on updating more often now that things have slowed down a bit, including backtracking to talk about my experiences in Alaska.

Thanks for reading.

The State of ...Things

I am headed off on another tour tomorrow after 3 days off here in Anchorage. This time I was lucky enough to spend time with a friend from last years time here, so the time passed almost too quickly. JM is spend her week off of the cruise ship here in Anchorage so we explored the town, took a little adventure and had a pajama day in July. We made our way through Anchorage shopping, getting pedicures, sipping a drink or two and eating a nice dinner. The following day we took the Cruise Train to Seward to to check it out. The trip was beautiful, however we had a delay on the tracks, kids playing, so we arrived 3 hours late. The departing cruise ship had to be held up for the passengers on the train. Yesterday, though we had great intentions, we ended up lazing the day away, going so far as getting Chinese food delivered, so we didn't have to even cook. Today, I was back to work and tomorrow off to Denali again. I am excited about this tour, I am partnered with one of my favorite people up here. A great way to start off the home stretch, I only have 5 tours left. That does mean I am looking towards the fall and working in Napa Valley, throwing a baby shower, seeing all of my nieces and nephews, watching some football and getting geared up for the big trip to Europe.

Here are some photos from the train trip to Seward:



















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"There are strange things done in the midnight sun..."

That is the first line of the most famous poem, by the Yukon's most famous writer, Robert Service. The poem is "The Cremation of Sam McGee" and it tells the tale of how a stampeder dealt with disposing of his best friend's corpse during the Gold Rush. Robert Service's writing is so descriptive and lyrical that it is hard to believe that he didn't arrive until after the Klondike Gold Rush was over. He is still revered as the voice of the Yukon and much of what he wrote, such as The Spell of the Yukon" stands true today.

However, I used that line for my title to highlight what an odd year we have had up here.

• Tomorrow, we will not take the train from Fairbanks to Denali since part of the route is covered by two feet of water. It has been raining for days up here in an area that is technically a desert. Instead we will board a motor coach. The river that runs through Fairbanks is near capacity and the rain is scheduled to continue. We are all fearing that winter will arrive before summer ever shows itself.
• Other strange happenings along the rail...we departed Anchorage 1.5 hours late one morning due to the dining car for Alaska Railroad breaking down; another day we arrived in Denali from Anchorage an hour late because of a kink in the rail (the southbound train didn't arrive into Anchorage until 11:30, 3.5 hours late, for the same reason).
  
• The cruise ship was 3 hours late arriving into Skagway on Saturday, due to a failed generator that had to be repaired before departing Juneau. The ships are never late.
• We have had one massive outbreak of the Norwalk Virus. Fortunately, I avoided it, though I don't know how, however many tours ended with have the guests they started with due to this terrible stomach virus.
• There is a rumor that the driver guides for the tours into Denali Park may go on strike. That would be disastrous since there is really no other way to go into the park.
  
• There have a been some strange coach accidents, but I think it is bad form to talk about those on the internet.
  
• My Taiwanese guests got stuck in Barrow Alaska for 24 hours.
• Third year Tour Director's have been fired while first years are getting ideal schedules.

I am sure there is more but instead of dwelling on the odd, I will just say that it is still an amazing, beautiful place and I wouldn't trade my time for anything in the would. I leave you with this...

The Spell of the Yukon by: Robert W. Service

I wanted the gold, and I sought it; I scrabbled and mucked like a slave. Was it famine or scurvy-I fought it; I hurled my youth into a grave. I wanted the gold, and I got it- Came out with a fortune last fall- Yet somehow life's not what I thought it, And somehow the gold isn't all. Nol There's the land. (Have you seen it?) It's the cussedest land that I know, From the big, dizzy mountains that screen it To the deep, deathlike valleys below. Some say God was tired when He made it, Some say it's a fine land to shun; Maybe; but there's some as would trade it For no land on earth-and I'm one. You come to get rich (damned good reason); You feel like an exile at first; You hate it like hell for a season, And then you are worse than the worst. It grips you like some kinds of sinning, It twists you from foe to a friend; It seems it's been since the beginning, It seems it will be to the end. I've stood in some mighty-mouthed hollow That's plumb-full of hush to the brim; I've watched the big, husky sun wallow In crimson and gold, and grow dim, Till the moon set the pearly peaks gleaming, And the stars tumbled out, neck and crop, And I've thought that I surely was dreaming, With the peace o' the world piled on top. The summer-no sweeter was ever; T'he sunshiny woods all athrill; The grayling aleap in the river, T'he bighorn asleep on the hill. Tlh strong life that never knows harness; T'he wilds where the caribou call; T'he freshness, the freedom, the faress 0 God! how I'm stuck on it all. The winter! the brightness that blinds you, The white land locked tight as a drum, The cold fear that follows and finds you, Tle silence that bludgeons you dumb. The snows that are older than history, Tle woods where the weird shadows slant; The stillness, the moonlight, the mystery, I've bade 'em good-bye-but I can't. There's a land where the mountains are nameless, And the rivers all run God knows where; There are lives that are erring and aimless, And deaths that just hang by a hair; There are hardships that nobody reckons; There are valleys unpeopled and still, There's a land-oh, it beckons and beckons, And I want to go back-and I will. They're making my money diminish; I'm sick of the taste of champagne. Thank Godl when I'm skinned to a finish I'll pike to the Yukon again. I'll fight-and you bet it's no sham-fight; It's hell!-but I've been there before; And it's better than this by a damsite- So me for the Yukon once more. T'here's gold, and it's haunting and haunting; It's luring me on as of old; Yet it isn't the gold that I'm wanting So much as just finding the gold. It's the great, big, broad land 'way up yonder, It's the forests where silence has lease; It's the beauty that thrills me with wonder, It's the stillness that fills me with peace.

Thanks for reading.