It's finally happening! A-L-A-S-K-A or BUST!

I'm sitting in a great coffee shop in Groveland, sweating in the heat during this holiday weekend. Actually, I wish I could have worked overtime, but these days it seems I need more personal time than money to plan my next big adventure...

I'm moving to ALASKA!!!

Wow, it's still hard to believe that I will be starting my long DRIVE to Alaska in exactly 4 weeks. After years of applying for jobs, getting a few interviews, and even turning down a couple jobs over the years, everything has lined up and I'm getting my entire relocation PAID FOR to boot! Being a permanent federal employee is finally paying off, and I'm also getting a promotion... in Alaska... !!! Anybody that knows me, knows this has been a goal of mine since I was in college. Soon, I will call Girdwood Alaska my home. Did I mention there's Alyeska ski resort there, and I will have winters off to ski and snowboard? Yeah, pretty sweet.

Me+Tim=5 years (!!); Beard+Tim=4 years

I can't wait!! Though I love working for Yosemite. I'm sad I don't have much time to actually explore the park, but with the hours we have been working (and other stuff) it just seems like I don't have enough hours in a day. Hence, I have missed out on 2 days of OT this weekend, as well as more OT last weekend as I took off to celebrate my 5 year anniversary with Tim in San Francisco, as well as take him to the airport for his trip to Alaska.

The new job is still considered a forestry technician, but as I am wildland firefighter right now, I will be considered a "recreation tech" at my new job. From what it sounds like, I am responsible for all front country recreation areas in the Glacier District of the Chugatch National Forest - picnic sites, campgrounds, trailheads, and interpretive signs. Ok, so there will be some garbage and fortunately only a couple outhouses to deal with, but it sounds like it will be a combination of maintenance, as well as improving sites. I will get to drive heavy equipment and dump trucks again, have a small crew of folks, and it will nice to have a job where I get to roam about the forest (instead of being stuck in one place, like I was stuck at the engine station, or even at the helibase). And another perk - I still get to do wildland fire! Of course, it depends on workload and how active the fire season is, but the district ranger is very supportive in allowing me to maintain my fire experience, as well as participate in training and career development.

I've been impressed with everybody I have talked to from the district, everybody is personable and easy to talk to. I've already been warned that there are many folks from the midwest that work at the office, and they were excited to have a Detroit Lions fan... so they can have somebody to pick on during football season! I'll be surrounded by Bears, Vikings, and Green Bay fans! That's ok, I'm hoping the Lions are as promising as they looked last season. ;)

The only slight downside is that I was hoping for a more natural resources/wildlife oriented position, but at this point I think I still don't have enough experience to land such a job in Alaska, without already being in Alaska. But, everybody knows I love working with my hands and having a job with such varied duties is great for my ADHD! There are also a few wildlife rehab places relatively close (I will be 30-40 minutes from Anchorage, on the Turnagain Sound, and 1 1/2 hrs from Seward) so I could always try to volunteer.

Now for the perks - all of my stuff still in storage in Estes Park, CO will be moved to AK, with minimal cost to me (since I live in CA). I will drive to CO from CA, drop off some of my stuff at my storage unit. They have a moving company come and pack up all of my stuff - including my motorcycle - and move it to Alaska for me. I get a misc expense budget, as well as money to cover my housing/expenses for the first 30 days in Alaska - and trust me, it is a VERY GENEROUS stipend. I also get a housing hunting trip paid for, which includes lodging, rental car, gas, and per diem, which I plan to take in a couple weeks. Not bad, eh?

Unfortunately, getting myself, Logan, and my truck will be a little less convenient than I hoped. The ferry out of Washington to Whittier does not have any room for a passenger vehicle in the month of August (and I'm supposed to start working around Aug 10th). So, I must drive the ~3500 miles (on top of the trip from CA to CO) through Canada. Fortunately, mileage, lodging, meals etc are all paid for (except the part from CA to CO). There are some logistics I am still trying to work out, like when I will get to CO to allow the movers access to my storage unit, and my dad will fly out to CO, drive with me to AK, and then fly back to MI... It's complicated, but not nearly as complicated as I figured it would be.

That's probably more details than most people care to know, and probably a little confusing. We'll just say my last month in CA is going to be hectic - going to my friend's wedding in Oregon, trying to work as much overtime as possible, and planning a move that I must make quickly. Tim gets back to CA from AK ironically 2 days before I plan on leaving CA. Yeah, it sucks.

Back to planning and researching my move in this sweltering heat. Traveling across the Canada border with a dog and a firearm mean special considerations; trying to find apartments to check out during my house hunting trip; and figuring out if I can register my truck in AK while I am house hunting (my CA plates expire 7/31, but I am leaving the state probably on 8/2 or 8/3, so I'd hate to pay CA when I'll be in AK so soon)... all on an old computer that freezes a lot, is not fun. Just sayin'.