Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Your tax $$$

You can rest easy knowing that your tax dollars have been well spent on my 8-day paid vacation! I just got back from an amazing trip to a place called Tebenkof Bay. My partner, Karisa, and I spent 8 days exploring various islands, inlets and bays around the area in order to monitor solitude. That's right, solitude. We work within wilderness areas which have very specific guidelines for human activity. So I paddle along and count boats and planes, record the various wildlife, check out known campsites and recon archaeological sites in the area. I saw a ton of humpback whales, sea otters and pups, seals, black bears... The only downside was perhaps digging your own 'ladies room' every time you gotta... you know. Also, body odors seem to exponentially rise each shower-less day. But, overall it was an unreal experience! The beauty of the outdoors and the solitude of the wilderness invite some real soul-searching opportunities.

5 comments:

Jacque said...

Holy freakin' cow!!! You are so adventurous. I can't believe Dad lets you do that. He wouldn't even let me work on a cruise ship. I guess he sensed my delicate nature. You used the word recon... how CIA of you! What unbelievable experiences you have had. Your kids are gonna think you are so cool.

Ashley Smith said...

That was so beautiful!!! I so wish I could go there! Sounds like so much fun!

Jen said...

Wow Jess. I think we all have a little green-eyed monster resting on our shoulders after seeing those pics. Everything is up in flames down here in Cali. It got so bad that for a few days it was "overcast" with smoke from the neighboring fires. Despite the out-of-control gas prices, I'm glad they protect Alaska. Enjoy!

Jen said...

PS Any soul-searching you wish to share? ;)

East Coast Jenny said...

Wow, Jess. Beautiful pictures you have there. I can almost smell you from here...no, wait, that's Justin. Sorry.