Day #31: Just Keeping You Updated

It's been a few days, so I thought I would update you all on whats going on. (Who is you all, anyway? I have no idea who reads this.) Thursday was a short day: I went on a mine tour ride along, so I could learn the protocol for the tours - it is up a one lane dirt road and needs your full attention. Then afterwards I had lunch with my good friend Nick, came home, and enjoyed a nap. On Friday, I fully intended to do nothing, but instead James called me up and we went on the float trip down the Mendenhall river. It was pretty chill; there were a few exciting moments of a little bit of rapids but for the most part it was just a float down a river. Since our guide knew we ourselves were guides, we just spent the two hours hanging out and chatting. And another friend was made.

Saturday I gave a mine tour to 7 people, two of which were little boys of about 4. It was interesting, I suppose, but then afterward I just had a bunch of transfers back to ships. It was anticlimatic, in fact, until my friend Nick and I decided to take a walk out to the docks... We wound up having a really intense (but fabulous) conversation about our views on some issues in the world. I didn't realize how much I needed stimulated conversation from someone up here, because up until now everything felt very surfacey. So afterward, with a new energy, I followed some friends out to the bars for the first time since I've been here, had a couple of drinks, and genuinely bonded with some really nice people from around work. I was really glad to establish a connection with someone, because it makes me feel like I am part of this little city in a deeper way now. I feel strangely revitalized - I just hope it lasts.

Today, all I had to do was give a private tour to a family of 19 who chartered the whale watching company for a few hours. They were very nice, out of Park City, Utah, had a great time out on the water, and were very generous to me at the end of the day. Alyssa and I had overlapping schedules, so we staged at Safeway for a couple of hours where we played Bananagrams, did some grocery shopping, and read a little. It was a pretty low key day. Tomorrow I have 2 tours and I am very much looking forward to both of them. How is everyone else doing? I miss you all... Talk to you soon, I hope!