Flight seeing pictures!

Flying High

Today I went on a flight seeing tour around Petersburg. It was possibly one of the most amazing things I have ever done. We (myself, 5 guests, and the pilot) went up in a tiny blue and white float plane and soared through the misty clouds, over fissured glaciers and passed mountain goats precariously perched on steep mountain ledges. The water leading up to the tide water glacier was studded with floating icebergs and harbor seals lay like logs on the icy surfaces. I felt like I was in an imax movie as we glided over glaring white snowfields and deep, hauntingly blue crevices. The sky was a mix of clouds and dispersed sun rays, so the lighting was perfect for photographs. I kept wishing someone I knew was there to share it with, but I guess pictures will have to do (You’ll have to wait until I’m in port again and have access to high speed internet).

I haven’t had much motivation to write this past week. It’s been gray, rainy and cold and I’m fighting off a sore throat and cough. I’ve also started to train for the senior steward position, so I haven’t had as much time off as I previously did. We did stop at a small (20 people) fishing village called Elfin Cove, which could have been straight out of Lord of the Rings. The houses are tiny and built on uneven ground, so a lot of them consist of strange angles that fit the landscape. Since it rains pretty much every day all year round, everything is covered in bright green moss and the ground is strewn with decomposing pine needles and fallen trees. The village houses and buildings are connected by boardwalks that bridge mudflats at low tide and seawater at high tide. At points I felt like I was in one big treehouse.

Other than that, my days (aside from work) have consisted of yoga, reading and sleeping. I’m thinking more and more about getting my yoga teacher’s training and maybe massage certification so I can be a wellness specialist on board. That way I could travel on the other Lindblad ships as well. There’s a yoga teacher training session at Kripalu in July, but it overlaps with my next rotation by six days. I might see if I can get another senior steward to cover for me…

Just on update

I’m exhausted and in need of a nap (hopefully to rid my sore throat), so this is just going to be a quick update. You may have heard that I’ve been promoted to senior steward, which means that I’m a rotational employee working two months on and one month off. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to continue moving up and eventually get to be a naturalist or photo staff.

We’re on our second round of guests for Alaska and so far they’ve been great. Really friendly and courteous. The trip runs from Juneau to Sitka, then we pick up another group of guests and return to Juneau. The places we’ve been are phenomenal and I can’t wait to get out and see more. Unfortunately my computer charger isn’t working and all of my pictures are on there, so I won’t be able to post pics for awhile. But… I did just recieve my zoom lens, so now I can take close-ups of goats, bears and gray whales!