day 23

545 the alarm went off and I was not excited about the 3 mile bike ride home. Will offered to bike me home which I took him up on. I got back at 640 (my boss was picking me up at 645) so I quickly stuffed all the rest of my stuff into my backpack and got changed. Jenice brought me to the breeze inn in lemon creek so I could grab a hot breakfast for the road. I got to the airport about 710 with my flight leaving at 800. but this is pretty standard for Juneau. There is one line of airport security and it took maybe 10 minutes to get through everything. I boarded the plane and fell back asleep quickly. Before I kenw it I was in seattle. I hung around this airport for a few hours before boarding for Minneapolis. As I was boarding, delta apparently has a new policy that they have someone checking that the carryone fits inside the carryon checker. My bag is large but it fits in the overhead compartment! They checked my bag (free of charge) and I was on my way back to minnestoa. Arrived at about 630 and had to wait until 715 for my bags. Mom and dad came and picked me up and my trip was all over.

day 22

Monday morning started off about as slow as Sundays did. About noon we finally were stirring and we went to pizzeria roma. I had the el roma sandwich which was quite filling. After will and I ate, we ventured to the shops. I had to be a tourist for the day and get all the last minute gifts I was supposed to get. Okay note to self… when you are supposed to bring back gifts to people you should probably have space in your suitcase to bring them back in. (I had no room for anything so I only got a few items). About 300 we got back to wills I packed up my overnight bag and biked home while will took a nap before work. I got home and started packing up my big suitcase making sure I could get everything to fit. I decided I was going to leave my tennis shoes in Juneau. Andy hall from the float planes was wanting a new pair of tennis shoes and mine fit him perfectly so I told him he could have them. This allowed just enough space for the few souveniors I had to pack. After I got everything packed up I went for a run ( a simple two miler) then hopped in the shower quickly and then got all dressed up for my last night in Juneau. I wore my dress and had my hair down. Nikki was coming out with me for a stop at flight deck (john was working until 700) and dinner at the hanger. It was a nice day out (blue sky) so the bike ride was not too bad. We stopped at a gas station to fillup our bike tires (henry the bouncer from imperial was there and helped us, a southern gentleman) then we parked our bikes at centennial hall and stopped by flight deck. Flight deck was a pretty popular place with lots of beer tasting tours heading through there. Also Mondays are quite busy with four ships in and all of them stay late. About 800 we headed to the hanger where megan was our waitress outside on the patio. John trickled his way over as did andy fritz when he was off work. After dinner nikki then decided it was time to head home (shes working during the days) so I walked her to the bikes then went back to the hanger. Matt was playing pool upstairs so I hung out there for awhile. I got to try the ginger shandy by Alaskan. Although I waited so long to try it I think I liked the club ale better. It was getting pretty late. I found tony and we went to the Viking and I hung out there until bar close. Will was running late and didn’t get off work until 100 with the half hour bike ride I was hanging out outside until 130 when he finally got home. I fell asleep on the recliner one more night knowing the next morning was going to come way too early.

day 21

Sunday morning did not come early at all. I ended up sleeping in until 10 then went and talked to will for like an hour before we decided to get up and go to sandpiper for breakfast. We got to sandpiper at about noon. I ordered the salmon omelet and will have the corn beef hash. After spending two days together will definitely pulled out the same color blue shirt as I had packed so we matched. It was kinda funny. Walking the streets with me he definitely got numerous stares from the local girls in town almost as if they were jealous of me? I don’t know. Then after breakfast we headed over to flight deck after meandering the streets for awhile and stayed there for three hours BS-ing with john the bartender. Brady was out working the float planes and I talked to him for a little bit. At about 4 I asked if I could get a ride home since he was driving right past my house but he said no (jerk) so I started the three mile trek home. I was supposed to be picked up by carter and brought out to echo cove, but carter never answered when I called. About a mile into my stroll home, Sam stresner the pilot that took me out in the float plane drove past and honked while I was talking on the phone to Scottie davis. Sam gave me a ride home. Once I got there I open the locked door to find my roommate Nikki unpacking her groceries. This was about 600. I then told her about everyone I had met and what all she needed to do before she left. Then even though she had been up since the wee early hours of Minnesota time I talked her into coming on a bike ride with me into downtown so I could introduce her to people and she could see what all there is to do. About 730 we left and got to jaded (megan’s boyfriend adams bar) right before he closed but I got to introduce her to them. Then we went to the hanger, the Viking, the imperial, the Alaskan and the rendezvous. My friend josh was working at rendezvous so I bought a drink and we continued to BS then I walked her to her bike so she could head home about 945. Then I was still hungry. (the only thing I had eaten was the salmon omelet and an order of fries at the flight deck) so I stopped by pel meni—russian dumplings. And ordered a ½ potatoe/ ½ meat one and ate it with Ivan (the bellhop at goldbelt the hotel that holds jaded) and the workers. Pelmeni usually gets the after bar rush of people. The dumplings were okay but pretty fatty –in the bottom of the thing was about two cups of butter. Then after I finished eating I headed out to find abby, megan and adam. The night was fun filled. I ran into matt again, john from flight deck, andy from the hanger and multitudes of other people. We ended up hanging out at the rendezvous for most of the evening and megan and adam were hanging out. Sunday nights is movie night so they were playing shutterisland on the big screen. John was buying everyone rounds and we were just having a grand ol time. Infact—this has never happened to me. At about 1230 Josh put a drink infront of me that I hadn’t ordered and apparently it was bought for me from this guy named Jeremy from across the bar! Crazy!! About 1250 as josh was giving out last calls will wakled into the bar surprised I was still coherent. Will then took me back to my recliner and that was my Sunday night.

day 20

The alarm going off at 700 am was way too early. I hopped in the shower and called up my friend josh. We went to a bagel place grabbed breakfast and headed to the wharf to catch out boat tour out to Tracy arm. We were both tired. In fact josh didn’t go to sleep and stayed up. He told me that Andy lost me last night and was concerned but I found a place to stay so it was no big deal. We got to sit in the front of the under part of the boat. There were about 35 other people onboard. We began our 2 hour ride out to Tracy arm at about 815. Along the way we were watching out for bear eating the mussels etc along the shore lines and we also were watching out for whales and orca. On the way out we found some whale spouts and a couple bald eagles hanging out on an iceberg. At about ten am we got to the bar of Tracy arm. What makes Tracy arm so special is that there is a very narrow (200 yards) across bar that you have to carefully maneuver through to get into the arm. There are buoys that mark the spot to go in-between and there are also markers that need to be aligned to a straight line behind you with a flashing light that will flash when you are entering through the correct spot. Once we got into Tracy arm there were numerous waterfalls and icebergs galore. We even found a huge iceberg that just flipped. You know they just flip when they are bright blue. It was gorgeous. We took about 30 minutes to get through the arm. At the end there are two glaciers, sawyer and south sawyer. South sawyer glacier you can go right up to depending on the size of the icebergs. Today the icebergs were pretty small and easy to maneuver through. (Easy for the captain I’d have no idea). The boat we were on was like a catamaran but only one buoy thing. There were plenty of harbor seals along the way. When we got there it started calving right away (parts of the glacier fall into the water) which results in a loud boom. We saw a harbor porpoise too. This spot so far back into Tracy arm is ideal for harbor seals to have their young because their natural predator (transient orca) echo system gets all messed up within the arm. We hung out at the glacier for about a half hour before heading back. We gave it a round of applause (josh’s idea... he was a deck hand for Allen marine the ship people) and sure enough just as the boat turned around and was heading out the large chunk to the right all collapsed into the water. We then worked our way back through the arm. As we got to the bar the large blue iceberg was no longer the vibrant blue. Crazy! We did not hit bottom through the bar and started the two hour trek back. Along the way we found a family of 4 female orca with a couple calves. Usually orca have a male with them but we thought he might be out ahead of them scanning the waters. About 300 I got back (and into cell phone range). Grabbed a drink at flight deck from john and went to get my stuff back from will but decided that I would crash on his couch that night too. Then Carter, the boy I met the night before came down and met up with me after I tried on a fur-kini that was promised to me the night before... ya I didn’t end up getting it. It was cute for a furkini. Ha-ha. Carter then took me to my house so I could do a load of laundry and pack clothes for the next day. Then we went to canton house out by the Juneau mall. Ya-no where near the size of the MOA. I had a dinner complete with beef and pork lo mein and fried rice then we picked up his friend that lived by auke bay by Brent and headed to the hanger. They ended up having a party out in the valley with a mechanical bull they were excited to go see so they ended up taking off and I ventured the streets of downtown Juneau again. I ended up meeting up with john from flight deck and Abby was out too. Tonight I met this nice gentleman named matt at imperial. Gave him my phone number and then headed out to rendezvous where I ran into will. Will then brought me to the couch and I fell asleep rather quickly.

day 19

Friday morning I was supposed to be meeting up with conor and cassidy to go hike mt jumbo. however at about 1030 i discovered they werent going to call. so i moved to the couch and finished watching the bachelorette i had started the previous night. after this finished up about 1100 i no longer could be a bump on the couch. i put on my running shoes and headed the three miles into downtown. i finished my run by the wharf and found my friend andy... the dock manager. he actually was just finishing up as i had gotten there. We went to the hanger for a beverage then headed to his house. I had told him about how i may be getting to go out to tracy arm the next day and was wonderign if i could crash at he and his gf's house so i dont have to bike home at night and come back by seven thirty the next mornign tor the tour. he said that woudlnt be a problem. I also had arranged for mike the pharmacist to pick me up and take me out whale watching in the evening. Oh! there is also a rave that was going down at centennial hall that evening. So we hung out at andy's house and then i ordered more sushi from seongs. this time i was going to try the spicy tuna rolls per andy's request. Then we hopped on his scooter, grabbed the sushi and went to my house where i could eat and be picked up in an hour by mike to go out whale watching. The spicy tuna rolls were pretty good... i probably would order them again. then before i knew it mike was there ready to take me out to tee harbor to try and find some whales. Tee harbor is way out the road past auke rec. we got to mikes boat about 400 ready to venture out into the less choppy than last time seas. We were headed north up towards benjamin island because the humpback whales typically like to hang out up there. Sure enough after the hour boat ride out there we saw a few whale watching boats maneuvering. so we pulled up next to them and sure enough there was like seven humpback whales eating and diving and everything. there were also a bunch of sealions sunning themselves on the rocks. we also ran across a sealion in the water and he came right up to the boat. after hanging out with the whales until six ocloc we headed back to tee harbor. on the way we saw a complete rainbow both sides and totally connected. it was too close for me to get a complete picture of it but i definately did it in chunks and its complete!! after arriving back at tee harbor mike dropped mme off downtown at the hanger. I then was trying to find somewhere to store my large backpack i was carrying. i finally got ahold of conor who was hanging out with andy and brady. Andy said i could keep my bag at his house so i headed his way. then i ran into brady (yeah.... he wasnt too terribly happy) dropped my stuff off then they were going to a park to play kickball. I walked there but was starving and did not want to get all sweaty because i was going out to the rave that night. (yes... apparently they rave in juneau). So after walking the mile to the park talked to brady and decided to leave and go hang out with my friends. Went and grabbed dinner at the hanger from andy fritz. Then i bar hopped to the rendevous to talk to my friend josh (the one who was taking me to tracy arm the next day) to find out if i could crash at his house on the couch so i wouldn't have to ruin andy/brady's night and would be able to stay downtown. Josh said no problem and about 1000 i ran over to the rave. my friend megan was totally decked out for it i was impressed but i ended up not staying too long because it just wasnt my thing. after i left i just hopped from bar to bar looking for people i knew. I ran into steph and cliff (brady's roommates) and told them i was headed to the imperial. meanwhile there was this guy that had just gotten out of a movie eyeing me and said 'the party's headed to the imperial find me there' eventually i ran into him his name is carter he was out with his roommate and girlfriend. they had to leave not too long after i met him and exchanged phone numbers and he told me hed call me the next day. not too much longer after that my buddy will ran into me and this time (the fifth encounter) he actually remembered my name! but i continued to bar hop until about 230 when i was getting really tired. i went to the alaskan to find andy fritz (the bartender from hanger) because he ended up being josh's roommate as well. but andy went to the rendevous to have a shot and i was really tired and needing to go asleep so as andy ditched me i found will on teh street. i asked him if he had a couch i could crash on and if he could help me find andy halls house to get my stuff. will walked me to andys house adn gave me a recliner at his house. and taht was my friday

day 18

thursday morning came way too quick (like most my mornings in alaska) went into work and i went to my discharge planning meeting. shadowed people and researched patients in the morning. for lunch, Jenice took me to this hole in the wall chinese food place down the hill from the hospital. i had a halibut combo plate, it was quite tasty. then when i got back i looked into getting all the paperwork filled out that i needed to do and continued to look up patients. then we got an iv order for a banana bag soi got to make my first iv, it was pretty exciting. then before i knew it it was four fifteen and time for me to leave. trying to figure out stuff to do i went back to the apartment and chatted on facebook for awhile, watched the bachelorette and waited. brent said he could take me out to st. theresa's a church out the road with a gorgeous view but he had to lift and stuff first. so i went running and before i knew it it was 730 and conor(who was planning on doing sushi at seven thirty) told me no one else was going out to eat. i was starving and still had no food at my house so i angerily put on my rain boots and rain coat and grabbed my umbrella and started out on the three mile hike in the rain. along the way it never really rained superhard but i definately had wet pants once i got downtown an hour later. my friend brian the maintenance man told me i should go eat at jaded, the bar where megan's boyfriend adam works becuase they have 5 dollar appetizers. so i got the fried calamari and the chicken lettuce wraps. both of which were pretty great! there was a gentleman andlady friend down the bar from us and i asked josh is his name what i need to do before i leave town and he said i needed to check out tracy arm. an all day boat trip to these glaciers. and then i continued to question him on it, and he said that they go out tuesday through saturday and that he was going to ask and see if we could sneak on one. they are led by allen marine boats. josh took my number down and told me he would let me know. then i was trying to track down where everyone else went. by this time conor totally bailed and was not going out downtown. i ended up bar hopping i think all night until about 12 when conor came and picked me up and dropped me off at my apt.

Day 17

wednesday morning i was really tired. the sauna had totally dehydrated me and seventhirty was just a little bit too early for me! But i headed off to the hospital with hopes of going on rounds within the mental health unit. (the doctors here dont go on rounds... the closest thing is in mental health) however i went there, they had already started interviewing a patient so then i was shewed away and told to come back at nine so i came back at nine.. they had already started got shewed away. asked for a number to get ahold of me at... they called, i got there and then the room was full of other pepole. by this time i was kinda just fed up. actually within the closed off nurses station i said, "geez you guys have me runnign around like a crazy person" which made everyone start laughing one of the nurses was like.. likes like your in the righ tplace! lol it was actually really funnny. then lunch was at my apt (ordered bullwinkles pizza for brent and cassidy). then after lunch the day went by pretty quick. after i got off work i did a quick jumping workout and texted my friend brian (the maintenance man at the hospital) if he could give me a ride into down town at 430 when he gets off work since it was still raining pretty hard. he agreed. Once downtown i was going to meet up with my friend lizzie that i met at bergmans the first friday andy fritz took me out. but she was at work till five then went for a jog and had to shower so i got dropped off at the hanger. met an older gentleman named levon who was quite talkative and invited to take me out to perseverance trail. (i dont know if i can manage to let him take me there) and jason one of the bartenders was also having a beverage with me. My friend conor was supposed to be meeting up with me to help me pass the time until lizzie was ready to go however he got hungup on douglas island and couldnt get over to the hanger without a ride so about 715 lizzie showed up and took me to twisted fish. (another sea food place which is owned by teh same people who own the hanger tf is just a little more expensive and fancier) I had the salmon fettecine adn lizzie had the clam chowder. both of which were awesome. as we were getting up to go conor met up with us finally. lizzie was going to bring her leftovers home to her boyfriend and then she was going to meet up with a bunch of people for one of her friends twentyfirst birthdays at teh imperial. conor was hungry so i went with conor to the pizzaria roma restaurant which is down the hallway from the hanger. Sat with him while he ate his food there then his old roommate ashley who he was crashing on her couch tongiht got off owrk at the zephyr ( a high end restaurant hidden away from the waterfront) we got there and she was just finishing up. conor asked if i could hop a ride home and ashley agreed no problem. Meanwhile, Andrew (the guy from tuscan that i hiked mt juneau with) was hounding me to get to my place and copy the pictures that i took of the climb. andrew also offered me a ride but i didnt want to turn down the ride that was already offered to me so i just had ash and conor drive me home. andrew actually beat me to the house and then he uploaded the pics and hung out for a little while. Then about 100 i was exhausted, kicked him out and i went to sleep!