If you can't change your circumstances, change your attitude.

I stole this picture from my supervisor. It's the snow capped Icefield and I think it represents much of Alaska to me. Alaska is so free of human impact. It is full of mystery and has the ability to make you feel small in a world that all too often seems to be shrinking. I think that is why I love my job sooo much. People can come to our base and be in the worst mood possible but once they come back from seeing the Juneau Icefield, they can't help but be happy, emotional, or touched in some way. Most people say it is life changing. Most people claim it's the highlight of their trip, if not their life. I am glad I can share in the experience. I thought I would share a few stories that have left an impact on me.
Story 1: A few days ago I was giving a safety briefing on the bus, heading towards the helicopter base. These briefings are boring and similar to what you hear on an airplane, except longer. Most of the time the people will sit smiling just to appease the employee. When I was finished, a few ladies in the front row were asking about my degree and where I want to end up teaching. This happens a lot. One of my favorite things is meeting the tourists, seeing what line of work they are in where they are from. I guess they like getting to know our workers too because I often get asked about my life. "How long have you lived up here?" "Where are you from?" "Are you in college?" What's your major and will you stay in Alaska when you graduate?" Anyways, I told the ladies I was hoping to get to the east coast and warm up a bit. I could use a good tan and let's face it. Once you have lived in the Virgin Islands, everywhere else seems downright freezing! In the back of the bus was a sour looking man who never smiled during my briefing and seemed annoyed and my cheerful personality. After everyone was off the bus the man approached me and smiled. He said he was a superintendent in Florida and would like to give me his contact information after his tour. I was thrilled. I know how had it is to get a job right now. However, I knew that when the tour was over, he would probably forget and I would be out picking up more tourists. To my surprise, he left his information with a pilot. He even remembered my name.

Story 2: I remember a year back when a family came in to take our Dog Sledding Tour. A mother and her adult daughters and son. They were extremely emotional when they returned. Every member of the family was crying and the daughter came up to me and my coworker and said her mother had only been given a short amount of time to live. Cancer. They were so happy the entire tour that no one would have guessed this was the case. They were making the most of the time that they had and this is a family I will never forget.

Last Story: Yesterday, we had a group of folks come in. One gentleman was in a wheelchair and another had difficulty getting around because of his muscular dystrophy. We have several "wheelchair bound" people that come in because we are the only company with a handicap lift fit for our helicopters. However, when we hear that we have people that are handicapped coming in, we get a bit nervous. Some people can be very nice when you try to help them. Some seem very bitter and everything you do aggravates them. These people were amazing. They were so high on life and ready to have a good time. The guy in the wheelchair was extremely grateful to be able to take our tour and kept thanking us. He was inspiring and made me realize that the things I complain about are small matters compared to the hand this man has been dealt. Also, I noticed a yellow jacket on his beanie and you know I love my Georgia Tech. We had a great conversation about GT sports and he told me that he is coming back next year and will bring me a hat. Haha. He made my day.

It's people like these that your mind will never let you forget. They make you appreciate the life that you have and remind you that, while you may not be able to change your circumstances, you can always change your attitude. They surprise you, like the first man. Or they brighten your soul, like the last.
So, I am going to take my own advice. It is rainy and cold here today. However, the rain seems to make the green grass and trees sparkle. The plants have been without rain for a few days and seem to have perked up with the showers. I have the day off and while I would love to e out hiking on a nice sunny day, I will take this time to knock out some homework and maybe catch up on some casual reading. Plus, I have been a bit under the weather lately and it will do me good to stay indoors and eat some hot soup. Haha.

"Opportunity is missed by most because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."

My life suddenly became very crazy.
This job at the helicopter company is taking up a lot of my time and I am finding it hard to finish off the tiny bit of my Political Economy class that I have left (that, and I just hate the class so much that the last few chapters feel like death). I have been arriving at work early and not finishing up until late. I can't really complain because I know that I can use the extra money. I would love to treat myself to a nice little vacation before my student teaching begins. We'll just have to wait and see.
As of right now, I have only two lessons left in my class before I can take the final and be done with it. Unfortunately, on May 23rd I have another class starting up. A class that involves a lot of reading. You can skim a book on the economy and get the gist. It's hard to skim a novel...and, according to the syllabus, we are planning on reading anywhere from 2-6 books a week. This class lasts until August and I just hope that I can find the down time at work to get in some extra reading. Again, we'll see....
It seems like a lot of my life is up in the air right now. I like to plan things out. I like to make lists before I go to the store and I enjoy having an organized agenda. It makes life easier. However, lately, I feel a bit lost. I have about a year until I need to know what school I will be teaching in. I have no idea where I will end up and that completely frightens me. I don't know what my financial situation will be for this next year or even the summer after. I may have to work at this helicopter company again before I am able to get a job teaching. It all depends on the economy. I have no idea whether I will even be able to go home for my nieces birthday. I have managed to make it home eary year on her birthday since she was born. I hope I can do it again this year but we'll see....
Overall, I am doing well. The weather has been wonderful the last two days. It has been about 65 with blue skies. If I weren't working, I would probably be hiking one of the awesome trails around here. I have met some new people at work and the season is off with a bang. I even met a tourist today from Atlanta who is a Georgia Tech Women's Bball fan. Kinda cool, right? This job is constantly reminding me of how small the word has become.

I managed to snap a couple pictures of the helicopters early in the morning a few days ago. The fog was heavy and we were waiting for it to lift before we could fly.
For taking them with my tiny camera phone, I thought they turned out great. It's beautiful days at work that make my life easier. Most of the past summers I have struggled to keep up with this blog. Hopefully, I can find the time to update it better throughout this summer. BUT we'll just have to wait and see...

Life loves the liver of it. -Maya Angelou

This is my spring break and I am the busiest with classes that I have ever been. That's just not right. I mean, come on. It's SPRING BREAK! Oh well, I don't have anything better to do this week, anyways.
So last night I was sitting on my bed typing away at a response paper for Multicultural Education. It was around 10:30 PM when I heard my roommate yell out "I CAN SEE THEM FROM MY WINDOW!" I knew right away that she was talking about the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis). My room has a tiny window with no view of anything but trees. I ran to her room and saw a very faint light green ray in the sky. It wasn't too exciting compared to the last time I saw the lights (ie the last post). I hopped downstairs and put on my warm winter boots anyways. I didn't want to miss a single showing of the lights. To my surprise, when I stepped out onto the sidewalk the sky above had a massive green stripe across it. I ran inside and yelled to my roommates that the best of the lights were on the opposite side of the house.
On the far side of the housing parking lot there is a playground. There are fewer lights around it so we decided it would be the best option for watching the show. The lights only got brighter. It's the craziest thing to see because the entire time my mind was trying to absorb it. The thick green bands bounced and danced across the sky showing hints of red at times. I'm not sure there is anything more amazing to see in the whole world. We know what causes it but yet it is still mysterious. NASA makes predictions on how strong they will be but you never know how they will really appear until they catch you completely off guard.
(This picture really does nothing for the lights. It was so much more amazing in person!)

Apparently, the solar storm that created the Aurora was so strong that the lights could be seen in New york City (that is, if you could see through the city lights and smog). Below are some more pictures. I have to add here that I did not take any of these pictures. They are from Yosuke Sano's collection, as my camera doesn't do well in the dark.

All of these were taken in Juneau.

"Those who dance are considered insane by those who cannot hear the music."
— George Carlin

"Perhaps the reason it never worked in the past will be the reason it finally works in the future."

(I got this ball to workout and relieve stress. I find it more fun to play with! It Keeps me sane!)

Time flies when you're having fun, or just super busy! In my case it is the latter. I have been up to my neck in school work. Never have I had a semester this busy. I can't complain too much because the weather has been pretty cold, so it's not like I am missing getting outside. Lately, I have been sitting in front of my happy lamp, yes I have a lamp that makes me happy, and working on art projects, lesson plans, and child psychology. My life is all kinds of exciting right now.(Art projects-hehe)
I can't believe it has been so long since I last updated. I guess my school work has kept me busy. So how about that Superbowl? Go Pack! I watched the game at the Recreation Center on campus. I knew it was going to be a good game from the moment Christina messed up the words to the Nation Anthem. (To my surprise, I was the only one who noticed it. Sad right?) You know if someone would have done that in China, they may have been stoned. Ha! Anyways, I got a great laugh out of it because, believe it or not, the words can get a little tricky sometimes. (I have experience with this one!)
The game was great fun though. As always, there were tons of pizzas and stuffed footballs to throw at the opposing teams fans (the footballs, not the pizzas). And you know everyone loves those commercials. It was a blast and a great break from school work.
(Big screen=Awesome!)

Back to business.
There are a few upcoming events that are very exciting to me. First off, I have a meeting about student teaching and graduation on Monday. I'm nervous and excited but mostly anxious to find out what classroom I will be in for a year. Depending on which teacher takes me, I could have an awesome first experience or a horrible one. Secondly, I have finally received my financial aid refund check and can now take the Praxis II test. After passing that test I can get certified to teach. Yay.
Overall, the semester is going alright. It is a lot of work like I suspected but I am slowly making progress. I have a few classes which I am still behind in but the circumstances are beyond my control. While I don't get out of the house much, I have managed to meet some new people and keep up with the old friends too. Unfortunately, several of my friends from last year moved out of Juneau and no longer keep in touch. It has been for the best though because I have made some new hilarious friends. People that help me instead of hurt me. Friends who know when to tell me to get to work and when to take a break. They rock.

(Susie and I have frequent study sessions)

(Heather just got a Nintendo!)


Tomorrow is my free day, where I will work endlessly on my homework. But first, I am heading to the gym early in the morning for a nice run. And I can't forget the Georgia Tech women's basketball game! I'm not promising anything, but I have a good feeling about tomorrow. I have a good feeling about this weekend in general!
(But then again, I have been in front of my happy lamp. My opinion might change in a few hours.)

"God places the heaviest burden on those who can carry its weight"

(Worked in some time to get to the Mendenhall glacier for a few minutes.)

It has been a great semester so far! I have to admit that the snow and rain has worn down my spirit a little but there is no rain or snow today and I think I might have seen a glimpse of the sun. Getting to know my new roommates has been fun. It's always great to meet new people. Last night was SAA dinner and a movie so I went to meet the new SAA board members and watch the movie Easy A. It was funny but a little weird not having my normal SAA people around. Other than that, I have just been plugging away at homework. I am waiting for a few books to arrive still that are on back order. Right now I have homework in every class to do. I took the day off Friday to relax a bit since I didn't have class. Yesterday I worked on art homework and Multicultural Education. Today I am listening to Georgia Tech kick butt against Boston College, while preparing to tackle some Educational Psychology.


(This is my car on the fourth day of snow AFTER I had cleaned it completely of snow the day before.)
As far as financial aid and all that fun stuff goes, I think things are finally coming together. The exchange kind of messed up everything but I think that it has all worked itself out. I should be getting a bit back that I will put towards my Praxis II. I have a few classes that will end in February and one class that starts in February. It will be nice to get rid of a few of these one credit classes that take up a lot of free time with busy work.
So that's pretty much all the updates for now. I have to get back to the endless amounts of homework I have left.