As you probably know, I had a wonderful post-graduation adventure up to Kodiak, Alaska for about five days. It was a wonderful, relaxing vacation away from life, with a few adventures thrown in. Stories contained here may be out of order, but who really cares, right? The scenery, although partially hidden by the clouds for my visit, was amazing. I got to see all ends of the road over the course of two days. When Gramma K.C., whom I was visiting, told me we were going to the 'end of the road', I envisioned something like what I would see here; the end of the pavement, or a switch to dirt-bike territory or something. Imagine my surprise when we rounded a corner and it was, quite literally, the END of the road. No, seriously. There was no more road and no more chance of one without the demolition of a mountain. Cool, right? :)
The next day we drove out to fossil beach and the other ends of the road. Gramma K.C.'s friend Martha went with us and helped me to find some really neat fossils. Mostly shells and such, that just happened to be completely engulfed in the rock. Some of the larger ones looked to have tree-ring type markings, so I assume that we were looking at the cross-section of fossilized trees. Call me a geek, or a nerd, but I thought it was epically cool!
Later that day, we stopped at another beach for some old-fashioned beach-combing. The kind where you look for 'real' shells instead of fossilized ones. We found some really neat ones and were thoroughly inspected by a sea-lion/seal. He was SO cute and curious, but seemed a little shy. He would stay off-shore and stare at us, then bob under for a bit before surfacing in another place to stare some more. We didn't mind at all.
After going down to the third end of the road the same day, we had worked up an appetite, so we decided to stop at this little restaurant, I forget the name of it at the moment. It seemed like it could be sketchy, but we were hungry and how bad could it be? On the way up the front steps, Martha suggested that I get on the same step as Gramma K.C. and jump a little for fun, it would be a nice and bouncy ride. :) We walked in on a scene from a B-rated western: Two guys playing pool in the center of the room and three people up at the bar drinking and smoking. No one seemed to be working and because of the positioning of the pool table, there really was no place to sit. We used the restroom in shifts (since we had been out all day we all needed to). We had been there a few minutes when the game of pool wrapped up and one of the players went behind the bar and served a drink to the other. It wasn't until about ten or more minutes before one of the gals at the bar turned around, realized they had customers, and turned back to her drink. Let's just say we did not stay to eat. :)
We had some very lovely dinners out with lovely friends of Gramma K.C.'s. One of which I got to play with the most adorable two year old and another of which I got to eat crab for the first time EVER! We also got to see some amazing wild-life which included, but was not necessarily limited to, eagles, ducks, seals/sea-lions, an octopus, magpies, buffalo, and various sea-creatures courtesy of the Kodiak touch-tank. :D We also had some lovely evenings in with movies, scenery, and chatting.
There were many other adventures of which I could tell, but I must leave SOMETHING for real-life conversations you know. :) Overall, it was a wonderful kick-off to post-college life and the adventures it will undoubtedly hold.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Introductions
"Life after College". Is it fact or fiction? After 16 years of school one has to wonder. But I, for one, will not wonder for quite so much. So here are my adventures, be they fact or fiction, in my post-college life. Writing friends, please be kind in your critique. I haven't written much for enjoyment in a long time. ;)
As things turn out, I have already had one adventure after college. My wonderful graduation trip. I got to go to Kodiak, Alaska and not worry about anything for five whole days. On the way up, I renewed my fascination with clouds. I have always thought them to be beautiful and greatly under-appreciated. They assist greatly in bringing forth life from the ground while looking super cool, they change shape every .5 seconds AND they are a symbol of God's presence. Yet, whenever they roll in everyone moans and groans and complains. Well, most everyone. I try not too.
As we were taking off from Spokane I was thinking about how in the Old Testament God's presence was represented by clouds and what the theological implications of being above the clouds might be. Looking down at the landscape created by said clouds I thought some theologians might object to us symbolically placing ourselves above God. Then I looked up and saw that there were still little wispy clouds above us. It made me smile because it was so what always happens; we try to put ourselves above God, but then something happens to remind us that He truly is in control. And who says God doesn't have a sense of humor?
I'm sure I will be posting other Alaskan stories as time goes by, but probably the biggest adventure of the trip deserves a front-row appearance. It happened in the Seattle Airport coming back from Alaska. Keep in mind that this trip was my first "solo" trip anywhere. People had given vague warnings about the Seattle Airport, but I heeded them not after my first encounter, which went very well. Imagine my surprise when I followed the signs to gate B and they led me to a dead end. GREAT. Then a train pulled up. I don't want a train. Wait, they are saying something. Okay, I guess I do! I barely got on before the doors closed me into the full little car. The first stop was gate C. Okay, gate B should be next then. Psych! Next stop was gate B. And 20 other things. Once again I follow the signs, not very far of course, but to another train/tram/subway thing. After a wait just long enough to read some of the signs and ponder just how lost I was, the transportation device came and told me to get on. I did. I then went less than a minute down the track and told me to get off, if I wanted to go to gate B (perhaps I should clarify that I am aware there are several gate Bs. I changed to singular for ease, sorry if you are a grammar nerd and it bugs you :]). I still wanted gate B, so I got off and saw ANOTHER train/tram/subway thing that told me to get on IT to get to gate B. On that train I finally spotted the map on the wall, showing that the next stop would finally drop me at gate B. Or the start of them.
Finally, I have reached my destination. The infamous gate B drop-off point. But wait! an escalator. another one. ANOTHER one. Okay, gate B....27?! Okay, so it might not have been 27 and under different circumstances I wouldn't have minded it being 27. But I needed number 3 and they were going to start boarding in about 20 minutes. Or less. So, I talk myself into NOT panicking and toddle off down the halls of the Airport. After about 5 halls I arrived at my destination!!! I then proceeded to purchase and scarf a piece of pizza as I had not yet eaten at 7:20p.m. (silly, I know). No sooner had I finished than they started boarding, right on time. I must say that although my adventure left me tired, I have no fear of the Seattle Airport for I have traversed from one end to the other in less than twenty minutes without having a clue as to what I was doing.
As things turn out, I have already had one adventure after college. My wonderful graduation trip. I got to go to Kodiak, Alaska and not worry about anything for five whole days. On the way up, I renewed my fascination with clouds. I have always thought them to be beautiful and greatly under-appreciated. They assist greatly in bringing forth life from the ground while looking super cool, they change shape every .5 seconds AND they are a symbol of God's presence. Yet, whenever they roll in everyone moans and groans and complains. Well, most everyone. I try not too.
As we were taking off from Spokane I was thinking about how in the Old Testament God's presence was represented by clouds and what the theological implications of being above the clouds might be. Looking down at the landscape created by said clouds I thought some theologians might object to us symbolically placing ourselves above God. Then I looked up and saw that there were still little wispy clouds above us. It made me smile because it was so what always happens; we try to put ourselves above God, but then something happens to remind us that He truly is in control. And who says God doesn't have a sense of humor?
I'm sure I will be posting other Alaskan stories as time goes by, but probably the biggest adventure of the trip deserves a front-row appearance. It happened in the Seattle Airport coming back from Alaska. Keep in mind that this trip was my first "solo" trip anywhere. People had given vague warnings about the Seattle Airport, but I heeded them not after my first encounter, which went very well. Imagine my surprise when I followed the signs to gate B and they led me to a dead end. GREAT. Then a train pulled up. I don't want a train. Wait, they are saying something. Okay, I guess I do! I barely got on before the doors closed me into the full little car. The first stop was gate C. Okay, gate B should be next then. Psych! Next stop was gate B. And 20 other things. Once again I follow the signs, not very far of course, but to another train/tram/subway thing. After a wait just long enough to read some of the signs and ponder just how lost I was, the transportation device came and told me to get on. I did. I then went less than a minute down the track and told me to get off, if I wanted to go to gate B (perhaps I should clarify that I am aware there are several gate Bs. I changed to singular for ease, sorry if you are a grammar nerd and it bugs you :]). I still wanted gate B, so I got off and saw ANOTHER train/tram/subway thing that told me to get on IT to get to gate B. On that train I finally spotted the map on the wall, showing that the next stop would finally drop me at gate B. Or the start of them.
Finally, I have reached my destination. The infamous gate B drop-off point. But wait! an escalator. another one. ANOTHER one. Okay, gate B....27?! Okay, so it might not have been 27 and under different circumstances I wouldn't have minded it being 27. But I needed number 3 and they were going to start boarding in about 20 minutes. Or less. So, I talk myself into NOT panicking and toddle off down the halls of the Airport. After about 5 halls I arrived at my destination!!! I then proceeded to purchase and scarf a piece of pizza as I had not yet eaten at 7:20p.m. (silly, I know). No sooner had I finished than they started boarding, right on time. I must say that although my adventure left me tired, I have no fear of the Seattle Airport for I have traversed from one end to the other in less than twenty minutes without having a clue as to what I was doing.
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