Blogging Off-road

Hello from Dutch Harbor,
 I have not forgotten you or this blog! Unfortunately I have learned that when you travel to crazy places like the Bering Sea internet is NOT a given, and I have not been able to post on the blog because of this small hang up. I only have internet on a shared computer in the plant office, so I can't sit there hogging the computer writing on the blog. I have continued to write posts on my own computer, and will put them up as soon as I have sufficient opportunity & internet speed. On the plus side, I'll be able to post appropriate photos along with the post at the same time! So this story will continue, you'll just have to experience it a few months behind me. From now I guess you could say I'm taking a step off the virtual beaten path and blogging off-road!
 Since my recent annexation to intnet-less BFE, I've been keeping a list of things about boat life that should probably bother me, but don't. I figure it's a good way to portray everyday life while remembering to appreciate how not completely horrible boat-life is all the time! It certainly has its ups (watching orcas from the office window!) and downs (having the fish freeze solid to the deck while I'm trying to sample aka work).

Without further adeau:
Things that should probably bother me about living on the Bering Sea, but really don't:

• The cold (surprisingly)
•  Constant motion (think about showering in a tiny little bathroom on 10ft seas, and I STILL haven't been seasick!)
•  Never knowing where I'm going to be in 10 or 15 hours, let alone tomorrow or next weekend 
• Odd-ball hours (Yesterday I waited for my offload all night, ate "breakfast" at 4:30 am, and then went back to my boat to sleep from 5-9 am and woke up to eat "lunch" and edit some data) 
• There are no windows in the "house" part of the boat
•  When its dark, its PITCH BLACK DARKNESS on the boat, in "town" and on the water 
• Its light until 10pm but dawn isn't till 9am My "room" is a tiny bunk in a stateroom 
• I share with the rest of the crew. (I mean tiny, I cant even stretch out my arms above my head while laying down, and I'm Short! ... But I can sit up so that's a plus)
•  Food at the seafood plant is tasteless, at least its a change-up from greasy boat food, sometimes they even serve "tacos"
•  I'm pretty sure everything smells like fish .. but i can't really tell, cause everything smells like fish 

Small things that actually drive me crazy in boat life:

• There is NO crunchy peanut butter 
• All the good seed/wheat/healthy bread is always gone 
• I've been listening to the same 400 songs on my ipod since February
•  I have yet to see whales from my boat/on the sea (but I did see a laysan albatross one day!) 

The only things I really miss are:

•  Riding my bike Solid mexican food - Margaritas and Street tacos are all I want in life 
• A nice glass of CA red wine 
• Waking up to sunshine through the window And of course all my friends in CA :)

So yeah that's a little update, I've just been sampling, working and hanging out on my boat. We're on land about 40% of the time and out to sea the rest. Its not that bad, I read probably two books a week. Let me know if you have any book suggestions! I'll post again when I can, but I'll continue writing while I'm out here so you get the full story eventually!

This is what Dutch Harbor right now: (Not my photo, couldn't load my photos at this time, they'll be up as soon as I can manage it)

Fishery Purgatory

Location: Seattle, WA
Temp: 42 F

Yesterday was the last day of class. I am now, officially, a certified north pacific groundfish observer! Yay?

Yeah, kinda like this. 

Out of a class of 24, miraculously we all passed every exam, physical skills, and fish identification assessments with a grade of 80% or better! Some of us even got 100% on our Fish ID test ... but I wont name names *cough cough* The last day was kinda fun, but at the same time, nerve wracking. It reminded me of high school graduation in some ways. We were all just finishing a pretty stressful course of study, and going off into a new opportunity where none of us know what to expect. Everyone was rightfully proud of themselves, but honestly a little nervous.

The newest North Pacific Groundfish Observers aka the 2014 Greenhorns! Congrats Everyone :)

As the last day of training came to an end, they generated our research cruise numbers, (kinda like an ID number that will tie all of our data to us within the NOAA file systems) and began calling us up one by one to receive our graduation certificate, vessel assignment. The pollock fishing season in the Bering Sea starts on the 20th, this monday. Needless to say, everyone is flying out ASAP! Our contractors want everyone up in AK ready for the season opening. There's only one small issue, Dutch Harbor is stuck in a blizzard with 20 ft seas. No planes are flying in or out, let alone boats leaving to go fishing! Regardless of real-world weather, logistics and plane jams, upon completion of our training, every classmate received their new assignment. It was like any other graduation, announcing the graduates' next school or job: "And after this accomplishment John is headed to Alaska on the Fish Stalker!" All of the instructors would take a moment to comment about each boat. How much they liked, or disliked it, what kinds of food they serve, if the observer has their own room etc. Some people looked stricken, wondering how the hell they got to this point, and what got into their heads to think this would be a good idea. Others were excited to get out, it was finally happening! And then it was my turn ...

"Next up, Ali Carter!   ... Who does not have a boat yet, and will be staying in Seattle!" ... I'm the only one in the class with no assignment. My mom was stoked, "Oh good, maybe you'll just stay in Seattle!" No, this is what I've been training for, and now I want to go! But as fate has it, I will be spending the foreseeable future in fishery purgatory. Its neither bad nor good. On one hand I want to go to Alaska, start my job and my next step of this adventure. Yet, a small part of me is content to stay here, ride my bike and continue exploring Seattle. Either way, I have no choice, I'm stuck here in this holding pattern until further notice. Maybe once the blizzard raging in Dutch Harbor subsides, planes start moving, and boats start fishing I will get my call ... One Day! Until then I'll be chillin' in Seattle with my bike. Go Hawks?

Having the Right Mindset, Hoping For Delay

Location: Seattle, WA
Temp: 43 F

They always say you find love when you're least expecting it. Well, I'm not so sure about that, but I can tell you I have stumbled upon a gem of a city here in Seattle. Sure there are certain peculiar/unattractive things about this city, like the chronic coffee addiction, ever-present cloud layer, and complete and total obsession with their local sports teams. Despite its faults, or maybe because of them, I admire Seattle and its crazy eccentricities.

Firstly, the novelty of rain has yet to wear off. I still look outside wondering what the weather will be. Every time I pass a large puddle I'm temped to splash in it. It's fun to have different weather. Sunny and 75 might be nice for a little while, but I can't really appreciate it without having a contrast. Normally when the sun is out I'm up and going, but here I love feeling guilt free about staying indoors till 11 am because its rainy and cold. Everyone obsesses about how wonderful the summers are here. I never pictured Seattle as a summer destination but I have the strongest urge to jump in the lake every time the sun comes out. I would love to spend a day riding my bike, bbq-ing and swimming in the lakes while they're warm. Putting "Seattle in the summer" on my to-do list.

The University of Washington is awesome. Not only is the library breathtaking, but the whole campus is picturesque. From the outside it looks like a conglomerate of official buildings and big trees, but within the campus its a series of small roads and little areas to ride your bike or run through. Everyone wears school colors. It's right on the lake, and they have a fantastic arboretum with big sycamores, floating foot bridges, and wild river otters.

University of Washington Library: I just want to spend all day here ... everyday. 

The people in the area are so nice, decidedly not LA. Drivers commonly let you over when you signal, IMAGINE THAT!? Pedestrians actually have the right of way. Everyone I have encountered has been welcoming, & friendly; from the servers at a restaurant asking me how the day is going, to people on walking bridges waving as we cross paths. Its as though everyone has decided to compensate for the weather by being extra nice to each other.

Public transportation, exercise, and outdoors activities are popular things here! I have seen college students, mothers with children and even business men regularly riding the public transportation system. It's a useful way to get where you want to go, and it runs on time! There are about a hundred gyms just within my community, but even more impressive is how crowded the trails are throughout the city, even on rainy days. People commonly discuss their favorite hiking destinations, and city parks. It seems like there's always a new place to explore just outside the city limits. Note to self: I still need to go explore "the sound" on the far side of the city. It leads to the actual ocean!

Besides the fact that I have no idea what a seahawk or a dawg actually is (indigenous species of Washington?), I have found myself cheering for the local team every week. Truthfully, I find it convenient that there's a coffee shop on every corner. Two weeks ago I had no intentions to return to school anytime soon, but now I am more and more curious about what kinds of research the graduate programs do at UW. Here in Seattle, I learned that the weather is what you make of it (riding in the rain is no big deal, if you have the right mindset!).

Seahawks in their natural environment. 

I planned to stop in Seattle as a detour on my way to the "real" adventure in Alaska. But I find myself hoping more and more that I will be delayed so I can spend a few more weeks here in the rainy PNW. I may not have been looking for it, but I know a good place when I see it.