Getting to know Seward, Alaska

27 April, 2018, 2 min, 291 words

Well, after lots of adventures, I'm excited to share that I'm now in Seward, Alaska! I'll be here through mid-September, when our season ends. I've spent the last few days before training getting to know Seward and my coworkers. It's been a real joy.

First off, Seward weather is pretty typical for this time of year: cold, with heavy precipitation and more cold. As a bonus, gale-force winds greeted me in Anchorage when I arrived! Here's some of the beautiful scenery I've seen so far – I felt like I was in a snow globe this afternoon.

On top of that, I arrived in town early enough to help out with the local Wilderness First Responder course. I volunteered as a patient in the class' third big scenario, and it was a great way to meet other guides and outdoor folks. I also really appreciated the opportunity to brush up on my WFR knowledge – thanks to Deb for letting me sit in on her excellent course overview that evening.

Finally, my colleagues and I have also been settling into our new home. For me, yesterday was library exploration day. Something about having a local library card makes me feel much more at home. Plus, on the recommendation of a returning guide, I checked out the harbor in town and spotted a few sea otters! There's nothing quite like adorable marine mammals with easily-anthropomorphized behavior to welcome you home.

So far, getting to know Seward has been a blast. I look forward to developing even deeper familiarity with the town and its surroundings over the next few months!