Nostalgia

Okay, so I have only been here for three days, but it is definitely what I needed. I met some really interesting people at the hostel. There was a family of four from Germany and women from Switzerland, a woman from Israel, and another women who is a teacher. After talking with some of these individuals I feel like an infant in the world of traveling. I have so much to see. But just from talking with them I have built up my incentive to backpacking overseas. I totally think I can "rough it" and see the world. Once you start the trip, you will meet lots of other interesting people and may even start traveling with them. I think if I wasn't staying in Skagway, I would probably have continued with some of these women.

Today I was thinking, it is much different to travel when you stay at a hostel versus in a hotel. There is so much more of a community. In fact, the hostel here in Skagway is basically just a home. Frank and Nancy have converted a few of their rooms (and the garage-like room outside) into dorm style living. They welcome you to eat with their family for a small fee or play with their children in the living room. I chose to play with their young daughter, creating balloon animals. And then you spend time with the other hostelers learning about great things to do or see. Of those who are reading this, how do you feel about backpacking and hosteling? Would you try it? I think everyone should try traveling this way sometime, it is more adventurous.

Okay, not that I want to make a fool of myself, but I was asked by Nancy, one of the hostel owners, to help out during the 4th of July parade. Well, I agreed to help...I dressed up like a clown! Apparently Nancy has been doing this for years and she can prove it, because she had about thirty clown outfits to choose from. I woke up early on the 4th, my second day here, to apply lots of white makeup to my face. I have to admit, I started off with the wrong attitude. I was embarrassed to be a clown. Besides the fact that I did my own makeup, which looked silly, I also wore funny clothes and HUGE red blow-up shoes. I actually got a lot of comments from the tourists about the clunky red shoes (they liked them). I was hesistant to go on the main road and parade around making a fool out of myself. It took me a while to get into the whole experience, but I don't think I did half bad. I will admit, I'm not the clown type. I am not goofy by nature, not to mention I could barely walk with the red shoes on. All I knew how to do was smile at the crowds of people and offer them American flags. Somehow, I got paired up with a little girl from the hostel, who only spoke German, and we gave out flags to the crowd. I wish I could say it was a great experience, but seriously I was ready to change and see more of the festivities as a normal person. I will admit that it was a good parade though. I have seen quite a few "small town" parades, which looked like scraps put together, but somehow even though this had the same feel, it was actually quite funny and humorous. They even made fun of their own mayor.

The rest of my 4th was spent walking around town getting to know my barings of things followed by an evening game of volleyball. I have started to make some good friends up here. In fact, I feel like I'm back in college, because it is the same living conditions (dorm style) and everyone is just ready to have a good time. Even the fireworks were fun. We sat on the dock looking out at the bay to see the fireworks up in the air. It's a small town so the fireworks only lasted about fifteen minutes, but because we were surrounded by mountains each boom echoed really loud.


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July 5th - Today I got a job and a place to live. I thought I was going to be riding a bike for a petticab business, but that fell through the cracks. Some of the petticab drivers didn't want to pick up another rider, because they wouldn't be able to make as much. I figured I didn't want to make anyone mad, and I'm not up here for the money, so I would find something else and I did! Ha! I'm going to be working for The Klondike Gold Dredge. It is a place were tourist learn how to pan for gold and go on a tour of an old dredge. I will work in the office most of the time, but will get to dabble as a guide and gift shop employee as well. They are going to pay me pretty well and I get to stay in a small little meat locker on site for free. That's right, a meat locker.

I live in a square "shack" that used to be a meat locker. I have a rusty old bed and dresser...no windows and no electricity. I share a commons building with the other employees, which has one bathroom and some kitchen facilities. It is pretty fun and I don't have to pay any rent! Woohoo. I just have to make sure they don't overwork me because I still have to make time to PLAY. There are glaciers to see, hikes to go on, and friends to visit with. Even though I have only been here for three days I feel nastalgic of past traveling experiences, of times when I did something new. This may be a new experience, but it reminds me of times when I traveled in the past. Traveling is somehow within my soul...I think I get depressed if I don't go somewhere every couple of months. I love adventures, don't you?