‘Tis true what they say…

…all good things must come to an end.  It has been a whirlwind of a month…lots of good-byes, lots of end-of-the-year parties, lots of packing, and on a more weather-based note, lots of rain and fog.  Soon it will be my turn to say good-bye.  I have officially booked my transportation home.  October 1st is the date, just a week away from this upcoming Monday!  I’ll continue with tours until the 27th (that’s when the last cruise ship is in town) and then after that it’s cleaning and winterizing buses as well as  our 3 employee houses that Princess rents out for the summer.  With 6 days left to go in the season, we’re down to 9 drivers.  Tomorrow my most favorite driver of all, my roommate Nicole, is leaving.  We call each other Siamese twins because we rarely spend more than 2 minutes apart it seems, except when we’re working.  And even then, we moan and complain when we don’t get assigned the same tours.  So sad will it be to have a half empty room.  Who will I talk with late at night?  Who will I cook dinner with and/or make dinner for?  Who will listen to me when I need to complain about stupid passengers, or on a positive note be there to recept my praises after a great tour day?  Who will help me decide what to wear, especially on work days?  Even with a standard uniform, there are still little decisions to be made (long-sleeve or short-sleeve blouse, Nicole?)?  I know we’ll see each other again soon but 10 days just doesn’t seem soon enough.  I guess I’ll have to continue working 13+ hour days to help bide the time.  :P 

10 things I’m looking forward to seeing/doing upon my return to the Pacific Northwest:

1) Eating lots of good, cheap sushi

2) Seeing my sister who I haven’t seen since August 2005

3) Hearing Richard preach

4) Living in a place where I don’t have to share a bathroom with 5 other people

5) Hanging out in a coffee shop past 6 p.m.

6) Driving a vehicle that isn’t designed to hold 40+ people at one time 

7) Going to HH (Happy Hour) with my old roommate Cristina

8 ) Visiting my grandparents and other extended family in eastern Washington 

9) Utilizing an internet service that doesn’t get cut off when someone uses the phone

10) Giving my niece a great big hug

And of course, I look forward to seeing all of you, my faithful blog readers.  Thanks so much for following my summertime adventures in Skagway!  Can’t wait to share more stories about life behind the big wheel upon our meeting in person. 

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