Welcome to my world…
I’m beginning to think I’m the world’s biggest clutz/ditz, that or just a glutton for punishment. I don’t say this just because I’m experiencing a moment of spaciness. Ever since I arrived to Skagway, it seems that both my refined motor skills and sharp memory are diminishing. Sadly, the condition has seemed to worsen over the last couple of weeks. Points in case:
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1) Yesterday morning in the shower I squeezed a quarter size portion of what I thought was bath gel onto my body puff…in actuality, it was shampoo.
2) During my intro on one of my morning tours last week, I welcomed my pax to Seattle instead of Skagway.
3) Two weeks ago, after a crazy morning in the yard where I had to switch to 3 different buses (one didn’t pass an air brake test, the other wouldn’t start), I arrive on the dock and prepare to park my bus. After completing my routine 180 degree turn-around (we come on the dock facing south but flip directions and park facing north), I wait for my backer to appear in my mirror. Once I see her, she starts motioning me to back up towards the aft of the dock. As I’m watching her signal me backwards, I put my coach into drive and start moving forward. It wasn’t until 3 people start shouting at me and flagging me down that it finally hits me…”oh crap, i’m supposed to be BACKING up not pulling forward!”
4) Last week while doing laundry, I came out short two uniform shirts, one being mine and the other being my roommate’s. I thought someone had mixed them in with their clothes or perhaps even stolen them which seemed odd considering everyone has their own set of bland and oversized short and long-sleeved shirts, not to mention mine is size XS. Eight days later, having had no response to our note on the community white board inquiring about the whereabouts of our missing shirts, I randomly walk into the downstairs laundry room and find a pile of clothing sitting on top of the dryer. In it lay our two blue work shirts and a pair of my work pants that I hadn’t even realized were missing. Memory then kicked in–I had used the downstairs washing machine when ours upstairs was being occupied. Had I recalled this minor detail sooner, I would have saved us the trouble (and stench) of wearing the same shirt and pants 3 days in a row this past week.
And last but not least…
5) After a long and exhausting week of work, I decided to take advantage of a sunny afternoon and give my legs a stretch by going on a short run. I invited my co-worker Russell to go with, a guy might I add whom I’ve felt socially awkward around since I arrived to Skagway. It’s not because I’m attracted to him, I just can’t seem to shake off my insecurity and put enough words together to carry on a normal conversation with him. Much to my surprise, it ended up being an enjoyable outing, that is until my ability to stand up on my own two feet abandoned me. As I crossed the street about a mile away from the end, my right toe caught the lip of the curb and up and out went my body into the air then down onto the hard and unforgiving cement below. I had enough reflex to pull my head up and avoid having my nose plastered into the ground. My limbs, however, met the sidewalk head-on. I now have 3 fresh wounds decorating my right elbow and both knees, all this on top of 30 or so mosquito bites I acquired on my arms, legs, and back during a 3-day hike last weekend. I might as well take advantage of all these wounds/scars and concoct a story of getting brawled by an animal and having chicken pox all at the same time. How exciting would that be!
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Thus concludes my mini tragedies in July thus far. I’m grateful that I have access to 40 some first-aid kits as my body has been in need of many band-aids and antibiotic ointment. Whoever invented Neosporin, I applaud you!
Last weekend I went on an AMAZING hike on the Chilkoot Pass which I’ll blog about soon, pictures to accompany as well of course. I also haven’t forgotten some of your requests to post pics of my house and room so you can see where it is exactly that I’m living this summer. Pray for me and all of us drivers as we’ve got another long driving week ahead. Fortunately, all of our hard work is paying off. Recent polls reported that out of all the port cities for Princess Tours, passengers liked Skagway the best rating it #1 on the list. Three cheers for Skagway drivers giving the best tours in all of Alaska!!! GOOOOO TEAM!
BEAR, BEAR, BEAR!!
Sometimes when we drivers are feeling in a humorous and mischievous mood (which for me is every day) we’ll play a joke on our passengers. During the middle of our tour at the least obvious time we’ll pretend to see a bear on the side of the road, and then we’ll point to one side and shout out “BEAR, BEAR, BEAR…!!!”. Everyone immediately jumps out of their seats and onto their neighbors’ laps across the aisle, that or smash their faces up against the window and scour the terrain with their darting eyes. We’ll wait a couple seconds until everyone’s attention is captivated and then announce that the joke’s on them and there indeed is no bear. Big “ahhhhhhhh’s” follow with a few laughs, a few sighs, and every once in a while a bit of a scowl. I’ve personally only had one guy get really peeved at me. More than anything, I think it was because I interrupted his mid-morning nap.
I myself got to see some bears last weekend, four bears in fact–two black bear cubs, one cinnamon cub (a breed of black bear that has brownish fur), and a larger black bear.
Even though the bears have been out a lot this season, I had only seen one before this weekend and that was during my first week here. I was beginning to think they ran every time they heard/saw me coming down the highway. These bears were seen on our way to and from Whitehorse. A group of us went up on our day off to do some cheaper grocery shopping (cheaper meaning shopping at the Canadian Superstore and Wal-mart and not at our rip-all-off grocery store in town) and also see “Pirates 3″. It felt good to get away from Skagway and hang out in a more civilized town for a day. It also felt good to be in a moving vehicle and not have to give any sort of tour.
Speaking of tours, I managed to reduce my normal 60-hour work week to 50. I also managed to catch a cold yesterday which has been less than fun. I was in bed around 8:30 last night which is very uncommon for me on a Saturday night.
Tonight some of my housemates collaberated forces and made an amazing pasta dinner which 12 of us partook in. We even managed to cram ourselves around our 10-person table. It was the maiden voyage of a newly established Sunday family tradition which I initiated. The dinner reminded me of church potlucks and meals with college roommates. Good times.
Speaking of family, to all you dads reading this, mine especially, *Happy Father’s Day* to you. Thanks for all you do and continue to do for your children and your families. Dad, I hope the fish were good to you out on Lake Roosevelt today. 
Love you lots.
Perspective is everything…
Yesterday was probably my least favorite day since I arrived here in terms of work. It started with getting rained on and drenched while waiting on the dock, enduring mass confusion with the head count of passengers on my tour, having several non-English speaking passengers on my tour, none of whom were accompanied by translators (my regular jokes all flopped because they couldn’t get my humor let alone understand what I was saying at all), and all this capped with me getting stiffed with mediocre tips at the end of my very long 13-hour work day. It was a crappy day, and it left me in a huffy and puffy mood into the evening.
The mood of the day changed at 7:30 when I got a phone call from a friend, informing me that a wonderful Christian man whom I had the privilege of meeting a year ago passed away yesterday afternoon. It’s so funny how in a second’s notice things that once seemed so important and “tragic” become much less dramatic and less deserving of my attention (I can be SUCH a drama queen sometimes!). Prior to getting that call, all I could let my mind stew over was skimpy tips and chaotic and confused pax. The next minute, I’m listening to my friend mourn and celebrate the life of his godfather. As he was talking, I couldn’t help but feel utterly selfish and childish. In fact, the words “Get over yourself, Kaycee, it’s not all about you.” were scrolling through my mind.
Humility is a hard kick in the pants to receive sometimes but it’s the necessary blow we need to keep ourselves grounded. I know there will be more crappy days to come where all elements seem to be working against me; but instead of being the whiner, I want to be the one who embraces the good more than the bad, who chooses joy over superficial happiness. I want my heart to deliver genuine compassion to those around me and not half-hearted sympathy. And with all these things, I ultimately want to live a life with a love that embraces others more than myself; for as recent experience just taught me (again for the millionth time), a life rooted in love is the only life that sustains one’s soul.
Oopsy…
As I was laying in bed last night, it occurred to me that I totally forgot to include in my last blog one of my GREATEST highlights thus far: my visit from my parents and grandparents a couple weeks ago. And then my mom comments on my blog that I didn’t even give them honorable mention in my list of higlights. Bah, I am such a doof! Sorry, family! Really, I do love you! Allow me to make up for it by dedicating this entire blog entry to you…
To recap on the visit, my parents and grandparents came aboard the Golden Princess and arrived in Skagway on the 12th. I arrived at the dock at 7 a.m. to pick up my pax and was greeted by familiar folks waving and clapping and cameras flashing. I felt like celebrity of the day! We intentionally planned it so they would be on my tour that day. The sun shone all morning and afternoon which made my first drive into the Yukon extra splendid. I got to familiarize them with all the perks of being a driver guide, spanning from tour delivery and interaction with pax to the less impressive post-tour activities of fueling and evac-ing (emptying and cleaning out the toilet…BLECH). It was, as usual, a packed and busy day but I enjoyed every minute of them being here. We ended our time with dinner in town at a local fish & chips joint and come 7:30, they were back on their ship. Word has it my grandpa enjoyed his time so much, he’s already planning his next cruise to Panama Canal. Take me with you, Gramps!
In short, I had a WONDERFUL time with my family and welcome visits from anyone else wanting to hang out in awesome little Skagway.
Unexpected day off today!!!
What is a girl to do with so much extra time on her hands? Well, for starters I slept in until 9. That in and of itself was sheer bliss. It’s half past noon and I have yet to get out of my PJ’s. La-zy! Once I get going, I plan on taking care of the laundry that’s been needing attention for over a week and a half now and then running. I also hope to make a trip to the grocery store which is only open until 6 on weekdays and 4 on the weekends (makes it hard to get food on days when I work until 7 or 8 in the evening). Then I may stroll around town and check out some of the local Skagway stores. I’ll let you know if I come out with a fabulous fur coat or moose hat.
3 weeks later…
Believe it or not, folks, I’ve been in Skagway 3 weeks and 1 day. We had a gorgeous day today-sunny and 63 degreees. I hear Seattle was 86 degrees on Wednesday. Sweet day! So far we’ve had 7 days of sun which is more than a third of what they got all summer last year. I’m not as sun deprived as I thought I was going to be. Yippee!
A lot has been going on as of late which is why I haven’t blogged in a while. Work, first of all, has been insanely busy. I worked close to 60 hours last week. I have never desired, moreover NEEDED a day off as much as I did this past Sunday. Thankfully I had two days off in a row. I had an 11-hour day today and a short 9 hour stunt yesterday. I think the average work day in bus driver world is 10-12 hours. Can we say overtime???
Instead of going into mass detail about what’s been going on outside of work (the few hours I’ve had), here are a few fun highlights from the past 3 weeks:
1/ We had a flip-flop party a couple Fridays ago. Unlike what you would imagine the weather to be like for a flip-flop party, it was around 25 degrees and there was snow on the ground (courtesy of a last-minute haul out from the mountain). We all stood outside in our flip flops for 3 hours freezing off our you-know-whats. I don’t know what it is but there is something about the Alaskan air that makes folks do crazy things…..
(…yes, those are toes in the snow and a whale kiddy pool w/ two grown men inside.)
2/ I found a church here in town which I have come to enjoy. A few Princess peeps who have worked here before attend the evening service at the Presbyterian church which we affectionately call “the white church” (see below). There are 5 churches in town and they’re all painted a different color, so we refer to each one by color.
I’ve gone to evening service the past couple of Sundays and will likely attend there throughout the summer. There’s also a Bible study group starting up Tuesday nights which I’m excited about (tas philas, it’s a Beth Moore study! “Bring it on, Beth!!” ).
3/ Amidst my insane work week last week, I received my first positive comment card! Pax (again, short for passengers) are able to fill out a comment card regarding their tour. Most folks don’t bother going through the trouble but for those who do, the feedback is taken very seriously. It’s reviewed by management and then passed on to each driver. Receiving mine was a major boost to my morale. In fact, I have it taped to the back of my door so I can read it every morning! :)
4/ I’ve been able to go on a couple short hikes in and around Skagway. It’s awesome having trails and great views so close! I also got to take the train for the first time up to the summit (3,292 feet). Now I know what views my pax see from both the highway and the train tracks–both very cool I might add.
Lower Dewey Lake 
Cave @ Yakutania Point
Smugglers Cove 
Nicole, Aimee, Jerri Lynn, & me
5/ And last but not least……….
….I cut my hair last night! My curls do not like the water here and so after 3 weeks of frizzy madness, I decided to chop it off. Sorry to say, all of you who wanted me to keep my hair long, I love having short hair again!!
That’s all for now. Off to eat some grub. It’s BBQin’ weather. WOOT!!
Whelp…
…for starters, as my dad pointed out, I probably shouldn’t use the word “dead” when referencing my post-tour condition as it makes for too frightening of an image. (Sorry, Dad, for the scare)
Speaking of frightening images, some of you may still be having a hard time imagining me as a bus driver. Believe me, I’ve had plenty of passengers look at me when they approach the bus and even though they don’t actually say it loud, I know they’re thinking to themselves “SHE’S our driver?!”
Anyway, if you’re like my passengers and have trouble envisioning little Kaycee in her big bus, here are a couple shots to actually show all of you me………..(drum roll, please)……
BEHIND THE BIG WHEEL!!!
(Note: These shots are taken of me in a GMC which is older and shorter than the other buses we drive, the MCI. MCI’s are the ones with the hula hoop size steering wheel. They have power steering whereas the GMC’s, which we affectionally call “Jimmy’s”, are manual steering. The Jimmy’s definitely give me a work out!)
Quick recap on my first two tours: as to be expected, tour #2 went better than #1. I had a group of 27 passengers on Wednesday and a smaller more intimate group of 16 yesterday. Wednesday’s weather included several clouds which hindered the view quite a bit. That’s always a bit of a tour killer. Thankfully, the passengers weren’t too disgruntled over it. We saw a bear cub and a porcupine which made up for the less than ideal weather. Yesterday on the other hand was very sunny. The only downfall was the temp was in the low 30’s with the wind chill. When I told my Wednesday group that it was my first tour I had ever given (I strategically disclosed this information toward the end of the tour just in case I needed an added pity boost after a tour-gone-bad [which thankfully wasn't completely the case]), they all clapped and cheered for me. One lady even told me as she was getting off the bus a horror story about the worst tour and tour guide driver she had ever had. I suppose she told me this to say “at least your tour wasn’t as bad as hers!”…???
In any event, I’ve got two tours completed and a bazillion more to go. As our bosses remind us often, the opportunity for a good tour really isn’t up to us, at least not completely; it’s mostly up to the passenger to decide the kind of time they will have on your bus. “Always just believe that you gave a good tour because you did” is what they say. It sounds a bit corny, sure, but on a day when you have people screaming and yelling at you or giving you zero tips which is also a crappy way to end your long 13-hour day, it’s assuring to know that at least someone has confidence in your abilities, especially if that someone is your boss.
In case you’re wondering, I did get tips both day which was fun; and as an extra bonus, on day #2 my passengers gave me many encouraging ”ooooh’s” and “ahhhhh’s” all throughout the tour. My next opportunity for ooooooh’s and ahhhhh’s will be next Tuesady when my parents and grandparents are on board. That’s right, Kaycee already gets visitors in AK (YIPPEEE!!!!)! They are departing Seattle tomorrow aboard the grandeous “GOLDEN PRINCESS” and will be arriving in Skagway early Tuesday morning. I’m giving the most popular but also the most challenging tour as far as the driver is concerned (information-wise, it’s a loaded tour) called in short ”The Yukon”. So as requested before, any prayers you can throw up on my behalf would be great! After all, my family definitely makes for tough folks to please. Juuuuuuuuust kidding!
Next time I write, I promise to talk about things that don’t have to do with work so it doesn’t seem like all I’ve been doing up here IS working (though I haven’t technically had an entire day off since I got here…tomorrow will be the first).
Thanks again to those who have written! I love the comments as do I love care packages, snail mail, and e-mails…in that order. Again, KIDDING! All are great!! I promise to write anyone who writes me. See, that’s in writing so you can all hold me to it.
Enjoy your weekend!
FIRST TOUR TODAY!
Folks, the day has come. Today is the day where I venture out as tour driver, not ride-along passenger, not spectator watching the buses go by in town, but the one behind the wheel giving the talk on Skagway and the Klondike Gold Rush and all things stretching between year 1898 and now. I am nervous as heck but am thankful to have done a ride-along of this exact tour yesterday. I’m hoping the information remains fresh in my mind.
Will provide recap later on this evening…that is, if I’m not too dead exhausted. 
Not even 24 hours later…
…and already I have seen and done so much. The flight from Vancouver to Whitehorse, B.C. was uneventful. There was, however, an early mix-up with the time zone change (gulp). Alaska is an hour behind Seattle time which I didn’t know until after making the decision to move here. My flight got in at 6:55 p.m. PST. My friend and now roommate Nicole was working on Alaska time zone and showed up at 6:15 (7:15 PST). Thinking she arrived super early, she took off and got us some dinner (such a nice roomie). Meanwhile, I’m hanging out at the very remote and now deserted airport in Whitehorse (the place literally cleared out from all incoming passengers 20 minutes after we landed). It was just me and the ticket lady at the Air Canada counter; and it was very obvious that I was a “foreigner”, and not just because I am the minority Asian (ha ha). With no ride, practically no humans in general occupying the premises, and no perception as to where I was at in this frigid northern land, it was a challenge making myself wait patiently and not panic. All was put to ease when Nicole showed up 55 minutes later with Subway sandwiches in hand. It is true, food and friends make everything better.
The drive back from the airport was very scenic. It just so happened we followed the exact route of one of the tours we give, the longest tour in fact where we take passengers from Skagway up into the Yukon Territory. I got a double dose of the tour as all of the driver guides went on a ride-along Yukon Tour today (a ride-along is where you become the passenger and listen to someone else give the tour). As you can see from the pics below, I have been able to view Mother Nature in incredible fashion numerous times, the first being yesterday during my flight. This region seriously is a different world…beautiful as all get out. I saw mountains, mountains, and more mountains, not to mention lots of lakes (frozen ones at that), and also a porcupine and wild caribou which are pictured below. I think I will have the camera in front of my face often. How can I not with all these pretty things to look at and photograph?!
Tomorrow I get to drive the ol’ bus again. It’s been over a month since I sat behind the wheel. I’ll get reoriented with the newer buses and also give a whirl with the older Jimmy’s (built in the 70’s). I’ll also take a quick driving test to reassure my staff and also myself that I truly am ready to be released on my own. After my morning training, Nicole and I and whoever else wants to come along plan to go out on a short afternoon hike to Lower Dewey Lake. Folks tell me the hike is short but steep. After sitting on a bus for close to 9 hours today, I realize how good of an idea it is to take every opportunity to MOVE THE LEGS. I even went for a 4-mile run tonight. I think it was close to 30 degrees with the wind chill. Lovely.
Oh, for those of you who have not met my good friend and now roommate Nicole, below is a pic of her and me (with the Yukon Suspension Bridge) behind us.
Happy Weekend, everyone!
New Adventure Take 1
Welcome to my blog, the blog that will soon become the chronicles of my 5-month jaunt in Skagway, AK. Skagway, AK, you say?! Oh, heck yes, people. In two days Kaycee is relocating herself to the Great Northern Alaska where the moose and bear run free, where the mosquitos are aplenty (it’s the freaking state bird of Alaska!! Since when were mosquitos categorized as birds?!), and where “fresh” produce only comes by way of a big ship. It all sounds so wonderful, doesn’t it? Truth be told, I have always wanted to visit this beautiful state. Working up there, it’s almost like I’m obtaining a paid vacation!
If you don’t know much about little Skagway, the town’s normal population is around 800. I say normal because in the summer months, the numbers swell to a couple thousand thanks to several main cruise lines and other tourist based companies bringing in slews of admiring spectators. Hisorically the town is known for being a major gateway for the Yukon Gold Rush of 1898. In current Skagway, one can find one main grocery store and a smaller organic market, both of which advertise high prices for food. Milk costs $5 a gallon. Produce too costs a pretty penny due to the fact that it’s all imported. The wildlife is as present as the humans in this region. I was told that surrounding the docks where the cruise ships moor, schools of salmon swim. One could reach down and practically snatch a fish (aren’t you jealous, Dad?). Skagway also isn’t lacking in restaurants and churches. And, last but not least, like the rest of the state, the town is covered with daylight during the summer months. Right now the sun rises at 4 a.m. and sets at 9 p.m.. That will soon change as the days go by.
Living in Skagway will undoubtedly be quite different from living in urban Seattle. Not to mention, trading in my little Honda Civic for a 40-foot commercial vehicle will be a bit..umm..shocking. (Don’t worry, I’ve gotten proper training!) I’m sure you’re dying to see mini me behind the wheel of a bus. Stay tuned…I’ll post a picture as soon as I get up there. As my motto these days goes, “GO BIG OR GO HOME!”. I’m choosing to go big.
Check back often as undoubtedly stories will be in full measure. The rugged wilderness won’t offer me the luxury of wireless broadband but I will work hard to get as much blogging time in as old-fashioned dial-up allows.
Until next time!..
