Oh! Hi there! Still subscribed five years on? If you are - thank you! (even though it was probably just an oversight of internet subscription management)
It’s been so long. So much as happened! But why? Why did I abandon you to the world of better written travel articles across the world wide web? Why did I refuse you the delights and treasures of my meandering thoughts and oddly written stories? Your questions are valid. Let me try to explain.
My last entry was back in January 2016. We had just returned from India after a year in Antarctica. We were living in a friends house on Cape Cod and our plan was to return to Antarctica for the Winter season starting February 2016. Unfortunately, Jamie had a medical issue and was deemed Not Physically Qualified (NPQ). We decided that I would still go and Jamie would bump up his plan to get a Masters in Education - I’d work and make the money and he’d focus on getting into a Masters Program. And so we did. I left for Antarctica in February of 2016 and Jamie stayed in Boston and started researching and applying to Masters Programs.
The year would have worked out great except that my mom died on March 24th, 2016. I was stuck in Antarctica for two weeks before I was able to get home. I came home for about 6 weeks (April to June) and then I went back to finish my contract. When I got home in October of 2016, Jamie was ensconced in a Masters Program, had secured us housing at a frat house in Boston (that’s another story), and I was on a slow and seemingly endless journey of grief.
While Jamie continued his Masters, I spent most of my time walking through Boston with tears streaming down my face and would occasionally try to think clearly about what I wanted to do. I applied (and got accepted) to work for the Post Office but I turned it down. I started working at an office that hosted focus groups (so bizarre and interesting). I registered with JobSeekers Massachusetts and went and did tons of skill workshops and resume advice sessions and other fun things like that. I flew out to Montana to visit my friends and then drive a school bus to Michigan. Of course I had started medication and ultimately, as spring came around again I was feeling better and I decided I would take a course with the International Tourism Management Institute (ITMI).
In May I started my course, had a job offer on day two and when the course ended 14 days later, I packed my bags and went to DC to do student tours with World Strides. Thus began my life as a tour guide. In that role I did student tours in DC and Boston. I worked with Road Scholar in Boston. I worked with a tiny New England company that sent me all around NE, up to Quebec city and down to Charleston, SC. In the off months, I got back into English teaching and worked as a TEFL instructor at FLS on the Boston Common. Ultimately, as I am wont to do, I got restless so I applied to (and got) a job with Premier Alaska Tours in Alaska for the summer of 2019.
Jamie applied to and go into the Boston Teacher Fellowship program. He did a one year masters in Education focusing on Science and middle school. The program was INTENSE. He was doing work for his Masters and teaching full time as well. To offset our housing cost, he got a job with MIT as a Graduate Resident Advisor and we moved into a frat house in Kenmore square. Jamie finished his degree in 2017 and started teaching at Boston Green Academy. Middle School turned out to be a very hard place to work and was a huge challenge to his kind and gentle soul. After struggling with the experience (and with his mental sanity) he decided to take a break from education to reevaluate. He quit in June 2019 and came out to Alaska with me - also getting a job with Premier Alaska Tours.
We decided that Antarctica was the best next step. Jamie, having gotten an NPQ in 2016 was robbed of his last season and I was convincible. We applied and got accepted to work the winter of 2020. We both went to Antarctica and missed most of this shitshow year. We had even extended our contracts through to February 2021 but I ruptured my Achilles on October 1st and within a week, both Jamie and I were back in MA -me recovering and him playing nurse.
While I hadn’t been blogging these past five years, I was sending occasional emails about our travels and adventures. I’m going to try and hunt them down and post them there.
Hopefully I’ll get some backdated content for our trips to:
Iceland/Prague/Poland, Germany/France, Mexico, England, The Long Trail, Montana, New Mexico, Idaho, Alaska, Vancouver, and daily adventures.
Thanks for sticking with me - whether it was patiently awaiting my next blog post or asking to get my email updates. You’re great.
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