This is my first “official” personal blog post now that I have made the distinction. As most of you already know, in a couple of days I’ll be heading north to Alaska to work for the next few months. What I wanted to do in this blog was explain that in a little more detail and tell you about my passion other than writing: hunting/guiding.
When I’m not writing, I can usually be found outside (unless it is really cold or hot, then I stay inside). It’s not even that I like the outdoors and want to go out often; it’s a part of who I am. Being born and raised in Alaska, I grew up at a hunting lodge in the wilderness. My family would spend every May-October there. We owned the lodge and my dad and his guides would take people hiking, hunting, fishing, and horseback riding. It was one hell of a way to grow up and the wilderness is literally in my blood. My childhood was filled with eating game meat, running around in the woods, hunting, fishing, and just being a kid where my backyard was the untamed wilds of Alaska.
I love the way I was raised and as soon as I was old enough I started to guide for my dad, taking people out in the mountains in pursuit of Dall sheep, moose, black bear, and grizzly/brown bear in Alaska as well as mule deer, elk, and antelope in Montana. That’s what I get to do every fall from August to December. It’s a great career and my job is one adventure right after another. Now, of course, that is the glamorous part of it. The dark side is the weather being horrible and stuck in a little one-man tent for five days straight, or getting a client that is a real jerk and having to spend ten days with them and only them. It can get really tough at times and I have to ask myself what I’m doing out there and rely on God’s strength. But most of the time I enjoy the challenge and would rather have a bad day out there than in an office.
So it is with some bittersweet feelings when I leave each year. Yes, I get to go do something I love, but I also don’t get to write out there much. I can plan a lot, because there is plenty of time to think, but it’s not quite the same. Then again, it allows me to work hard for four months and then have the rest of the year mostly free to write. So that’s pretty cool, plus I get to live this life alongside my entire family.
That pretty much sums it all up. I just wanted you all to know what exactly I’ll be doing and what my life looks like. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I love talking about my passions!
I’ll see you all in a couple months and make sure to take a lot of pictures! Have a great rest of your summer!
