The alpha hobbit. That’s practically the best nickname ever.

Sorry this has to be a quick entry, but life has been busy since the end of my Conservation K-9 work in Alberta. Since I never wanted to say goodbye to the dogs (ever), I stuck around the kennel at Pack Forest for another 10 days to help out and work with the dogs. I also needed my sleepovers with Dozer and Waylon. Waylon happens to be the most adorable morning dog EVER. I never expected it, but he wanted to get in the sleeping bag and just get a good body rub. At night he tried to claim the sleeping pad for himself and then would settle for just sleeping on me! What a goofball.

After being away for over two years, I went home to Michigan for 12 days and spent most of the time going through my possessions there, which proved to be entertaining…

I decided that it’s very possible to have too many Walled Lake Central frisbees.

I paid some attention to March Madness, hoping the whole time that the bloody Wolverines would fall. Thank God they didn’t get to gloat about a championship in 2013. I’m not ready for that. Not ever.

I was reminded that some things truly never change…

I verified that my diploma exists! I finally saw it about 23 months after graduation. 🙂 It had been waiting for me in Michigan.

I was reunited with my road bike. 🙂 I didn’t get on it nearly as much as I had intended, but the few rides were fun.

And last but not least, I finally got to visit Manda in Jackson after not seeing her for tooo long. We bowled most excellently, ate Mexican food, went to a tiny brewery in Mason, and finally caught up on life.  A lot can happen in 2 years!

Being home was strange, considering how much people can grow up. People younger than me have kids now! That’s just bizarre. Driving the roads I know was fun, which is surprising considering how much I enjoy looking at maps. Familiarity can be nice, I suppose.

I headed back up to Fairbanks to check in on friends (meaning surprise them at cabins 50 miles outside of town), grab gear from the storage unit, and repack. Now I’m sitting in the Anchorage airport, about 5 minutes away from boarding a plane to nowhere. Well, Bethel first, but then on to nowhere to set up a field camp on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. I’ll be out there for the next 3 months helping with black brant research. Time for life in a tent, no internet, and quiet. Yay for 4 person crews! I’ll be back in civilization later in summer… unfortunately. Have a good one, everyone!   If you see a dog in the next 3 months, hug it for me. 🙂

No joke, Waylon did visit me in my dream last night to say goodbye! Isn’t he the sweetest?

[Sorry if this entry is sporadic and sloppy, but I wanted to post something.]