Without understanding how, July is nearly over and I’m about a month away from leaving KNOM and Nome. With that in mind, I thought I’d make a list of things I’d still like to do, and that seem feasible given the no-longer-infinite amount of time available.
- See a bear. Preferably from a safe distance with lots of deep, fast-moving water in between us. I have still seen nary a bear, just some ominously fresh tracks in the sand.
- Travel to Shishmaref for to report a story. I’ve just heard so many terrific things about it, and the northern slice of the Seward Peninsula is the one corner of the region I’ve yet to see.
- See the stars again. It wasn’t until a few days ago that I was reminded we have been living in near total day-light since May. When the sun is “down” sunlight still leaks over the hills and horizon, which is more of a dim than a dark. Cloudy evenings are a reprieve from abundant sunshine (and the feeling you should be doing something outdoors, even at midnight), but you can’t exactly stargaze at the Bering Sea from the balcony with a low cloud ceiling and billowing fog.
- Complete work with Tara on a novelty calendar as a parting gift to the many people that have helped us the last 11 months.
- Jump off the wedge-ramp over a trashcan at the small skatepark behind the Rec center. I think this would really thrill the gaggle of middle-school fans I’ve built up on windy afternoons the last few weeks. It may also assuage some of my insecurities about being a quarter-century old and still loving to skateboard as much as I did when I was 15.
- Nail down a next job–preferably as a radio reporter, doing more or less exactly what I do here–so that I can have some semblance of an idea what my life will be like a month from now. And feel excited about it.
- Catch a Coho salmon. Everyone just makes it sound so fun and delicious.
- Spend no less than three more evenings at Banner Creek, which has made me feel at different times like I could stay in the greater Nome area indefinitely.
- Do another blanket toss. I feel like the first time in Gambell I was underprepared, and could go much higher if given a second chance.
- Report another hardhitting news story out of Unalakleet, which remains my unabashed favorite place I’ve been to in Alaska.
- Eat more caribou.
- Pull at least one more too-long work day, leave the studio hours past a reasonable bedtime with the sun somehow not yet set, feeling thrilled at a profile or package I finished for the next day.
- Finally get around to vacuuming my room. At least as a courtesy to the next person that moves in.
- Eat more Red King Crab.
- Take no less than five more great pictures that I can use just as proudly for work as hang up on my wall.
- Write a last blog post that really, finally Says It All.
