As Laura Kraegel takes some personal time back home, I have the opportunity to be a guest on the volunteer blog. It’s hard to believe how fast time has gone since I returned to KNOM in December. Having served as a volunteer in 2012-2013, it’s been over two and half years since I’ve been working at the station. That means re-learning radio and the workings of the station: how to operate equipment, how to breathe into a microphone, how to record weather, etc.
It also means stepping into big shoes of those who’ve gone before me in the Outreach Coordinator role (Thank you, David Dodman and Laura Collins).
On a personal note, that also means that I have the opportunity to relearn the Nome routine — how to trek around on the ice, daily jaunts to the post office and the Rec Center, how to work half my day in the dark.
Amidst readjusting to life in Nome, I was recently able to learn something new since my arrival: how to ski. I’ve only been on skis once in my life, and let me say, it was a less than enjoyable experience. But, thanks to a friend offering to teach me with great patience and encouragement, I learned about technique, posture, and how to stay upright.
By the end of my two-hour lesson, it began to feel normal to be on skis. Similar to how it feels to be back in Nome. Natural. Like coming home.
