It has really been sinking in that the darkness of winter is gone and the sunlight of summer is coming. With this brightness has also come a change in pace at the station. Since Iditarod ended around two weeks ago, it feels like things have come to a crashing halt. Work has been going along smoothly, but time seems to have slowed down.
The activity that Iditarod brought to the station was very exhilarating. Staying up late, seeing people accomplish this huge feat of endurance, and working on providing coverage will definitely be a highlight of my time at KNOM. There have been many instances, prior to race season, when people tried to convey what it would be like at the end of the Last Great Race. The stories and explanations I was told didn’t really live up to the event — but how could they?
For me, it was a unique and personal experience, which, I imagine, is how every Iditarod feels for KNOM volunteers. Our general manager, Ric Schmidt, described Iditarod as a “microcosm” of all the struggles that people experience here in Alaska — that watching these men, women, and dogs cross under the Burled Arch would symbolize the endurance it takes to get through winter and the different hardships we face in our lives. The idea rings true the more I think about it.
Personally, I don’t think it was specifically watching mushers cross the finish line, but it was the moments after a live broadcast that meant the most to me. Walking away from the finish line without any regrets is a priceless feeling. These brief moments of confidence were the moments I could see the progress I have made here in Alaska.
Going forward from all the hectic emotions Iditarod brought on will be a challenge. Recently, getting through a day feels like wading through molasses. It is the change in pace that has been the largest challenge of coming down from this year’s Iditarod. As my time at KNOM nears an end, the true test will be holding myself to a standard of quality and improvement in my work without the extra boost of Iditarod energy. Even though I have always had a personal standard for the quality of my work, it feels revitalized.
