So much time, so little to do...Wait...Strike That. Reverse it.

Well, it's almost time.  I've trained, I've communicated, I've met, I've chatted. 

I have not packed.

As one might suspect, packing for an ocean trip is not easy.  As my momma always used to say when I panicked about forgetting something when traveling "Gee, Stace, you aren't going to the moon.  It's not like there won't be a Walgreens where you're going."  Well, I think it's safe to say at this juncture that there will be no mid-ocean Walgreens, much to my chagrin.  But do you know what I found out from my partnering teacher about what IS in Alaska?

 Birds.  Who knew? 

This adds a whole new dimension of anxiety for me.

 Those of you who don't know might find it interesting that my relationship with birds is tenuous at best.  Well, let's not mince words.  I'm deathly afraid of birds.  Now, I understand they are a functional part of our ecosystem, they eat mosquitoes, and I'm sure they perform some other perfunctory purposes.  But YOU try getting attacked by a stump-footed pigeon in front of the Natural Histroy Muesum of London for your sandwich and tell me how fantastic they are.  Trust me, the Mary Poppins "Feed the Birds" song most certainly does NOT play out as depicted in the film.  The second you throw your last kernel of corn to the flood - I mean, flock - their beady eyes turn to you like a crazed 4-year-old who just discovered his older sister took the last donut.  It's apocalyptic. 

Despite my misgivings, Cat (the other teacher who is traveling with me) told me of one type of bird living in Alaska that might actually be kind of cute.  The Puffin.  Here is what I decided about birds, particularly the Puffin, with respect to this particular boat trip:

 If I had to reintroduce myself to an appreciation for the species, it would be by manner of puffin, dodo, or penguin. Since dodo and penguin are not hemispherically accurate in this instance, one might suspect that a puffin would be an excellent candidate as a "gateway bird" for viewing and, I shudder to think, enjoyment.

So, my friends, as I depart on my adventure, I would like to take this moment to pay homage to our friend, the Puffin.  Any opportunity to see a Puffin is an opportunity for me to reconcile my differences with our beaked ancestors.  As Cat pointed out, birds stemmed from the T-Rex on the evolutionary chain, meaning that by definition malice and a voracious appetite flows through their blood. 

Happy trails (sails?) my friends.  My next post will be from the Big Blue! From Seward's Folly! From the last Great Frontier!  From the Lido deck!  Wait...