If the boot fits, ditch it

Hello to the cow herd near and far!

I am happily reporting from the Great North that is Anchorage, Alaska; a land of perma-sun, reliable 65 degree days, and moose galore!

A new kind of 
hiking boot.
Not advised.

Alaska has been treating me very well, despite the fact that I've spent more time rocking a boot than not. For those who don't know, I'm currently on the mend from what I first thought was just a stress fracture, but it turned out to be a dislocated foot bone! "How did that happen?", you might ask. Well, I suspect that my history of hitting the stankiest leg known to Williams College has caught up to me. I've already blown the toe out of two pairs of shoes with that move... so I guess it was time to level up.

Thankfully, I am officially 3 weeks clear of that burden, and (responsibly) rushing to squeeze in all the adventures I missed in the months I was relegated to the SkiErg. I'm grateful to live with the best Alaska adventure buddies a gal could ask for: Annie M, (star of UVM skiing), Kate O. (star of MSU skiing), and Angus H. (star of S. New Zealand sheep sheering). However, I will admit that up to the boot-removal the most exciting part of my week would be playing Bananagrams or Scrabble with my housemates and nordie phenoms Novie, Luke, Kendall, and Annabel. I begrudgingly report that they are as good at those games as they are at ripping it up on the trail. 

Attending the first wedding
I had to hike to!

The majority of my time here is spent in the office, working as an intern for the Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP). I am working on two different projects for ACEP's Beneficial and Equitable Electrification team and I absolutely love it! For one project, I am cataloging, analyzing, and mapping data for the Alaska Rural Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Deployment Program. For the second, I am designing a utility valuation study to aid the development of a demand choice control algorithm. This project is part of a nationwide consortium working towards an equitable energy transition for historically underserved communities. I am learning so much and working with really smart people!

The Columbia Glacier! Met some
seals and otters and many ice bergs
on the way.

In between foot-rehab and staring at a computer, sometimes I'll go outside. Of all the places to go outside, Alaska is one of the best (as long as you are keen to make the acquaintance of some big mammals). The highlights have been a trip to Valdez to see the Columbia glacier, and a trip to Kenai where we watched brown bears fish and took a sea plane over the Skilak glacier! 

A bull moose spotted on a rollerski
around Kincaid

Glaciers and bears, what could be better?

My time in Alaska is almost up. Next weekend Angus and I will begin the 6 day car/ferry journey down to Washington. I miss my Willy crew everyday and cannot wait to see everyone in September!

Much love and always remember to practice safe Stanky Leg-ing,

Greta