Serenity now...

9:58 p.m. May 1st, 2016 - Kivalina, Alaska... nearing the end of this winding road, I can't help but notice that it doesn't quite feel like it's actually the end. My time in KIVLS is coming to a close and my adventure continues. There is still a level of uncertainty in my professional life. And I think that's a good thing. Loyalty, honor and trust are still a very big part of who I am - except now I know that I need to focus all of the loyalty, honor and trust towards my family and not my job.

Midday Saturday I walked across the Lagoon in hopes of one last fishing excursion. It wasn't in the cards. When I got to our bend of the Wulik River I saw two feet of water standing on less than two feet of ice. By Sunday the Wulik was sending water in to the Chukchi Sea over top of the same ice that I walked across hours before. Today I thanked the Lord  for Saturday's safe crossing and now anxiously await the breaking of the channel.

I've spent a lot of time lost in thought and deep in reflection and prayer. Other times, I've let hours skip by while I scroll the screens of Social Media. Regular emails with my wife have kept me sane. And Sunday SKYPE meet ups with my children have been enough to keep me afloat. A few Memes have helped too.

I rotate back to the Real World in 12 days. My loving family has patiently waited for this moment for a long time coming. Real World concerns of jobs and bills are not going to cut me any slack as I assimilate back in to the Lower 48 lifestyle. "Drama" is already begging me to join the party. I don't want to play. Instead, I will do my best to take what I've learned in my year on the rock and my 40 years on the 3rd Rock and remember to focus on what I can control...