after all this packin' and movin' and work stress i think i need a vacation

and as luck would have it, i've got one coming right up. it was actually scheduled before i knew this would be a great time for a getaway and it actually caused a bit of friction when i was looking for a new job. 'yes, i'd love to work at your junior high school. is it ok if i miss the first 2 weeks of classes?'
i'm meeting my grandma and 2 aunts in seattle on the 26th [jeezus, that's next week!!] where we'll board a boat bound for canada and alaska.

the time aboard the ship will be used for relaxing and catching up and the time in port will be filled with once in a lifetime adventures. on the agenda: whale watching, helicopter exploration of a glacier, dog sledding [mush! mush!], lots of fresh alaskan salmon, rock climbing and rapelling, a lumberjack competition, a wildlife expedition, a rainforest ropes course...
living in japan has afforded me many chances to explore asia, but this will be the first time in years i will have visited somewhere that i can read menus and signs and use english to communicate. what a bizarre thought. what a promising adventure!