Long time no blog!!
The last entry I posted had lots of snow and winter activities in Dawson City. Now a mere 7-ish weeks later I am back in Dawson City with a very different season. After an amazing trip in BC (delicious food, city streets, ferry rides, coastal/mountain drives, island hopping, whale watching and mountain climbing) with my bestie-cousin-almost-sister MM, I'm back in Dawson! I was also lucky enough to have lots of quality time spent at home with my nearest and dearest before leaving on a jet plane once again!
I started my journey back to Dawson on May 19 out of Ottawa, spending a night in Whitehorse. It was great to see that city again and get to the Burnt Toast Cafe for supper - delicious! I found my breakfast was better than the dinner I had, but it may not be a fair judgement since for me, breakfast trumps everything. My Hotel was nicely located right downtown so I got to wander the same streets I wandered in -35 temperatures back in February. I immediately noticed how much more of the downtown I could take in compared to last time since I didn't have to run from store to store in fear of my eyelashes freezing together LOL.
I left for Dawson last Wednesday morning on a full flight and arrived right around 10:00 in the morning. I had the rest of the day to settle in before diving into 4 day shifts starting the next day. I'm staying in the same house I was in before, just a different room. Feels like I never left, only thing that has changed are the roommates. I have 2 roommates who are also from Ontario! It's so funny how I travel so far and end up meeting more people from close to home than anything. K is a fellow agency nurse who leaves this week, and E is a nursing student (in the exact same program I graduated from) who is here until August.
Work is MUCH different than in the winter months. It has been much busier with regards to ER visits, and 3 out of 4 of my shifts resulted in no breaks and staying late, which makes for a LONG day BUT also means OT. Working 12 hour shifts at home, usually means it you either come or go in darkness except in those nice summer months where you have a bit more extra daylight on each end of the shift. Here, I have yet to see darkness yet! It's incredible! The sun rises at 04:45 and sets at 23:53 but it really only gets dusky... I've been awake at 02:30 each night and see it's just dusky out my window and in turn also panic when the sun wakes me up at 04:30 making me think I'm late for work! AND it will only continue to get longer daylight hours until June 21! It's crazy the energy I feel from the constant daylight. I didn't experience the jet lag like I did last time, but I still couldn't sleep the first night. Which may have also been those 'first time jitters'. Saturday night after day shift 3 with the same crew, we decided to go out for dinner and unwind. We didn't sit down until 20:30 and it honestly felt like it was only the early evening. 3 of us wandered to Bombay Peggy's after for a drinky drink and chatted - my new favourite drink = Dark & Stormy (a mix of rum and ginger beer, definitely great if you're not a big fan of the sweet sweet sugary drinks). I'm also really enjoying the Okanagan Cider's! Everyone in Dawson is SO nice, and everyone knows everyone (even I am getting to know lots of people in the short time here) and sitting and chatting with people is so fantastically easy to do here.
Today is my first day off, and the weather has been fantastic. This past weekend it was HORRENDOUSLY hot. 35 in the shade I was told at one point, but not humid (thank goodness!). Not that hot today! Mid twenties with some cloud and a beautiful breeze that carries the scent of nearby blossoms. I took to the streets today as I was so eager to see Dawson in full swing and not in its winter hibernation. Everything is open now! It's great! The old favourites like the Alchemy Cafe, and lots of new favourites like the Aurora Inn. It is such a fantastic, local food scene up here! It was so great to grab some lunch and an iced coffee and sit riverside on a picnic table and let time pass by reading a book and listening to music. This place is seriously magical : )
In 3 or so weeks, my friend and co agency nurse L will be joining me for the summer! And surprisingly enough, I am currently working with a friend of hers from back home. What a small world! All I can say is this summer is going to ROCK! Some hard work, lots of cold drinks, sunny patios, good food, good friends, hiking and biking trails and a lifetime of memories HERE-I-COME!
Hope everyone is well back home : ) I miss you all! Text/skype/factime/bbm/and-any-other-kind-of-social-media me! Can't wait to get back into LMH ER in August and spend lots more time with friends and family!
xoxox
The last entry I posted had lots of snow and winter activities in Dawson City. Now a mere 7-ish weeks later I am back in Dawson City with a very different season. After an amazing trip in BC (delicious food, city streets, ferry rides, coastal/mountain drives, island hopping, whale watching and mountain climbing) with my bestie-cousin-almost-sister MM, I'm back in Dawson! I was also lucky enough to have lots of quality time spent at home with my nearest and dearest before leaving on a jet plane once again!
I started my journey back to Dawson on May 19 out of Ottawa, spending a night in Whitehorse. It was great to see that city again and get to the Burnt Toast Cafe for supper - delicious! I found my breakfast was better than the dinner I had, but it may not be a fair judgement since for me, breakfast trumps everything. My Hotel was nicely located right downtown so I got to wander the same streets I wandered in -35 temperatures back in February. I immediately noticed how much more of the downtown I could take in compared to last time since I didn't have to run from store to store in fear of my eyelashes freezing together LOL.
I left for Dawson last Wednesday morning on a full flight and arrived right around 10:00 in the morning. I had the rest of the day to settle in before diving into 4 day shifts starting the next day. I'm staying in the same house I was in before, just a different room. Feels like I never left, only thing that has changed are the roommates. I have 2 roommates who are also from Ontario! It's so funny how I travel so far and end up meeting more people from close to home than anything. K is a fellow agency nurse who leaves this week, and E is a nursing student (in the exact same program I graduated from) who is here until August.
Work is MUCH different than in the winter months. It has been much busier with regards to ER visits, and 3 out of 4 of my shifts resulted in no breaks and staying late, which makes for a LONG day BUT also means OT. Working 12 hour shifts at home, usually means it you either come or go in darkness except in those nice summer months where you have a bit more extra daylight on each end of the shift. Here, I have yet to see darkness yet! It's incredible! The sun rises at 04:45 and sets at 23:53 but it really only gets dusky... I've been awake at 02:30 each night and see it's just dusky out my window and in turn also panic when the sun wakes me up at 04:30 making me think I'm late for work! AND it will only continue to get longer daylight hours until June 21! It's crazy the energy I feel from the constant daylight. I didn't experience the jet lag like I did last time, but I still couldn't sleep the first night. Which may have also been those 'first time jitters'. Saturday night after day shift 3 with the same crew, we decided to go out for dinner and unwind. We didn't sit down until 20:30 and it honestly felt like it was only the early evening. 3 of us wandered to Bombay Peggy's after for a drinky drink and chatted - my new favourite drink = Dark & Stormy (a mix of rum and ginger beer, definitely great if you're not a big fan of the sweet sweet sugary drinks). I'm also really enjoying the Okanagan Cider's! Everyone in Dawson is SO nice, and everyone knows everyone (even I am getting to know lots of people in the short time here) and sitting and chatting with people is so fantastically easy to do here.
Today is my first day off, and the weather has been fantastic. This past weekend it was HORRENDOUSLY hot. 35 in the shade I was told at one point, but not humid (thank goodness!). Not that hot today! Mid twenties with some cloud and a beautiful breeze that carries the scent of nearby blossoms. I took to the streets today as I was so eager to see Dawson in full swing and not in its winter hibernation. Everything is open now! It's great! The old favourites like the Alchemy Cafe, and lots of new favourites like the Aurora Inn. It is such a fantastic, local food scene up here! It was so great to grab some lunch and an iced coffee and sit riverside on a picnic table and let time pass by reading a book and listening to music. This place is seriously magical : )
In 3 or so weeks, my friend and co agency nurse L will be joining me for the summer! And surprisingly enough, I am currently working with a friend of hers from back home. What a small world! All I can say is this summer is going to ROCK! Some hard work, lots of cold drinks, sunny patios, good food, good friends, hiking and biking trails and a lifetime of memories HERE-I-COME!
Hope everyone is well back home : ) I miss you all! Text/skype/factime/bbm/and-any-other-kind-of-social-media me! Can't wait to get back into LMH ER in August and spend lots more time with friends and family!
xoxox