Our Alaskan Summer: Work & play - our Jeep Safari tour

It's my day off here at the lodge - I've spent the day sleeping in, an hour of quality time with my kindle in the hammock, a great phone call catch-up with Katie, and a run along beautiful Oxbow trail, one I think will become part of my daily routine. It's clear, warm and sunny, not much to complain about! My first day of work yesterday was suprisingly very busy, but a lot of fun too! The hospitality industry is a very different world of business and I feel I have a lot to take away from this summer job. Many of the tourists are happy and excited - others just tired and cranky. The goal is to turn their day around while figuring out our all-too complicated computer system. It can be a bit nerve-wracking but when you do make someone's day, it's a really good feeling.

We've had a great balance of work and play up here at the lodge.

Here's a re-cap of our latest adventure: a Jeep Safari further inland into Denali. It is beautiful, spacious, and breathtaking. But what struck me most is how small I felt amongst the towering mountains, vast openness, and the total absence of tall buildings, paved roads and people that are characteristic of a bustling city. It was a foreign and amazing feeling to be surrounded by so much and so little at the same time.