Killer whale

Humpback whale!

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Happy Wordless Wednesday!

Hope your week is going great.

Please support this lil’ blog by subscribing or following my RSS feed, and by helping me reach my goal of 100 followers on Facebook and Twitter!

W.

It’s hard to believe that this is my third summer living and working in Denali, Alaska.

(well…maybe not that hard).

When I came up for my first summer in 2008, I never imagined I would work more than one season. I ventured to the state for a few reasons:  the need to complete an internship for my college major and my fairly constant desire to see more of the world. The internship alone probably would not have been enough to get me up here.

Wanderlust always wins out!

As most of my regular readers know, that summer certainly changed my life.

I met my Mr.

♥

Actually, now that I think about it, I met him almost exactly 4 years ago today.

WOW!

Kenai Fjords–2008

After that first summer (which was a complete blast), I always wanted to come back. The desire was always there, but the timing just wasn’t quite right. Then last summer the pieces just fell into place.

Vince was able to get another work visa; I was finished with school and willing to give up my long term job with the University of Utah.

Off to Denali we went.

It was amazing finally being able to spend more than a few weeks with my love. Being back in the place where we first met was just the cherry on top.

We spent the summer adventuring, planning our wedding, and working (of course!).

Again, as the season wound to a close, I began to think, “this is the last time I will see that” or “I have been so lucky to spend the summer here, but what’s next?”

When my managers asked me if I would be returning, I always dodged the question with a vague “maybe” or “you never know.”

Really, we had no firm plans to come back. We thought I would have my visa to stay in Bulgaria long term. Vince would have his Masters and his job hunt would be underway.

We’d be living the Bulgarian dream!

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get my visa–thanks to a mix of poor planning and the long bureaucratic process. A third season in Alaska seemed like a good option. And, truth be told, one that I was really looking forward to.

After 3 months in Bulgaria (the place I now consider home), I am now back in Denali.

It plain sucks that Vince can’t be here with me this summer, but we know it will be the LAST time we are apart. That’s a wonderful feeling. Trust me. Plus, we are very thankful for the money I am saving. We can live, quite comfortably, in Bulgaria for at least a year with my earnings. And because Vince’s job hunt continues, it’s definitely needed.

So…

Here I am. Enjoying life under the Midnight Sun one more time.

Wait…I think I’ve said that before!

***

I am planning to get back into regularly posting on my “Travel Tales” series. So check back soon!

W.

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Happy WW!

Please support my blog by following, subscribing to my RSS feed, joining me on Twitter, or liking GMB on Facebook.

See ya next week!

♥W.

It has snowed a few times and, while frigid, it sure is beautiful.

I snapped a few photos during one such storm a few days ago.

Things will warm up soon enough and I can get out into the lovely wilderness.

I’m really looking forward to it!

W.

Heyo!

I’m back again with a Randomly Me post and the 10 Day You Challenge.

This one is going to be short and sweet {probably}.

Seven wants:

1) A baby– Yep. I am baby hungry and not ashamed to admit it! Soon… Soon…

2) A return trip to Scotland–I visited in 2004 when I was 18 years old and it has embedded itself deep into my heart. I look forward to visiting with my hubby and experiencing more of that famous Scottish charm (and sexy as hell accent!).

3) A successful career–Ideally, when I have kids I would love to stay home until they are older. But if that isn’t in the cards, I hope to have a fulfilling career in some sort of tourism, hospitality, or recreation capacity. I would love to stay with Princess in a year round position, whether it be in California, Seattle, or Alaska. I would also love to have my own business selling my handmade jewelry or something else I handcraft. I have also contemplated returning to school to get my Masters degree. Oh! And maybe work as a photographer. Clearly I have not narrowed down my plans!

4) Visit every continent–I once had this as a goal for before I got married, but obviously that didn’t work out!

5) Better my health–AKA lose weight and become more active! I want to be the best me possible.

6) Accomplish all my 30 Before 30 goals–I am slowing making progress and have about 3.5 years to go!

7) Stay passionate–I think having passions in life, whatever they may be, keeps us young, interesting, and happy. I have mine and I am sure I will develop more as I get older.

***

Up next week: six places (SO hard to nail down for a travel bum like me!)

Check out previous weeks’ Randomly Me posts:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5,

10 Day You Challenge posts:

ten secrets, nine loves, eight fears

Loves!

W.

I found the side gate open and was so tempted to venture in. But I chickened out as thoughts of being thrown into a Bulgarian jail for trespassing flooded my mind.

I am still regretting it. Maybe one day we’ll visit again and I can poke around the place (and eat more of the amazing fig ice cream I enjoyed nearby).

Seems like it may have been a school at some point as there were lots of rusting slides and playground equipment scattered around the property.

It makes me sad to see such a grand house in complete disrepair.

On that note…

Happy WW!

W.

(No linkies for the next few weeks as I settle into my Alaska life and wait for some reliable(ish) internet. Sorry!)

]]> http://girlmeetsbulgaria.com/2012/05/09/wordlessish-wednesday-abandoned/feed/ 8 whitneybg DSC_0729_e DSC_0721_e DSC_0747_e http://girlmeetsbulgaria.com/2012/05/08/updates-and-first-images-of-healydenali-2012/ http://girlmeetsbulgaria.com/2012/05/08/updates-and-first-images-of-healydenali-2012/#comments Tue, 08 May 2012 18:00:10 +0000 whitneybg http://girlmeetsbulgaria.com/?p=2946 ]]> As most of my readers already know (because I whined about it in no less than 3 posts), my Nikon DSLR had an unfortunate accident and is currently in the camera hospital.

So I have been forced to pull my Canon point-and-shoot out of retirement for the time being.

It sucks. Plain and simple.

But I am photo crazy, so it will have to do for now.

Here are a few snap shot from the past few days.

View of Mt. Healy from my home…in Healy!

Nenana River

There’s still plenty of snow covering the nearby mountains, but the weather is warming up with each passing day. The days are getting longer as well. I heard someone say that we gain 7 minutes of daylight everyday. As it stands, it does not get dark until well after midnight. I have heavy curtains on the window in my room, but soon I will have to tape up black garbage bags as well. I can’t sleep with any light in my room.

The employees arrive in a few days and I am so excited to meet my Front Desk team for the 2012 season. I have a feeling it’s going to be the best one yet.

I’m really missing my hubby and it doesn’t help that he’s loved around these parts. Everyone has been asking about him and why he’s not coming back this season. It’s awesome how much people care about him, but it makes me sad to explain that he wasn’t able to come back because we got married (couldn’t get a work visa).

As much as I love Denali and working here, I hope the next 5 months fly by.

We’ll see.

W.

Hey, ya’ll!

I made it to Healy (Alaska) on Thursday and I think I have finally settled in.

The past few days have been a blur of training, unpacking, organizing, and just plain lazing about.

I don’t have any internet yet in my housing, so blog posts will be few and far between for the time being, unfortunately.

But, I thought I’d walk my butt across the road for some internet so I could get this post up.

Aren’t you thrilled?!

Carrying on this week with the 10 Day You Challenge.

ten secrets, nine loves

Eight fears:

First off, I should say that I am not an overly fearful person. I try to have an optimistic view on life and see fear mostly as a waste of precious time. That being said, there are a few things that came to mind for this prompt…

1) Creepy crawlies–I have mentioned it before, but I have a huge fear of bugs. Spiders are especially scream inducing. I just think they are gross and don’t want them anywhere near me.

2) Heights–As long as I am strapped into/onto something, heights don’t really bother me; but if I am not…no thank you!

3) Being accused or convicted of a crime I didn’t commit–I can’t imagine anything worse than being thrown into jail for a crime I did not do. The thought freaks me out to no end. This is why the death penalty doesn’t sit so well with me. There have been cases of inmates on death row being exonerated of their crimes after years spent behind bars. It’s definitely something that gets me thinking.

4) Car accidents–This may sound morbid, but I think I would rather die of a disease or sickness than in a car crash. I know it may often be a quicker way to go, but the fear associated with it just scares me. I am fanatic about wearing a seat belt and I make any passengers in a car I am driving buckle up.

5) Being away from home if something happens–As a nomad at heart, being away from “home” (family and friends) for extended periods of time always makes my worrisome nature intensify. I fear that something major will happen and I won’t be able to get back quick enough. I am sure this is a fear that many expats and travelers have, but it’s something that is always in the back of my mind when I am away from Utah (and now Bulgaria).

6) Failure–I have a competitive nature and I hate failing. I think the fear comes in when I think about my long term future. I want to be successful in whatever it is that I choose to do. Right now these fears involve my career plans, family plans, and the big question of where Vince and I will find ourselves settled.

7) Hippos–Alright. Go ahead and laugh. But I think hippos are terrifying. Did you know they kill more people in Africa than any other wild animal?

8) I fear that I am out of things to say for this prompt! Kudos to you if you read this far.

***

Hope to be back in action with more posts and updates as soon as the internet is up.

Keep in touch!

W.

Check out previous Randomly Me posts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

]]> http://girlmeetsbulgaria.com/2012/05/07/randomly-me-monday-volume-eight-10-day-you-challenge/feed/ 2 whitneybg 10-days-you-challenge http://girlmeetsbulgaria.com/2012/05/02/the-calm-before-the-storm/ http://girlmeetsbulgaria.com/2012/05/02/the-calm-before-the-storm/#comments Wed, 02 May 2012 22:06:26 +0000 whitneybg http://girlmeetsbulgaria.com/?p=2937 ]]> I’m sitting in my hotel room here at the Fairbanks Princess in Fairbanks, Alaska.

View from my hotel room

Just enjoying my last few hours of complete laziness before the crazy Denali tourism season begins.

It’s been nice having some time to myself before arriving into the thick of things, however, I am ready to get the summer started!

You can expect most of my posts over the next 5 months to be Alaska-oriented.

Lots of photos. That’s for sure!

I hope you stick around and follow my summer adventures.

♥W.

ten secrets

***

Continuing the 10 Day You Challenge today with nine loves…

1) Travel–Honestly, when I think of the one overriding love or passion in my life, traveling and exploring the world is the first thing to come to mind. There really isn’t anywhere on earth I wouldn’t love to explore. I am forever planning my next trip and dreaming about the new experiences I will encounter. It really doesn’t matter if it’s a road trip somewhere close or a trip halfway around the world: I am in! To get really specific, out of everywhere I have been, Scotland takes the cake as my favorite destination. I was only there a few days, but the breathtaking countryside and genuinely warm people burrowed their way deep into my heart and soul. I would love to live there one day.

2) Photography–I can still remember my first camera, a cheapo 110 film Kodak given to me by my grandparents when I was a young child. People have often told me how good my photographs are, but until a few years ago I never really saw it. Now I feel like my personal photography style and unique way of seeing the world is coming through in the photos I take. I still have a HUGE amount to learn about the art itself (and using my camera in manual mode), but I feel that this is what makes photography great–there is always room for learning and growing.

3) Arts and crafts–Ever since I was little I have loved making things with my hands. I cannot draw or paint for the life of me, but I love making jewelry, scrapbooking, and doing needlework. Now by no means am I fantastic at any of them (although I am pretty proud of some of my jewelry pieces), but I sure try! My dream job would be to work out of a home studio making something beautiful for the world to enjoy. And while it may not be an art or craft, I enjoy cooking and am looking forward to improving my talents (with my husband as guinea pig, of course!).

4) Reading–Since the moment my mom read Wind in the Willows to my brothers and I when we were little, I have had a passion for reading. When people tell me they “don’t read” (I am looking at you, Vince!), my mind simply cannot come to terms with it. How could someone possibly not love reading? I enjoy all genres and subjects, but my favorite tend to be historical non-fiction, classics, autobiographies (anything by David Sedaris is a must), and good ole’ “young adult” (Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, etc.) My favorite author is Jane Austen. My favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird.

5) Music–Okay, so I have to admit that while I love music (of all types) I am absolutely horrible with band and song names. Play me a song and chances are I know every.single.word, but ask me who it is or what the song title is and I am stumped. Unless then bad or singer is a tried and true favorite, it will take some time for me to come up with who it is. I love everything: indie, alternative, foreign, pop, rock, bluegrass… You name it. The only thing I can’t stand? Country. ICK.

6) Animals–I have a huge soft spot in my heart for the furry, feathered, and scaly creatures of this world. My family has had all manner of pets over the years and I cannot imagine not being around animals. I think my childhood would have been drastically different had we not had all our pets. Want to make me cry? Just play one of those heart wrenching Sarah McLachlan-narrated ASPCA animal cruelty commercials. I literally have to change the channel or I will be depressed for the rest of the day. This aspect of my personality makes it very difficult to live in Bulgaria, where stray animals are extremely common.

7) Sleeping–As much as I want to be a morning person and rise with the sun to have a busy and productive day, I would much rather sleep in. Sure, I still want to be productive, but not at the expense of those few precious hours in the morning! Maybe it’s because I have such awesome dreams sometimes, but sleeping truly is something I enjoy.

8) Learning–This is probably a vague one, but I don’t know how else to put it. When I encounter a new topic or simply want to learn more about something, I will research it for days and find out all that I can on the subject. It doesn’t matter if it’s religion, science, history, machinery, technology…I will be forever interesting in just about everything. This is probably why I am so good at trivia oriented games and contests. My memory may not be that good for certain things, but for random (and seemingly useless/obscure) facts, it’s like a steel trap.

9) Last, but certainly not least, my amazing husband, family, and friends. As far as Vince goes, I couldn’t ask for a better friend and partner in crime. As cheesy as it may sound, he totally “gets” me and accepts my every flaw and quirk. He’s a complete stud muffin, that’s all I can say!

The rest of my family, while a bit dysfunctional, is very loving and supportive of the sometimes crazy path my life is taking. And My 6-year-old cousin, Annie?  One of my favorite people on earth! Love that kid.

I have friends that I have known since Elementary and Junior High school. I am the type of girl that values close, long term friendships over casual acquaintances. That being said, I love making new friends as well; I just desire to make those friendships long term. And once your in my circle of peeps, it’s hard to get out!

***

Previous “Randomly Me” posts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

W.

**Pinterest SUCKS at making sure original sources are linked to–it’s starting to make me not want to use the site. I did my best to find the creators of the above photos, but most link to random Tumblr sites or Google images. If you happen to know the original sources or are the original source of any of the above photos and want them removed, please let me know.**