Done as a Tour Guide - For Now

Totem Heritage Center, viewed
from a bridge over Ketchikan Creek

Today was my last day working at the Totem Heritage Center, and in just a few days I'll be leaving Ketchikan and on my way back to Georgetown. Working as a tour guide was a wonderful experience, and it allowed me to develop a great range of skills, from research to prepared speaking and from foreign language to conversation skills. I loved sparking people's curiosity, educating them, and even entertaining them.

I really enjoyed the moments when I saw kids (or anyone) excitedly telling someone else something I had just told them. I also enjoyed meeting interesting people and hearing unique, thought-provoking questions. All of my coworkers were great as well, and, of course, the job was never stressful. Here's someone who blogged about my storytelling after visiting the Heritage Center a few weeks ago.

And, to finish with a little humor, someone commented to me today on how many clan names end with "-.adi," like the Gaanax.ádi of the Taant'a Kwáan. They jokingly asked me, "Did they have the internet back then?" (The period used in the middle of words in Lingít, rather than making a web address, actually represents a glottal stop.)