Dearest Diary,

Besides spending most of my current professional life lying, I am doing pretty great.

Sometimes the lies are small like, "Yes, I know the Spit well and trust me, you'll love it" and sometimes the lies are big in responces to questions like, "Holly, where are the laundry facilities in this hotel, does the resturant do food service and can I change my itinerary to fly home on Day 6?" I find these lies oozing out of my mouth with ease and certainty in my voice that continues to astound and somewhat amuse me. It turns out that the Lonely Planet Guide Book, Alaska by Mitchener and Into the Wild aren't sufficent enough material to completely prepare me for adequate trip leading in Alaska. Who'd a thought?

I am on trip now, on night four. This night, deemed as 'OYO'-Backroads slang to a night off to goof off with your co leaders -hasn't been the best as my two co-leaders happen to be a couple who has spent the last day and a half fighting. Yes, fighting. To make this three man team just a little more uncomfortable than it already is, someone has their fidelity in question. The couple alternates from sobbing and hugging to glaring and snarling at each other. I couldn't give a flying F about it except for that I am stuck on this trip leading canoe with them as the ship is gathering gaping holes. As I bail out this mini titanic by doing everything while the other two hash out their endless problems in the van, in the room, in the hotel, I feel a little jipped and a little frusterated and a little funny. This is going to make a really good story. All great akward unfortunate situations do; the worst part is I have to live it first.

So off I go into my OYO night, to explore the "Spit". Holly, what is a Spit? Holly's reply, a spit is a landmass in Alaska that is special from other pieces of land. It is unique because of the views you get on it. Proper answer: a spit is a jut out of land, like an elongated island. Man, I should have known that all those years of learning to BS in Student's Union at U of A would be helpful to me one day. Except at Student's Union we went for beer after and there were always handfuls of cute men. Sigh.

Off to the spit.

Love the Lying, Unenchanting, BSing
Holly Higgins