1.30.2011

Post Defense, Prauge, Good bye Fairbanks and Hello Juneau

Defended my PhD thesis in Environmental Chemistry on Oct. 15th. It was a wild 5.5 years living in Fairbanks. Studying atmospheric chemistry, meeting the most incredible lifelong friends, dialysis for 3 years while waiting for a kidney transplant, one of my good friends Trevor White donating his kidney, and countless backcountry adventures! Finished the final on Dec. 3rd 2010 and just waiting the hard bound copy.
Heather made awesome pomegranate martini's for all and of course we had a dance party in the living at the Shook/Huff house.

Ben poured champagne for a toast.


Two weeks before the defense some of my crazy Fairbanks friends and I flew over the North pole on the direct Condor flight to Europe, we had a great week in Praha! We bought the tickets months before when I thought I would be done with school. So the timing was not ideal, but what a fun trip!


I accepted a job with the Department of Environmental Conservation- Air Quality in Juneau! We had a good-bye party of sorts in Fairbanks before the move. One of the big projects I am working on is the PM 2.5 problem in Fairbanks. That and I am on the Endurance North board and we have our White Mountains 100 mile ski-bike- run race to attend to in March 2011!

Jackson. (Ben's punisher tshirt has finally been passed down)

1.29.2011

Packrafting Upper East Fork Chulitna River

Finally getting around to updating my blog. Several great packrafting trips I have skipped, but this one was dynamite.