"Let's start at the beginning, a very good place to start"
I arrived at the International Juneau Airport a little after 1 pm on Sunday May 17. This airport has only five gates and has one flight to Canada. I was greeted by my roommates who came to pick me up after church. They gave me a half hour drive through tour and then we headed to the apartment.
The apartment is in the downtown historic district above some tourist shops. The apartment is really nice. Downstairs we have the living/eating area, kitchen and bathroom. Upstairs is another bathroom and three bedrooms- two that face the street and the Gasteneau Channel where the cruise ships come in and one that faces the mountain. Cherish and I share the one that faces the mountain, so we have the worst view and don't get much sunlight in it but we have learned that it has its advantages. Because we get less light we can fall asleep easier because it is not completely dark until around eleven pm. We are also never disturbed by loud outside street disturbances late at night or early in the morning that our roommates tell us about.
The very next day I started my training as a driver guide. I learned how to "pre-trip" my mini bus (these are much larger then the 15 passenger vans I thought I would be driving, they are more the size of the handicap busses) and then Rick the manager had me drive to most of the places I would be driving with tourists. The hardest part was learning how to back into parking spaces at the Franklin Dock, but I learned and have done it many times since. After work we went to FHE and learned about how to be grateful and played volleyball.
Tuesday they had me work! Usually they send new workers on a ride-along with someone who had been there the previous year before they have you do it yourself... but not me apparently. I was really nervous but my co-workers were helpful and told me facts and stories I could tell my passengers. I was assigned TEMPSCO PC all day. This means that I would transfer cruisers back and forth from the dock to helicopter tours on the icefield and glaciers. Apparently I was a good and entertaining driver because I got decent tips. After work we had the missionaries over to teach my roommate Erin more about the church. She has been investigating and is really interested. I am sworn to secrecy and cannot say anymore at this time but I will tell you more when I can *wink* ;)
Wed I was assigned the same thing but did not receive any tips. I was still good it is just that some cruise lines passengers are better at tipping than others. When I was done though I was told to drive to canoe lake and switch my vehicle with Maria's broken one. I could not remember where it was so I had to ask for directions and even then just barley found it.
...Well I am going to go on a free-for-me-tour to the Glacier and the Salmon Bake so I will finnish updating later.
Congratulations again Heather. It sounds like you are having a very good time.
ReplyDeleteLol. I want to point out that actually many of the new workers didn't have a chance to go on a ride-along before they started working, so Heather definitely isn't the only one. In fact, none of the girls in our apartment were able to go on a ride-along before we started giving tours.
ReplyDelete