I had The Talk with management this week about next summer and thankfully we are exactly on the same page. It was understood from the get go that I would probably not be coming back to Dawson next year, but if I did I would have a job of some sort.

Not coming back to Dawson?

I have absolutely no reason to. I’ve explored the area around here extensively. What I have left to explore would be best done from the more central location of Whitehorse. I’d like to see more of Alaska, drive the Campbell Highway, and tour the Silver Trail, for starters! Much as I dislike Whitehorse, there is no room in this life for sentimental attachments to locations. And in cold hard numbers, not coming back to Dawson means $500 in gas money in my pocket, money that I could apply to taking Miranda with me on some trips next year.

So, I’m leaving Dawson in a week! I cannot believe I’m down to exactly seven days left. It’s boggling, but I’m not in race mode. I’d like to go back to the Drunken Goat if I can, and, of course, Gerties, but otherwise I don’t feel like I’ll be leaving anything undone. My focus is on getting Miranda travel ready.

I will always have a home in Dawson and it is a place I look forward to coming back to several years from now, perhaps with my nephews and niece in tow. I leave with doors wide open and bridges intact, with fond memories of sweet ice cream and panoramic views, and without being thoroughly fed up with the limitations of services at the end of the world. It’s a great way to go. 🙂

The big question now is how am I going to manage my mail from next month onwards. I have a few phone calls to make to Whitehorse and I may end up having my mail held for months in some sort of limbo. I really saw these past two summers that I don’t get much mail worth paying attention to, so that may end up being the cheapest and easiest solution.