Life here has been treating me very well. Carolyn, the former ED flew back east today, so the transition is official and I am on my own. Eek! It has been a crazy 12 days since I arrived, and I have already learned a lot. Based on my conversation with Mike earlier today, I have clearly not learned enough biology, but I am working at it!! I am!
To officially start the transition, I changed my voicemail and "moved in" - creating folders, starting files and plastering (and I do mean plastering) my desk with photos of Kael, Emma, Mike and Maui (ok, there are a few other people, but I actually don't have a lot of PRINTED pictures yet). I also have some very spectacular art work with a fish bowl (emma) and a cow (kael) framing my monitor.
One thing is for sure, I am very, very, very excited about the work. It is going to change constantly and it is going to be very challenging to do both the day-to-day stuff and the bigger picture/moving to the next phase stuff - but I am very much excited by that. Today I attended a Wildlife Viewing workshop put on by the Department of the Environment and everyone was so incredibly nice and positive and collaborative. Having been to many a government-led workshop before, it was rather unbelievable and I certainly made some fascinating contacts that I cannot wait to get in touch with. There is a genuine commitment here (at least from what I have seen today) to collaborate and I think it is going to be a lot of fun. My biggest challenge, as my dad reminded me today, will be to handle "Yukon time" and to not get sucked back into the insanity I have lead for the last few years - or to expect anyone else to operate in that frantic mindset. To work hard, to accomplish amazing things, but to leave work every once and awhile too (I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...). I'm off to a great start! Granted it has only been two weeks, but I haven't had any blackberry withdrawals :-) On days like today
when I am out all day, I sometimes feel that I should be checking emails or something, but that's as close as I have come. Yay me!
I CAN'T be at work ALL the time, because every day I learn about someplace new that Mike and I have to go or something new we have to try! There appears to be no end to interesting opportunities and I am determined to experience as many as possible. Starting, I have declared, his first weekend here when we are going to take a road trip with my staff to see how things are done at the Faro Crane and Sheep Viewing Festival. Laugh now if you will, but just wait until you see the photos!!!
I also have a lot to learn. In addition to this workshop today, I have a lab tour tomorrow (to help us plan some infrastructure developments), lunch with the Premier next week (me and many, many others), human rights and probably a Tourism Industry conference in Dawson. At some point I also have to get re-certified for first aid, learn how to drive a bus and I'm pretty sure I am going to get my fire arms license. See, lots to do outside of work!!
I realize that this posting is pretty much all over the place, with very little point. For that I apologize. It has been a crazy, crazy couple of weeks where I have learned a
mazing things (a lot of things too), been proud of my early accomplishments (I actually have a few) and have been welcomed so warmly by so many people. It goes without saying that I miss all of you in Ottawa and the County, but the Yukoners have certainly opened their arms and their homes to make me feel very welcome (and have offered several well appreciated tips to help me be less of a Cheechako).
I've added pictures today of the weather, mainly. For a desert-like climate, Whitehorse sure is getting some serious snow these days. Ahhh, global warming. Speaking of, since a lot of people seem to want to know, I have also added a photo of the land cruiser that I mostly drive when I have to go into town (sometimes I also drive a pick up).
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