Suf-fish-ient Morning.

I once made the colossal mistake of incorrectly correcting someone on an Alaskan fact.

We were talking about fishing (a subject as common as the Brits and their weather) and he asked if I had been fishing for Sockeyes.  

I replied with a sassy"No, I was fishing for Reds." 

Which, in case you don't know, are one and the same.  

 How embarrassing for me. And I call myself Alaskan?

Since then, I've enlisted the help of my dad in all fish vocabulary and common knowledge. Whether it has to do with names of fishing spots on the river, the difference between Chinook and King (again, one and the same), and how to fish for different types of salmon, such as flipping, back trolling, back bouncing, and side drifting (also known as dragging eggs), I've also sacrificed several mornings of sleeping in favor of fishing.  

You know what they say! Early bird gets the worm.  

Take this morning, for instance. Instead of spending my leisurely morning in the comfort of bed and with the company of one particular cat, I requested my desire to fish with Dad. And so at the crack of dawn, we meandered on down to the boat and anchored just down the bank.

We were one of three boats out there in the wee small hours of the morning, and about twenty minutes in, I caught my first silver of the season.

I struck gold! Well, silver.

Anyhow, in the many minutes of patiently waiting for hook action, Dad and I sat back with our coffees and enjoyed the scenery around us.

Let's see, there was the scrawny seagull whom we saw drag a carcass down the bank, there was a bald eagle who expertly swooped down to snag a Dolly Varden then take its prize to the eagle nest (where we heard a chorus of baby eagles calling out), and then the entertaining sight of Reds jumping out of the water.

So even when you're not catching, it's still fun to be out there!

In our case though, we were lucky enough to lure some salmons our way, having a suf-fish-ient morning on the Kenai River...

Alaska style.. I've got to dress for the occasion!

I'm thinking the salmon find these to be an egg-cellent breakfast choice...

And the fishing begins!

Eh voila! Success.

Start Me Up.

My passion and desirous love for coffee has served me well since I was two.

One sip was all it took to boost my energy. Inhaling its aroma was all it took to calm my nerves and bring me home. Heck, the mere thought of coffee has kept me going during many times of turmoil!

Working with my dad's espresso machine at home for over ten years, and working at Kaladi Brothers Coffee has satiated this love I have for these itty bitty beans, but I never thought that it would save me during this time of uncertainty.

I never thought that it would give me purpose and allow me to help someone fulfill their passion, and yet here I am!

With my mom in the midst of opening up a coffee shop of her own in an Alaskan train car, I have been tasked and assigned in helping her create a menu, design the space, and advise her on the flow and workings of all that goes on behind the bar.

And boy do I have a lot to say about that!

For the first time in awhile, I feel inspired to learn as much as I can about coffee, through growing, picking, processing, roasting, serving, and my favorite part: drinking! My spark has been ignited once more and I feel that I am here for a reason, a purpose.

Allowing myself to be in a position of management, and of helping my mom, I see that this opportunity, whilst seemingly "off track", is, in fact, actually putting me on track.

According to the wise words of Thomas Edison: "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like hard work."

While this job doesn't have me in overalls, it does require me to put my conductor's cap on and use some skills that have yet to be showcased.

And while this job doesn't have me shoveling coal in the boiler, it will have me shoveling coffee in the pot. So kinda the same thing.