It felt like the friendly but foreign feeling you get when you are texting someone before a first date. “Okay, smiley face, let’s meet up by the sign at Octane. I’ll be wearing a teal top, winky face”

I walked down the steps and saw Danielle sitting. There was one luggage belt. In the whole airport. She was wearing an Allen Marine top. It was a black fleece with a small teal logo. My bag got lost in Vegas? Weird. So they gave me a $50 voucher! It took forever for him to process this lost luggage claim, so Danielle and I stood awkwardly and tried to make small talk. “This must be small town charm” la la la..

Eventually we leave the airport.

We walk outside and it’s my first glimpse of Alaska from the ground.

The pavement is wet, the sky is mostly gray with some bright spots. The clouds are shifting. I am looking at an island, I think I am on another. I don’t understand that but I figure I’ll learn.

Later I’d learn that this is a NICE day in Ketchikan. The threat of rain, without rain, is agreeable weather.

I rolled my trusty silver suitcase down the ramp and saw my ride: a 78 foot catamaran. The boat is complete with an upper deck and a covered lower deck with panoramic views, three heads (bathrooms), four hatches, six engines, a galley and two tvs toward the front.

My job security, on water.

I see that a group is forming outside the boat. They are forming a tunnel and, it would seem, putting their hands up.. Before I know it, Danielle is apologizing: “They always do this, sorry!” but I go with it. This is my opportunity to make a good impression! I’m fun, I’m hip, I’m quick on my feet! Right? I roll through the group with my suitcase and put my arm up like I’m a diva at the end, like I’m Mary Poppins being led by an umbrella. They laugh, disband and we all wander back onto the boat.

These are my new people, as it were. But we are strangers.

I make my way on and immediately start talking to Jaimie. “How are you feeling?” You see, she is 7 months pregnant. I’m sure she gets asked that all the time. She’s the one who hired me, she’s the one who has been emailing with me back and forth. She knows my friend from college, Amanda, so we have a personal connection. I feel most comfortable with her because I don’t know who else to talk to. Everyone seems nice but busy doing their own things.

Also- did I just get picked up from an airport on a boat?

I am noticing several characters: Matt has a belly and a big ole beard. Molly is short with an adorable pixie cut, crocs and waterproof pants. Sarah is tall but I can’t get a read on her yet. She seems serious, focused. She has short hair and glasses. She comes off as a bit bookish, task-driven, maybe a single lady with a bunch of cats. She definitely seems like a cat lady. She’s asking Jaimie about where everything should go on the display racks. I instantly notice that everyone has two things: hoodies and paper cups of coffee. Jaimie offers me coffee and I don’t hesitate. I expected it to be gross, lukewarm carafe coffee but turns out it is freshly roasted and brewed in Ketchikan. Coffee snobs will tell you they don’t make great beans here but it tastes good to me. It’s called Raven’s Brew.

Eventually I make my way to the wheelhouse with Jaimie and meet Captain Lee who is driving. Jaimie introduces me with the fact that I know Cari and Stephen, who live in Turkey now. They worked on the boat with Lee, way back when. Lee remembers them.

I remember noticing how slow the boat is going and that I have no idea where I am going.

Matt and Molly come say something about how one of the bilges smells like “poop!” Molly is like a little puppy. She seems cool. When she introduced herself to me, she seemed real nice. Told me she was from Alabama. She kinda came off like she could be gay but I don’t jump to conclusions. Maybe just tough, and a little stand-offish.

But really, what surprises me the most is meeting Eric, the guy who interviewed me. We had a phone interview that lasted 1 hour and 37 minutes. From the time on the phone, I got the since that this guy was a tall nerd who needed to watch Game of Thrones to recharge after a long day of too much human interaction. He has a more mid-tone voice that’s chuckley. Jaimie has amazing phone skills, great bedside manner: personable and warm and you can just tell right away that she is on your team. Eric is so relaxed, however, that he comes off as painfully shy or like a super stoner. When I walk up to meet him, he is smiling sheepishly from across the boat. Jaimie introduces us. He has a wide smile like he could be a super nice guy or secretly terrifying.

I notice that he is wearing carhartts and a flannel with a ball cap on. In fact, all the guys are wearing ball caps. Hmm.. I’m not in Corporate Kansas anymore.

I’m sorry to be so brutally honest but the reason I can be is because, well, Eric is none of these things! He is actually the nicest, most laid-back manager I think I’ve ever had. He’s relaxed, even a bit forgetful, and definitely not the bad guy. Cannot be the bad guy. Hates to disappoint anyone, hates to say no. He usually works quietly and can be goofy, especially when Jaimie’s around, but he keeps a low profile.

So. I’ve met everyone on board. I try to smile a lot, but not too much, and to seem like I’m game for whatever and I am oh-so-at-home on this boat! Smiles, everyone! Comfortable, confident smiles!

As we slowly “roll” into town, Jaimie says “So! This is Ketchikan. Amanda lives up Carlanna and here is downtown, do you see the red roof? Now look up. That’s where I live. And do you see the white building, okay do you see the yellow house just above that? That’s where Eric lives..”

I’m looking at this town from the water. The best way to come into this town is on the water. My new home for the next five months. It’s hard to believe.

We pull in to Daly dock, tie up and I disembark with Danielle and Jaimie who walk me up to the office. Danielle gives me a ride to Amanda’s, where I’m staying for the next month. She tells me where the Walmart is, and that she’ll see me soon.

I don’t have my bag from Vegas yet but I begin to settle in to my friend’s house. I haven’t seen her in eight years. She trusts me to let me stay at her house and drive her husband’s car. I’m in a familiar and foreign place.

I remember that Danielle and Jaimie both knew where Amanda’s house was, but neither of them knew the address. In Atlanta, if you were like “The white house after you turn off of Main Street” would get you to a tunnel in Alpharetta or the public library in Dahlonega. Small town vibes.

I didn’t know where the heck I was, actually. And that wasn’t a bad thing at all.