- Douglas, Wyoming
- Ogden, Utah
- Ketchikan, Alaska
If you would have asked me a year ago where I thought I would be doing my internship, none of these places would have made the list. But, right now they are probably my best options. Here's a list of pros and cons for each (feel free to add your own pros and cons in the comments section).
Douglas, Wyoming
Pros:
- Money - I will probably make a lot more here than the other places AND my living expenses will probably be a lot cheaper
- The people I have talked to so far seem really friendly and say really good things about the district.
- They have this AWESOME jackalope statue!!
Cons:
- It's in Wyoming - on the opposite side from Idaho
- It's a small town (they don't even have a Wal-Mart)
Ogden, Utah
Pros:
- It is close to Salt Lake and Park City
- There will be more people my age to play with
- Out of the three places, this district is the biggest (meaning more people to consult with and get help from)
- It would probably be pretty easy to find a roommate to cut down on living expenses
- I have an interview there next Thursday
- I could live in Layton so I will not have to live in the same district as the kids I will be working with
- It's close to home
- There is a temple there
- Cafe Rio!!
Cons:
- As my friend Heather once said, "If you are in Ogden, your life might as well be over."
- I'm a little bit intimidated by the people in that district
- I will be competing with people from Utah State, University of Utah, and BYU for this internship - If you had the choice between someone from those schools and someone from ISU, who would you choose?
Ketchikan, Alaska
Pros:
- The guy in charge of hiring used to live in Utah and Idaho, so we have something in common (he went to school at Utah State and worked in the Shelley school district - which happens to be where I was assigned for my practicum last year)
- It would be an adventure
- There would be a lot more diversity there than the other places
- Maybe more people would come visit me (wouldn't you rather visit someone in Alaska than Wyoming or Utah?)
- They get lots and lots of rain
- They are the "salmon capital of the world" - maybe I could learn to fish while I am there
- From what I have seen in pictures online, it is very green and absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!! (some websites say it's actually considered a rain forest). Here are a couple of pictures.
Cons:
- It is far, far away
- You have to get there by boat or by plane - you can't drive there
- If I hate it, I am pretty much stuck on an island
6 comments:
Cafe Rio... yummmmmy! I so miss that!
I think Alaska would be an adventure. You've never been there, why not experience something new and different. I would check out and see if there is an LDS ward/branch near by.
I have a friend that just moved from ketchikan who worked in a similar field. If you want to talk to her about the area let me know and I will give you her number. Good luck!
Wow, Stace, those are quite the options! Sorry for the long response, but thinking of the possibilities is too much fun!
At first I was rooting for Douglas (solely based on the amazing jackalope statue, if we're being honest), but I did a little reading on Ketchikan, and it sounds pretty neat. My friends who have lived in or traveled to Alaska LOVED it. Ditto what Amy said. I mean, when else will you get that kind of a life adventure? I treasure the summer I spent in Seattle for that very reason - pulling up root, going where I knew NO ONE, making a start in life (and knowing that it was temporary, which kind of helped).
Have you ever seen "Northern Exposure"? It's the first thing I thought of when you mentioned Alaska.
I'm a total nerd and started researching this (which you probably already did), but it looks like there is a YSA ward in Juneau that takes in Ketchikan. However, getting to church there takes almost 14 hours... so scratch that. You'd be stuck in the family ward. Maybe they'll have a YSA Sunday School. Ketchikan is the 5th largest city in Alaska, and the most densely populated, so it's not like you'll be in the sticks, at least.
On the upside, it's only a year, right? Depending on how you like it, you could always move back to the intermountain west when you're done. Ogden would be great for the familiarity and proximity, but my vote is to do something totally different before putting down roots. I wish soooo much that I would have been more adventurous and moved away from California right out of college. Now I'm dying to leave, but I'm happily settled here. Take the adventure while you can!
(But promise me that you'll come visit California before moving to Alaska, k? Or maybe we can go visit Karen together...)
So Stace, I think an adventure would be a cool thing. You could see some beautiful country and experience something totally new in Alaska. But you have to go where the money is too. I am excited for you. Change is good, even if it is small. I was on an island, only 4 months though, and i loved it!!! Maybe a little different though. I am excited to see where you end up!
I vote for Alaska, those pictures are awesome!
My husband has been to Ketchikan and we lived/worked in alaska for a few years... one of the most beautiful pleaces on earth! You would love it! If you go to AK for the summer, you would most likely attend church via conference phone... that's what we did. But hey, if you go to Douglas, you can come and see us on your way to IF!
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