Awake with the Midnight Sun

Well, the lack of my posts should give you a small hint of the crazy schedule I've been leading for the past few weeks. When they said we'd get a day off, they meant about 12 hrs (and that's including sleep time). It has been a whirlwind of a beginning from training to shadow tours to memorizing my commentary and then as of last week doing my first tour - and it's been AMAZING! This job truly uses my giftings and went I walked into the office to hand in my final paperwork, I was on cloud 9 (or 10 :).
So, here's a small overview:
we pick up guests from Seward and travel all the way up to Fairbanks by Coach (bus) or the Rail (train). Groups numbers can range from 6-55 (mine was 20) and age varies, with a heavy percentage on the baby boomers generation. I am with them from start to finish everyday: collecting thier luggage from their rooms, seeing them off on excursions, all the coach time is me doing commentary and entertainment and then hotel prep and making sure EVERY one of their needs is met. No day is the same, so it makes it fun and challenging.
Highlights of this last week:
an INCREDIBLE family from Toronto, who showered me with love and praise and were the easiest people to be around (felt like I was hanging with friends.... and I think I got adopted by them :)
a group of 8 precious old women from Lynchburg VA (my hometown for 4 years) who instantly connected with me when they found out were I was from. Their Southern accents and sweet demeanor really made me happy. (even if they asked the same question about 8 times each and were slow as molasses). At the end, one of the came up to me with tears in her eyes and said, "Deb, I just don't know how I'm gonna say goodbye to you" (SC Southern accent added).
Everything went smoothly (which was huge when my other "newbie" friends had complaining guests, a fire at their hotel, forgotten luggage and medications etc) so I feel completely blessed (and not naive to the fact that it could happen to me at anytime).
I've already made an incredible friend, Katie, and what a doll she is. We are on the same tour next week together, which means: sharing meals, my cooler :), all hotel rooms and also pumping up and prepping each other each day. 
All in all, it's been incredible (I'd write more, but I"m exhausted). Extremely fast pace but worth it. I'm up EARLY and go to bed late, but it's a good thing because I'm awake with the Midnight Sun.
More Later....