Heartache

So...to get the red tape out of the way...

1. We arrived in Fairbanks last night. Stayed at a Hostel called Billie's Backpackers...it was top drawer. Met a guy and a Swedish girl.

2. Jim fell in love with the Swede within the first 30 seconds. He's such a romantic. They shared a bed...and by shared I mean they slept in separate beds.

3. Got to Denali today by way of an overpriced shuttle. Jim forgot his required documentation to work...so he's got to ship back to Fairbanks tomorrow. Strike one.

4. So far, Alaska looks awesome. And it smells suspiciously like coffee...

Now, for the real meaning of this post. Can you guess what Jim was thinking in this picture? I know what you're thinking; he looks happy, doesn't he? Wrong.

This picture was taken right after Jim found out where he'd be working this summer. You see, on his job description, it says "camp store." So, like a fool, Jim assumed he'd be working at a camp store. Not the case. 

We decided to go across the road today to buy a 12-pack...standard procedure. We go in to a gas station with a small selection of snacks and a small liquor store. Jim mumbles about what a dump the place was...then realizes that the employees are wearing the same clothes he was told to bring. This raised a bit of a red flag, but he brushed it aside. I mean, there's no way that this was the camp store, right?

Wrong. The man who checked Jim out was named Eric Van den Hoogen. Jim's supervisor is also named Eric Van den Hoogen. Could've been a different Eric Van den Hoogen. But probably not. 

Nope, Jim will be spending the next 3 months working at a gas station. He drowned his sorrows by downing ice cream and yams and mumbling about hitting his head with a ballpeen hammer. He's getting over it.

What does the future hold? Does Sam really work at a "gift shop?" Only time will tell. For now, we've got to get back to that 12-pack.