Cute Scientist Guy

It all started back in 2006, when I was trying to decide which Earthwatch Expedition to go on next.

I had several options to choose from – well, ok… I had 125 options to choose from! But I had narrowed it down to just a few. I printed off a brief description and a few photos from each one and showed them to my friend Katie to help me decide. She looked at the Mongolia Wildlife one and said, “Oh, he’s cute – do this one!” She was referring to the scientist in charge of the project, so from that point on he became Cute Scientist Guy.

Unfortunately, he ended up not being in Mongolia at the time that I was, so I did not get the chance to actually meet him. I did keep chatting with him (via email) however, even after I returned home.

I was so excited about my trip when I got home (despite a fractured knee-cap and dislocated jaw) that I told my friend Katie that she had to find a way to get Cute Scientist Guy to come up to Alaska. Katie is the education director for The Alaska Zoo, so this request was not as unfeasible as it might sound; she suggested our Tuesday Night at the Zoo program as the venue – and Bactrian Camels as the topic.

To be honest, when I suggested that she invite him up I didn’t really think she’d do it. And when I asked him if he’d consider coming up to do the talk, I didn’t really expect him to say yes! But he did say yes, and Katie did find a way to get him up here – and I ended up with a house guest for a week!

I was more than a little nervous on two fronts. First: he is Cute Scientist Guy, after all, and would be sleeping in my house with me for a whole week. Not exactly something that happens to me on a daily basis, if you know what I mean.

Second: I had never actually met the guy and had no idea what he sounded like as a speaker! He could have been exceedingly boring with a high squeaky voice or something. Thank goodness he has a very pleasant voice, and is very easy and interesting to listen to. He was a very nice house guest, too. I had nothing to worry about on that account, either.

Originally, he had planned on having his wife come up with him (I called her Cute Scientist Girl) but she ended up not being able to – so he asked me if I’d consider “playing with him” while he was up for a week.

What? Me? Play with Cute Scientist Guy for a whole week? Do you even have to ask?

Mere seconds after he asked, I started putting together the itinerary for the week! We ended up with a very busy schedule, but I managed to pack it full of all kinds of Alaskan activities.

Saturday: arrive at 10:00 pm
Sunday: air show at military base at 9:00 am, hiking out in Girdwood at 2:00 pm, look for sheep at 5:00
Monday: birding with Audubon Society at 8:30, dinner out in Palmer at 6:30 pm
Tuesday: hiking up in Hatcher’s Pass at 9:00 am, zoo lecture at 7:00 pm
Wednesday: drive out to Denali at 6:00 am
Thursday: drive back to Anchorage at noon, drive out to Seward at 6:00 pm
Friday: 9-hour wildlife watching cruise at 8:30 am
Saturday: Seward SeaLife Center at 9:00 am, hike Exit Glacier at 1:00 pm, drive back to Anchorage at 4:00, birding & wildlife viewing at 7:00 pm
Sunday: birding with Audubon Society at 8:30 am, wildlife watching in Kincaid Park at 10:00, hiking in the Chugach National Forrest at 2:00, dinner at 6:00 pm, drop him off at the airport to depart at 10:00 pm

You can read about most of our adventures together in previous posts on this site. All in all, I think he had a good visit to Alaska – at least, I hope he did.