After the Pacific Crest Trail and a winter in Colorado, adventure was calling again. All winter long I weighed my options and wondered where should I go?

I decided that for the summer I wanted to stay in the US, live in a really spectacular place, break into the tourist industry, and earn some serious money. I also wanted to find a company who provided housing and transport so I wouldn’t need a car. I used Coolworks.com and interviewed for many different tourism positions. In the end, moving to small-town Skagway, Alaska along the Inside Passage and working for Alaska Coach Tours checked all those boxes. So, in April, I headed north to the 49th State to become a Bus Driver and Tour Guide.

Yes… a Bus Driver!

I’ve only been here a month and it’s already proved to be quite an adventure.

Getting a Commercial Driver’s License

First, in order to drive a tour bus, I needed to secure my Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). This took weeks of studying which culminated in a four-part computerized test at the Alaska DMV. I passed those tests easily in Juneau, Alaska and obtained my new Alaska State Driver’s license and a Commercial Learner’s Permit.

Next, I had to obtain a doctor’s certification of my physical fitness, and get cleared with a drug test. All of these hoops took days of waiting and different trips to the DMV. Finally, I was able to start my behind-the-wheel driver’s training. It was then that the immense responsibility of driving a 45-foot, 36,000 lb vehicle got very real.

My first two days of driving in Juneau consisted of the church parking lot and some strategically placed cones. I definitely hit a few. But soon, I was advanced to driving around neighborhood blocks, turning and turning again to practice wide-rights and square-lefts. By the end of the week, and with a different trainer, I started to negotiate faster speeds, traffic signals, on-ramps and roundabouts all the while praying that I didn’t clip a curb which is an automatic failure on the driving test. Although training was super stressful, I was prepped for my CDL exam in eight days and a DMV tester flew in from out of town for the occasion.

There are four nail-biting parts of the behind-the-wheel CDL to pass. First, I needed to demonstrate that I knew how to conduct a multi-part air-brake test to ensure my coach was safe. I had studied each of the sequential steps so many times, but in my nervousness I skipped a vital task. Luckily, before the test was over, I realized my error, asked the tester if I could start the sequence again and this time performed it all correctly.

Next, I had to identify each component of the engine and the coach (inside and out) to demonstrate that I knew how to conduct a pre-check safety inspection of the vehicle before driving. For this part of the test, I had to memorize a 6-page script regarding the safe condition of everything including the emergency equipment, the seats, the windshield, the belts, the radiator, the tires, brakes, suspension and exhaust systems and the frame of the bus. That part of the test took almost an hour.

Then, the tester and I drove to a nearby parking lot and I successfully maneuvered the coach forward, backward, offset into an alley and gave him the most perfect parallel park of my week. By then I knew I was on a roll!

Lastly, we headed out through town and I avoided all pedestrians and curbs to successfully pass my CDL driver’s test. I was the only one in my cohort of trainees that week who passed.

So, it’s official, I’m a bus driver now!

In hindsight, I never imagined that getting my CDL would be so complicated and stressful. I certainly have a new found respect for all that bus and truck drivers need to know and consider while managing their very large and heavy vehicles. Take it from me, give them lots of leeway and patience, and don’t follow too close because they really can’t see hardly anything out their side mirrors!

Life in Juneau

Juneau was a great town to live in during my three-week training. But learning to drive a bus in pouring rain wasn’t ideal, and there was only one full day when the liquid sunshine wasn’t blurring the windshield.

Here’s some scenes from around Juneau: hiking above the Gastineau Channel, exploring Mendenhall Glacier (just a few minutes from downtown), an employee bonfire on the beach, and attending a Hands-Off Protest at the Alaska State Capitol.

The best part of Juneau, however, was spending time with old friends. I’ve known Linda since my early days in Seattle (think 1990’s!) and she and her husband Bob welcomed me graciously into their home and their embrace. I even got to stay in their little cabin in the woods- what a treat!

I also made friends with other drivers and trainees who have come from all over the US for the same summer adventure. The last picture is with my new friend Len, a fellow trainee and first-year driver from Atlanta. Now that we’ve both passed all of our exams, we’re on our way to the northern tip of the Inside Passage to live and work in Skagway, Alaska. I can’t wait for the next part of the adventure!