Some of the things I’ve come to realize as a consequence of being here could have been, or were, explained to me by friends and family before I left Alaska, but no matter how convincing and articulate their promises of what I would find here may have been, there is no substitute for firsthand experience. I needed to be here in order for these things to leave as lasting an impression as could be left. To further safeguard against amnesia, I write the next paragraph as a note to my future self, to be reminded, after the passage of time has obscured the past, of how I feel at this moment.

Never take your job for granted. Quit your work only if you’re retiring or have been formally offered a better position elsewhere.