I continue to work part-time as Shenandoah National Park’s Recreational Fees Budget Analyst.  Last winter I offered my resignation if the park needed me to commit to the full position.   Simultaneously I offered to continue to work part-time while the park found my replacement, as long as I could work from Alaska.  It has worked well both for the park, and for me personally, to work at a reduced schedule for an extra year.

Benefits for my employer, easing the transition: With the help of the park’s other budget analyst I was able to keep up with the work load reasonably well until mid-September even though I took 6 weeks off to move (Feb/Mar), and since then have only worked 16 hours/week.  He was grateful to have me around so that he could concentrate on his primary responsibilities, while helping me out with some routine tasks.

Then the other budget analyst accepted a promotion outside of Shenandoah, and I took 2 ½ weeks off for the drive back to Virginia (Sept/Oct).  I’ve been underwater ever since, not even close to keeping up with responsibilities.  Still, it is much better for the park to have me working 16 hours/week doing the most critical tasks, than to have both budget jobs completely vacant.  A detailer just started 120 days as a training opportunity, so I hope between us we can catch up soon.

Benefits for me: There have been so many benefits! I have been able to keep in touch with co-worker friends as I transition back and forth from Alaska. Yet I have free time to invest in relationships outside of work (and to write this blog!) In Alaska I worked mornings which gave structure to my day in a new setting. https://roaming-nature.com/2023/06/07/dry-cabin-office-week-12-in-healy/ 

Now back in Virginia I start work at 10:30 or later, demanding the luxury of getting up when I want. I set my alarm clock for 7:20, but sometimes I hit snooze until 8, or turn it off altogether. Other times I get up immediately and can take my time with my morning routines. And of course, the continued (though smaller) paycheck is great. Most importantly, I am in less pain that I have been in years.

Disability and Work: Since a neck injury in 2005 I have struggled with neck and shoulder pain, which was only aggravated by work or any repetitive tasks. Immediately after the injury I stopped working on trails and was no longer fit to fight wildland fires, but even computer work and driving aggravated my neck. Now for the last 6 months I have been mostly pain free. Four hours a day on a computer is my maximum, and keeping it to 3 hours is even better. When I look at the workload at the park and am tempted to work more hours, I remember to care for myself and stick with the limit. I am almost glad to have such a compelling excuse to limit my working hours and have energy for other things in life.