Friendships in Unexpected Places

When I think about what I’ve gained from my experience working for Leader Creek Fisheries, a number of things come to mind but by far the most important are the friendships and sense of community I found in an unexpected place. These friendships have pulled me back to Naknek year after year and have come to be the people I hold close to me. 

Working at Leader Creek is a unique experience in the sense that its’ environment cultivates friendships fast. Working 16 hours a day, 7 days a week, forces you to really get to know your co-workers in a way you might not have otherwise. Your co-workers become friends almost instantly and are there to support you, laugh with you and cry with you through the hardest shifts. One of my favorite memories is laughing with my new friend on the processing line in the middle of one of our 16 hour shifts. We were in the middle of what felt like the longest shift yet and both honestly somewhat delirious from lack of sleep and everything and anything was inexplicably hilarious to us. By the time my shift ended I genuinely did not want to leave and made a lifelong friend.

I think another aspect that contributes to making connections with people so fast is the limited internet access and lack of cell phone use. This was something that really worried me my first year but now I am so thankful for this. It’s allowed me to be fully present in my surroundings and focus on getting to know those around me rather than focus on what’s going on in my life outside of Naknek. Part of working at Leader Creek is fully taking in the experience because it will be unlike any other experience you’ve had. 

I came into my first year at Leader Creek nervous and not really knowing anyone. Several years later some of the same people I met my first year remain my closest friends, and I owe that all to Leader Creek.