Happiness is a Fish Fry with Friends

Admittedly, I have a strange job. A large part of my work shifts are spent waiting for something to happen. I’m a Flight Nurse and Paramedic in one of the busiest air medical regions of the country, The Navajo Nation reservation. One of the most enticing draws that brought me to flying was the unpredictable nature of the job that allows it to go from zero to one million anytime, day or night. The beautiful views, sunrises, sunsets, and the chance to fly with some of my favorite people in the world doesn’t hurt either. I still have days sometimes when I feel the helicopter lift it’s skids slowly off the ground and I think to myself, “I can’t believe I’m flying.”

Because so much of the time we spend at work is spent training and practicing and in education to help our teams prepare for the emergencies we will be called to, during our downtime while not flying we try to have some fun. We keep the days interesting with activities anywhere on the spectrum from pickleball tournaments to taking turns going for a swim in the lake.

Imagine a blue sky day this summer when one of our aircraft mechanics said, “I just got back from an Alaskan fishing trip, and I want to share my catch with all of you.”
Next, imagine the freshest most beautiful Halibut, Ling Cod, and Rockfish steaks along with the stories and pictures of how and where they were caught in Seward, Alaska, in churning, icy waters full of porpoises, whales, and crabs along with the fish we would be enjoying.

Rockfish, Ling Cod, and Halibut.

The freshest fish ever after having just been caught a couple of days before, breaded with a crispy crust and fried in Peanut oil. We made a variety of dipping sauces to try with the fish and homemade french fries.

Nothing brings people together quite the way good food does. This experience was particularly special as we all wanted to learn how to make the fish and help with frying it. In my case, I had never had a fish fry like this and I loved learning and tasting my way through the process.

The best part was that we were all able to enjoy the food and company before being paged for flights, which happened just as we were finishing up. I’m still dreaming of how delicious everything was and I’m hoping that sometime I can live the adventure of catching the fish in Alaska and bringing it home for another spectacular fish fry.