Juneau: The Gas Station

Why the graveyard shift has prepared me for Juneau

The gas station has been my vestibule for the past 6 weeks. In English, that means it’s my transition period before my Alaska Trip.

At 12am, the doors shutter on a quiet Ohio suburb street, and I begin my cleaning process of the store, all while selling cigarettes, junk food, and liquor (legally permitting, of course) through the metal gate on the side of the building.

At 4am, I re-open the doors for people to wander in and start their day. Many of them are the regulars, getting the exact same items. One lady gets an underripe banana, muffin, and extra sweet tea. Another starts with two red bulls and lotto tickets. A regular gets 'Pimps', his nickname for Newport Kings.

I got this gig after years of being hesitant on being 'tied down' with another W-2 job. Once I graduated and did my Ohio walk for Charity in May of 2023, I had to do something different. I couldn't sit around and decay. I had to go do something that keeps me going.

Working overnight at a gas station was the starter. The catalyst.

Working here has also given me a sobering reality for how much overnight crew have to go through. For example, I left my Monday morning shift at 6am, went to bed at 12pm, got back up at 2pm, went back to sleep at 3pm, then woke up at 9:30pm to get to my shift Tuesday night at 10pm. Some people do this to provide for their families, whether at a factory during split shift or a clerk at a gas station. I'm glad to finally wake up at 8am again from now on, but I did the 'easy mode' of what so many hard-working people do.

Never take those 24-hour nomads for granted!

And so, I sit here, writing this before the crack of dawn while the world starts to stir, and people begin their morning commute. Had I gone to Alaska without working full time hours here, I would have likely felt worse. Less money saved, less appreciation for the meaning of work, and little time in the middle of the night to think about who and what I want to be.

Talk again soon,

Ethan

PS: Have any of you worked a job like this? Let me know by replying to this email. Would be happy to hear your thoughts!!!