Feel the crisp, clear air. Take a deep breath. Listen to the billowing winds, close your eyes and it feels like you might be standing on the edge of the world. Ah….ALASKA…a relief from the seemingly relentless Seattle summer heat this year. After a good two minutes of this bliss, a gust of wind reminded me I might actually need a jacket if I’d like to avoid hypothermia.
Alaska is one of those places I’ve always had a fascination and after turning down opportunities to live and work summers there in college, I wasn’t when or under what circumstance I would be able to finally make it there. Luckily, when I learned Chris’s brother lived in Alaska, I knew I would be there come the next summer.
Chris’s brother Ryan and his girlfriend Jess live in Skagway, Alaska. While I was secretly hoping (but not really) to encounter some bears, I had to settle for the stuffed ones. Ryan and Jess showed us an amazing time for the short time we were able to be there for. After stopping in Juneau, we explored the charming town of Skagway, dined on the best seafood (including a king crab feast!), explored rivers, trains, and glaciers, but to top it all off, a surprise helicopter ride to a glacier trek was the highlight of my year. It wasn’t until I was above all the mountains and realized the only thing I could see from miles on end were peaks after peaks that Alaska truly is Wild. As humans, we got nothing on the animals and wilderness that we were surrounded by.
I can’t thank Ryan and Jess more for their hospitality and for filling my days with so much happiness, laughs, adventures, and my tummy with so much goodness. While it was a brief visit, I hope to get back someday to explore Denali and other parts of Alaska. But for now, I’ll just enjoy my moose print onesie and trucker hat to remind me of the memories.
