Kenai Fjords

New friends and adventure times.

So many millions of bird friends for Adam Bates.

Friends make me feel magic inside.

Skipping rocks is for friends.

Mom friend being amazing.

New cute friends.

Otter baby friends.

Everything is a baby.
Friends.
Fin.

Glaciers and new friends.

My heart is happy here.

"it never looks like what you thought it would look like," said the bird

My dearest friends in the lower 48,
(the lower 48 is what people in Alaska say about mainland USA)

Before arriving in Alaska for the first time in my life, I had a very specific picture in my mind of what I thought Alaska would look like. I imagined cozy log cabin like homes, lots of trees and houses very spread out as if each person has their own wilderness in their backyard. I fantasized about the quaintness and simplicity of this unknown territory. To be frank, Anchorage itself is terribly unappealing to the eye.

Earlier in the week, Jill and I went on a little adventure to a town called Girdwood, which is only about 30-45 minutes from Anchorage. Girdwood is exactly what I had hoped Alaska would be. Everything that I described previously about what I had hoped Alaska would be like, that is what Girdwood is. Jill's family has a cabin in this small town which is located at the foot of a large ski mountain.

So for a few days I was able to stay in a beautiful cabin in a perfect little town that was surrounded by the innocence of nature. We also found a lovely restaurant that had amazing food and even more amazing beer.Oh and I completely forgot to mention that the drive to Girdwood is along the water and there is a view of snow capped mountains that seem so close that you feel like you could just reach out and lick them. Yes, I said lick them.

Although Anchorage is not at all what I expected it to be as far as its appearance, I have been pleasantly surprised by the hospitality and friendliness of the people here. To begin with, Jill's family whose home we are currently living in, have been so warm and welcoming to me. And even people in town who find out that I have just moved here are so very kind and helpful. Now that I have stated that the people here are perfectly lovely, I would also like to add that there are some serious differences that often catch me off guard. I will discuss more of these issues another time.

Happy Mothers Day!

I think most of us can agree that moms make the world a little bit better.

My mother is without a doubt the most wonderful woman I know. She is the very definition of what a selfless and nurturing mother should be.



Also this last picture isn't my mom but I think that it's pretty beautiful anyway.



I love you Marmie.

The last frontier

As many of you might know by now,
recently I have embarked on a new adventure.
I have moved thousands of miles away from everything that I know and love.
Alaska is my current resting place.

Originally this blog was my travel blog for my recent trip to Europe but I have decided to use is as my adventure blog space, and I feel that my picking up my life and heading to Alaska could be considered an adventure.

So here it goes.
This is my life and these are my adventures.

What does Christmas mean to you?

I've been having trouble answering that question this year. For many it is the joyfulness and happiness of holding those you love close to you. But for some of us the holiday season just isn't that simple this year. Finding joys in little things is important. Here are a few things that have made me smile this Christmas.

A perfect Christmas Dutch Baby

An ugly little tree

Frozen beauty

Generally I am a believer that love and beauty is all around us, and usually in the holiday season it is easy to find. This year I have had to search harder as many others I'm sure have. But I do believe that it is near.

Life back in th Northwest

As I was flying home from Germany back to Washington I became aware of just how much I would miss my adventurous lifestyle that I had adopted over the last few months. As I listened to Sigur Ros and looked out my window only to see Germany getting smaller and smaller below me I began to cry. When I landed in Iceland I honestly considered just not getting on my next flight and staying there for a while. That day I was filled with sadness as well as hope that someday I would go on another adventure that would be as fulfilling as this one has been.

Once I got to the states I was fortunate enough to see my dear friend Becca right away. I had missed her terribly and it made my heart happy to see her. However, when I saw her I had this feeling that we might be about to embark on some sort of travel again, but I was sadly mistaken.

I am back to real life.
Real life with all of its comforts and disappointments.
Real life with a job and warm friendly faces.
Real life with my own cozy bed and no excitement regarding where I will be sleeping.
Real life with delicious breakfast food but pretty lame pastries.
Real life with more clothing options and constantly feeling overdressed.
Real life with the holiday season and a lack of money.

As much as I am happy to be home so that I can see my family and friends but the culture shock is really not wearing off. I've been back for a week already and I just wish I was still roaming around living out of my bag wearing the same hobo-chic clothes day after day. I suppose I need to learn how to appreciate where I am instead of wishing I was somewhere else.

I'll work on that.