sweet, sweet tourism

summer skin, can be hard to live in

When things break down, everything changes.
Sometimes it's just your day that changes and sometimes it's everything that you know.
The last few weekends I have gone on amazing adventures and had the opportunity to see new and exciting things. This weekend my plan was to stick around Anchorage, get a few things done and explore. Two cars ended up breaking down which obviously lead to changes in my weekend. The first change was that I had to postpone some chores that needed to happen,
this change to my plans didn't leave me super devastated.

The second change was that my hike was also postponed.
Due to these circumstances, I was forced to come up with new activities.
I feel as though I was successful in entertaining myself.
The first part of my day involved a lovely lunch at a little deli called
the Sweet Basil Cafe.

Melanie had a veggie sandwich and carrot-coconut soup, both of which were delicious.
I had an Alaskan Halibut taco with roasted vegetables.
We each had a beer.

Next, I walked to my favorite coffee place in down town,
Kaladi Brothers. The atmosphere there is interesting and not what I'm used to as far as coffee shops go, but I enjoy the coffee and the people there. Most people who go there seem interesting enough. Lots of beautiful tattoo art to look at.

While I was reading, enjoying my coffee and staring at the full sleeves on a man; I noticed the sunshine outside. I'm almost positive that it was calling out to me and saying "come out and play, lets have a bike adventure."



So, my next move was a bike ride on my new bike!
It's not exactly my bike, Katie is letting me borrow hers until I fine one of my own.
Although it isn't mine, Katie said that I was allowed to name it.

Alejandro is his name.

Alejandro and I had fun together,
we listening to Seabear for most of the ride and the Shins for a bit simply for nostalgic purposes.

The whole time I could feel my freckles longing to come out and play.

"Look what you've done, you've punched a hole in the sun."

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.