This is the first post in a series of hikes I’m revisiting. Check out the intro post here. Day 1, 24 March 2020 Hotel Las Torres to Campamento Serón: ~8.6 miles with an elevation change of +1,200 feet Upon being offered a tuition waiver for my freshman year at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, my parents and I decided I should visit the campus. Moving across the country without knowing…
Why haven’t I followed the dream of a kiwi life? I’ve figured it out.
Thanks to my bro, Alaskan puppies are my current life!
Since my own mom seemed to think I didn’t understand Alaska’s geography, I just wanted to note that I was being humorous with that last post. I’m very aware of how far south I am in relation to my usual Alaskan bases, and I know that the sun rises later when you travel west in a time zone. Having all of Alaska in one time zone is rather absurd, given…
Whenever I cook one of my Grandma’s recipes, a goofy grin spreads across my face as my nose registers the odors emanating from the kitchen. Whether I’m baking her dinner rolls, making cucumber salad, or creatively building a bundt pan to bake her sour cream coffee cake; I can’t help but think of her house. By the time I take a bite of the familiar food, I’m fully smiling and…
In about an hour from now (around 01:00), I will have landed to visit UAF for a long weekend exactly 8 years ago. My, how the time flies. A few weeks ago I realized that – for the first time ever – I had completely forgotten that March 20th marked the anniversary of my puppy Pixie’s passing. If anyone missed my sob story about how she directly connects with my…
For people who have homes, reminders of memories are typically visible all around. Photographs, trinkets, books, music, and artwork decorate the walls and shelves that surround lives. There’s the photo of the family in front of the U.S. Capitol from one of our 3 free trips to D.C. for the National Spelling Bee. There’s the book about the the creation of the national parks. There’s the Taco Bell hot sauce…
Rather early on in my years in Fairbanks, I’ll admit I wanted to list myself as being in a relationship (on Facebook). Unfortunately I wasn’t able to specify my partner’s name because Alaska didn’t have an account. I couldn’t say I was “In a Relationship with Alaska.” Little did I realize just how correct that statement would become. Apart from Michigan, Alaska is the place where I’ve spent the most…
By fall of my senior year, Pixie was showing her age. We’d never properly taken care of her teeth, and I could tell her mouth was giving her some pain. At some point that fall, she stopped eating and drinking. She weakened to the point where walking seemed difficult, so off to the vet we went. I don’t remember what they said was wrong with her, but I think she…
Living in Alaska definitely has its pros and cons, but last Wednesday was one example of a pro. On that day, Governor Sean Parnell announced the amount of the 2014 Permanent Fund Dividend. For those of you who don’t know, the PFD is the oil-related money paid out to qualifying residents of Alaska every year. Here’s a summary of the history of the PFD and how it works. Today I’m…