Where I stood in Alaska

Alaska was a once-in-a-lifetime trip I am glad I took with my family. I have traveled alone a lot, and it was nice to go with the fam. We spent a week on a cruise ship, hitting top thriving tourist towns; we then spent another week traveling by train, heading through Anchorage and Fairbanks, stopping in Denali National Park. The weather was on our side, and we could see the top of Denali. 

I heard many people say if you are going to go to Alaska, go by cruise ship, and I highly recommend it. Alaska is wild, and being the city girl I am, I would not survive traveling alone. There are only four significant roads across Alaska. When we were in one of the port towns, they told us how kids there get put on an island to learn serving skills because there will be a time when they will need them. For example, if a car breaks down at night, they will be stuck there until morning. Hearing that, I knew taking an all-inclusive cruise was the best way to see Alaska. 

The wildness of Alaska is what makes Alaska one of the best places I've been stateside. It has so many breathtaking views, and it's like living in a cold paradise. Expect it wasn't that cold. You don't feel overwhelmed even with 4 huge cruise ships of people walking around the town. You are too busy looking at everything around you. You can't believe these places exist. It is so easy to live miles away in a different time zone to forget that otters floating in the ocean, glaciers, and waterfalls falling down the side of a mountain into the sea are a daily thing that happens here. When we were in Glacier Bay National Park, a ranger came onto our boat to discuss the park. It was an important one to listen to. She brought up how what we do miles away from here affects us, asking us what we will do and who we will be when we return to our community and asking us if we want future generations to experience the things we got to experience on this trip. It's precisely what I've been saying for years: if you want to travel the world, you must start caring for it. Before this trip, I learned that Holland American is one of the only cruise ships allowed in the park. The park limits boats coming in due to its natural habitat and importance to Alaska Native culture and history. 

If you want to see Alaska, skip Anchorage and Fairbanks and only consider those places as starting or ending points that you do not even need a whole day to visit. Unfortunately, those cities are dead, with little to see or do. Spending an entire day in Fairbanks waiting for our 10 pm flight made the trip back feel extra long. 

 

Because Alaska was such a big trip, my schedule and time were limited to more local road trips last year. But this year, I am returning to my roots of traveling alone and to the place I call my home away from home. 

I'm soooo excited to return to see littles, friends, and old stomping grounds. But I also learned returning to a place you don't live anymore is hard and can be an uneasy experience. Life has moved on, and things may look the same, but something is different, and you're different, too. The key is to not expect and just go with the flow. I hope that the people at the local pub still remember my name and have Koberberg. It has been 6 years since my last time there (thanks, pando), so my hope isn't that high. I will take this trip one day at a time; I made a list of places to go and told people I am coming and will see them, but I will take it daily. Honestly, I'm good if I'm just hanging with little ones, walking the beach, or sitting in the local pub! It might turn into the trip I need.