Had to throw in some Poison here that popped in my mind for a title!
I’m sitting by a window at a little wooden table with fresh flowers on it in a bustling cafe’ in a small Alaska town. I’m cozied up wearing jeans, a sweatshirt and scarf and rain is drizzling outside. The smell of espresso being ground (yum) and cinnamon fill the air (yum.) From my seat I can see what seems to be a thousand fishing boats.
As I was just bopping around different pages on my laptop trying to get some writing done, emails caught up etc., I found myself stopping to take a big breath, and just sitting back in the chair for a minute to say ahh….
I suppose that even in my solo hikes, miles of driving and plenty of relaxed, writing coffee shop time prior to this, I’ve still been wound up a whole lot more than I realized. I had this goal to make it here, these thoughts of what It’d be like. It was hugely important to me to be able to properly honor two people that mean so much to me on this certain day, and now that day has passed. I guess this is bit of a calm after the storm kind of feeling. Like some kind of satisfying relief or something. That smile and euphoric feeling that we get on Thanksgiving day on the couch after the feast when our face has a smile and we’re dozing off into a nap…
This trip could have not been more perfect. I’m glad I didn’t and haven’t actually planned a single thing besides taking some special time on 8/18. If I had specifically planned this all out, I know I wouldn’t be sitting here anywhere near as happy as I am. The harsh reality now is that my time in Alaska has only a short bit left, I have no place to live after my travels and no job because I chose to give that all up to be here. Bank accounts are scraping bottom, and the majority of things I own are in my car. My reality is though, that the previously stated doesn’t stress me out. Since I decided to take the first step on this journey and let control go more than I ever have before, things have just worked out.”When you take a step toward life, the universe will support you” is what someone wrote to me in an email a few months ago. This has proven to be so very true. I’m not completely sure what’s next for me as far as what city I will live in or how exactly I will make a living. I have some irons in the fire, and I keep the door open for other opportunities that may come. It’s tremendously exciting for me to think about the next phase of life. There have been plenty of times I haven’t woken up excited for months. (Yuck. Pure torture.) I know as long as I keep waking up somewhat excited about my day and try my best, I’ll always be exactly where I need to be. This trip has offered me a comfort and confidence to thoroughly believe that.
Here’s to that moment after you reach that seemingly much too far off goal, that you sit back, open up and say ahh! Then; What’s next world? Bring it- I’m ready for more!
Right after recording this, I got in my car to watch it and it started to drizzle a little. (I had just barely commented on how gorgeous the weather was and 2 minutes later it’s raining?!) At the end of the video, I looked to my left at beams of sunlight through the clouds and no exaggeration the most brilliant and full rainbow I have ever seen. As in I jumped back out of the car at warp speed to get a photo. This one doesn’t do it near justice, it was so much better in person. Maybe I should’ve kept the moment all to myself, but I really felt like sharing it. Here’s my best attempt:
All this sounds perfectly hokey right? Drive all the way to Alaska from the east coast, make a video on the anniversary of the death of my friends that my blog is dedicated to, and as soon as I’m done recording, out of the sky appears a big fat gorgeous rainbow like a sign from the heavens?
So it might sound odd that I’m laughing right now, but I am. I know exactly what that rainbow was. See, Maria and Brandy had huge hearts, but both had these rough and tumble outer shells. There was never much of any sniffling or being all gushy and girly for them. Of the three of us, that was my job. I know that they saw me making this video today all teary-eyed and nostalgic, so they sent that rainbow to jokingly punch me in the arm like they did years ago when I’d be gushy and girly. That sign today was their way of saying to me; “Sheesh Peacock!, you’re such a freakin’ softie! We are just fine! Stop cryin’ over us ya fool and go have some fun for pete’s sakes!”
That’s exactly what that rainbow was.
As you wish ladies.
So, I left their lollipops for them, and drove down the road with a big fat smile on my face happily eating mine:
Thanks you two. How could I have expected anything less? 🙂
Stan works on one of the many ferries that take people all over Alaska. We chatted on my first ferry ride when I came through his line for coffee. He grabbed my arm as I was walking away and said “You are my angel for the day, you come back and get yourself all the coffee you want sweetie” …and ended that line with a wink.
Oh Stan.
What an adorable man. He told me that he was a native Alaskan. He had moved to the Seattle area for a couple years a while back and had a commercial fishing business, but this was his home.
The employees on these ferries I’ve talked to have worked on them for years. As in, 15, 20 kind of years. They mostly work a week on, then a week off. Away from family. They say they’re used to it. All staff I’ve encountered during my rides have been extremely friendly and welcoming. It makes the breathtaking scenery even better if that’s possible! People in Alaska and Canada have been so nice that nice isn’t even a good enough word for it.
A million thank you’s are not enough to express how happy I am for all the love and support that’s coming in to me and Blue Lollipop Road since being on this trip. I will continue to try and thank anyway and hope that it’s means enough to you all out there and that you’ll continue to follow me on my journey and share yours with me too.
Thank you again to my drink sponsors Blanchard’s Coffee and Fruit 66. You guys have been fueling me everywhere I’ve been. Just one of the spots I have snapped a photo of my constant supply:
*To my hard working, fun, creative intern Sarah who has continually helped with posting my photos on the gallery page above, managing my map and being the brain of 1,000 good ideas; You ROCK. (Check out her ceramics and other artwork. Fabulous.)
*Thanks to Joe; I got showers in Juneau and they even made me s’mores for my birthday. Yeah! *DP, Lindsay and Nelsey- thanks. You have kept me trucking on the ferry and in my car. This means the Blue Lollipop Road continues. That’s the best gift ever to me. Thank you for being such wonderful friends.
*Cool Cleveland! Thanks for posting my post on your site for your awesome city. Isn’t is grand there are so many entertaining spots around America we can all explore?
I woke up on the floor of a ferry this morning at 5:15am feeling like a bag of smashed a**holes.
Hot eh?
I know, and I feel so classy for using that term too, but it’s the first thing I thought this morning after opening my eyes. The boys back home used to say that after a crazy night out drinking. I’m not hungover, I’m just sick. I started sniffling and coughing and sneezing a couple days ago. As usual, I tried not to take anything and will the sickness away, but it didn’t work.
Ferries are a must to get you around AK. They’re pricey, but pretty much like a small cruise ship. They show movies, have comfy observation decks, free nature talks, full cafe’s with all kinds of eats, cocktail lounges, free showers and even a heated outside top deck. The biggest difference from a regular cruise liner is that you don’t get a room. I’m certainly not going to pay extra for a bed to sleep on when there’s a free warm floor, even if it is hard, uncomfortable, and probably not the cleanest thing in the world. It’s a pretty easy choice when you think about it; Pay an extra bill, more gas $, or a few bucks for something chocolate when I can fully taste again and sleeping on the floor in a public boat, or renting a room? I’m in non-heel wearing, shower whenever and Frugal Franny mode right now so it’s all good. I’ve even sworn off regular shaving until I get back to “the lower 48.” (Wow, I’m sounding hotter by the minute!) I did have to laugh this morning though when I woke up feeling like I was 92, not 32. Good thing is, you know when you can wake up on the floor of a public ship with no pillow or sleeping bag, after maybe being able to actually sleep for 3 hours, hacking your brains out and reaching for the nearest tissue because if you so much as move, your nose will run all over the place- but still smile, shake it off and look forward to starting your day at 6am, you are in the right place for the time being. Saying that leads me nicely into this news link I got from a reader this morning.
Last night I met several less is more and do what you love fellow travelers. In line for the ferry I met a gentleman named Ron originally from Germany, now lives in Montana. Engineer by trade and daughters my age. He came to AK to spend time with one of his daughters and has traveled around the world. Later in the night I met a couple originally from Chile, in their 60’s, now RV full time, have been for 3.5 years and lived for years in L.A. (kids my age again and family there.) Lastly a worker on the ship in his 50’s from Maine, x-corporate guy with yet again, kids my age and now loving life early retired and bartending. What was the theme of every conversation I had with them? Do it. Do the things that make you happy. The “If I could go back in time” came up so many times I lost count. We didn’t have conversations of regret, as they were all positive people, just more of a don’t let it take you your whole life to start doing what you love, your health and soul will suffer. We talked for hours. (Not that I needed any more encouragement to keep traveling.)
I relish the time I get to spend with anyone who has lived longer on this earth than me. Especially with people who’ve lived significantly longer. In any conversation I’ve ever had, including last nights, I can’t remember one of them being; Boy I wish I stayed at that job I hated, I wish I never tried X kind of food, or man it’s a bummer I never ended up marrying that jerk. Nope. They are always just the opposite. Kerry, the Chilean gent (Came to the U.S and worked his a** off for years and years as a painter) was talking about how you can lose everything/”They” can take everything; Your house, car, boat, furniture- all of it, but no one can take your experiences and what’s in your heart and head. So right on Kerry.
I like expensive jeans, nice hotels and I usually can’t stand going more than 5 weeks without a haircut. I’m a total type A perfectionist and you’d never find me caught dead driving my car in the filthy condition that it currently is in on a regular day. For right now though, I choose dirty clothes, car, bad hair and floor sleeping as a trade off to get to do what I’m doing and it’s really not hard at all. It’s so worth it to me. Even though my head is a bit groggy today and I’m feeling far from 100%, I’m happy. From where I was crying hysterically to my sister on the phone just a few short months ago trying to figure out how to get out of a life I had created that I didn’t want. I’ll take 1,000 sleepless, snotty floor nights that aren’t as torturous as they sound. My hair probably doesn’t actually look nearly as awful as I’m imagining it does either.
Lets listen to our elders my peers! Why are so many of us waiting so long to start the ball rolling on doing what we love?
Cheers to my new friends from last night. Thanks for the great conversation and perspective. I hope to run into you again somewhere down the road.
After parking the BLR mobile on the side of the road for the sight in my previous post to eat my lunch, I went for a big ol’ hike yesterday. As usual, not only did I not read up on where I was going, but I didn’t know whether it was an actual hike, or one of those walks that tourists just like to call a “hike” to say they went hiking. I wasn’t sure the conditions or length. I just parked my car in town and walked to the trailhead with a backpack containing a sweatshirt, bottle of water, notebook, I.D, bank card, cell phone, camera, and up I went.
I’ve hiked a lot of places and I’m an active girl, so I thought It’d be a breeze. It wasn’t exactly hard, just a lot more steep and muddy than I had anticipated. As I sweat and sweat because the punishment once again of not planning is dealing with things like being overdressed and packing too much, I laugh and ask myself why I continue to be such a stubborn pain in the a**. Like, why I don’t read up on these things? What is my deal with that? I have come up with nothing to date other than because doing all that research and finding out everything about something before you do it simply takes all the fun and adventure out of it and that’s a snooze. I enjoy sometimes making things difficult for myself too, that way I always feel alive.
The hike was gorgeous and a good replacement for my run for the day. (Have I mentioned yet that when I have run around the neighborhood I am staying on these misty mornings I feel like I am running through an enchanted forest? It’s as if the BFG, Hansel and Gretel and the Cheshire Cat are going to pop out and say “Hey Di! How are ya? Isn’t it gorgeous here in our home?!”)
A shot of the green on the way up:
At one point I literally had to hug a tree to prevent myself from falling in 2 feet of mud. Here’s a photo of me laughing thinking about all of you out there who’ve joked before that I’m a “VT Tree-huggin’ Hippe.” (I am even sporting my Vermont hat!):
View from about 3/4 of the way up:
Sign and my sneaker almost to the top. (It’s a good thing I follow directions so well.):
At the top:
Besides the view, another treat at the top:
The choice yesterday was pay $30 for a round-trip ticket, or hike up and pay $5 for the ride down, or spend $5 and use your receipt from your purchase for the ride down. No brainer. I’m not going to hand someone a 5 dollar bill if I can have a cold delicious beer and hand them a receipt just the same! I didn’t know what to expect at the top of this mountain, but it ended up being better that I thought it’d be like so many other things on this trip. I got this view, a cold pint of Alaska Brewing Co. Summer Ale and some french fries gifted; “Have some!” from two cruise ship tourist gents probably in their 70’s sitting next to me at the bar having a cold brew too. I just sat back, took a few minutes, sipped my beer and thought ahhh….life is so, so good.
How incredible is this trip and how gorgeous is Alaska?
Sigh…
Thinking of words.
Still thinking…
…and thinking…
Hmmm…my mind just floats.
I have thought a lot about this. I’ve tried coming up with the right words or terms to fit this experience but I can’t.
I can say this is hands down the best thing I have ever done in my life for myself. In seeing amazing sights and having experiences like I have, it’d normally be such a total bummer for me not be able to share them with someone that I love present with me. This time though, I am so happy to be alone and with just myself. For anyone else out there who has reached to grab their own personal star and actually been able to put a hand on it too, you know what I mean. If there’s one thing I know for sure now, it’s that I won’t ever again doubt my abilities moving forward for anything I want to do or be in my life. That kind of confidence is the best gift any of us could ever find for ourselves.
As for how gorgeous Alaska is?
If you took every National Park you have ever been to, add every photo you’ve seen that looks fake but is real in National Geographic magazine, add every green space that’s totally natural you’ve ever been in, every bit of pure blue water you’ve ever swam in, some snow-capped mountains, throw in a glacier or two, and unscathed land for hundreds and hundreds of miles, multiply it by 100- that’s Alaska. Add a sunny day (it’s overcast and misty here a lot) and blow that previous formula off the charts. My pictures do it no justice either, I barely know how to use my camera the right way.
Yep. For real.
As you all know Alaska is my 50th and final state to make it to. To say I saved the best for last wouldn’t be fair to the other states. After all, each place has it’s own perfection. However, the fact of the matter is, the behemoth beauty of Alaska leaves any close competition far, far in the distance.
Last night was night two of feasting with the wonderfully welcoming Tongan family. As I mentioned in yesterday’s post this was a going away celebration for non-family member Emily who’s moving from Alaska to the east coast for work.
This was one of those meals that it is an absolute tragedy that I don’t have a taste at all for anything from the sea. I mean tragic. All you seafood/fish loving foodies out there would’ve given an arm for the fresh crab that was there. As usual, I tried a bite but shamefully, a no-go. Just to give you an idea of how fresh and how much crab was there to feast on, here is the bin- yes giant Rubbermaid bin, of the clawers the men had caught yesterday morning themselves:
They could only fit half the enormous amount in the first boil. My action shot is a bit fuzzy, but I wanted to get one of him stuffing them in the pot:
Picture this scene; I am once again sitting on the couch at a home of perfect strangers. Our meeting was only as significant as me walking in the door to their home the night before. They have no idea who I am, who I came with, or what I’m doing there and they don’t even ask or care anyway because I am welcome. They certainly don’t let me help even though I ask, so I hang out and play with my new little cutie pie friends Kapua and Lavi. For the second night in a row this huge family is slicing and dicing, boiling crab, playing outside, running in and out the doors. It’s the best kind of chaos. Kapua asks me for some gum as if we have already established that I am the visitor who always brings the gum for the kids. The same scene happened the first night too. Ater we ask Mom if it’s Ok, I give her some. Just as she did the night before, she starts chomping away and tells me 2 minutes later that the minty gum is “too spicy.” I have to laugh. These cuties belong in a catalog:
A short bit later I am dished and served this plate piled high.(I still have not been allowed to move a finger. It is their honor and custom to serve me):
Have I mentioned I am not so sure I am a vegetarian anymore? I have tried so hard but 1.) After NYC and The Spotted Pig and other de-lish eats 2.) The burger I had at Gibson’s Steakhouse in Chicago (I am still drooling over that one.) and 3.) Being a guest at the homes of wonderful people like last night, I can’t very well say; “No thanks, I don’t eat meat.” Or I could, I just don’t really want to, so I ate away. I learned the spinach is an authentic and favorite Tongan side; It is always made with coconut milk. One of “The Uncles” told me the coconut milk always made things sweeter and more delicious so they cook with it a lot. It was delicious and I gobbled the whole plate. Here’s a shot of some remnants of fruit, taro and crab. (If I could explain how much fresh boiled crab there was for the taking to you crab lovers out there, you would fall out of your chair.):
After eating and eating and eating some more, it was show time to honor Emily. Several family members got up to sing, dance, make speeches to show that they love and will miss her. (This is where my head is happily spinning and I’m taking in every ounce of this culture and generosity thinking; WHAT?! Am I here right now watching this? This is so, so fantastic.) The young boys got up to give a performance. Emily is at the end of this video wearing authentic Tongan gear made and gifted by grandma. (My videography skills leave a lot to be desired so pardon the sideways action. I at least made an attempt to get a shot of the guest of honor):
There was another performance by one of the drop-dead gorgeous teen girls who was there (hula.) She seemed so embarrassed about anyone taking photos, etc. I didn’t feel comfortable taking any. The performance was beautiful. These women all have the longest most amazing hair and are absolutely gorgeous. They have no idea they are either which blows my mind. I felt like total white bread sitting next to them! After all the performances dessert was served:
This is “Tongan fruit cocktail.” It’s made of mango, cottage cheese and coconut jello (I didn’t even know that existed.) It wasn’t my favorite taste by any means, but you eat it when you’re served it! Always good to try new things.
As I thanked and was leaving with my house host at around 11:30pm more; “Are you sure you’re full?! Did you get enough?! questions came. Oh indeed I was stuffed and had enough and fell asleep with an over full belly and smile again.
Phew! All of this is so fun, enlightening, humbling, eye-opening, different, new, fantastic and overwhelming at the same time. I have collectively spent 12 hours in the same coffee shop the past 2 days in an attempt to bring all the stories here. I’m not even touching the surface of what I’m seeing, doing or thinking and I sill need to actually get out and tour AK. I could write, upload videos/photos and research the things I am seeing 25 hours a day in prep to share with you all if there were that many hours available. I’m still exhausted but I can’t seem to sleep, my head still hurts with this ongoing painful yet good sensory overload headache and I still have yet to catch my breath during all this. I have never worked so hard or cared so much about something in my life as I do BLR, this trip and being able to share my experiences here. It’s so worth every piece and part. I could sit here and type forever, but I’m going to force myself to unplug and get out into the beauty this afternoon…
After almost 32 years of life, 8 years of waiting (I hit 49 states 8 years ago), lots of daydreaming, 4,685 miles of driving, a bunch of nights of car sleeping in places like Ft. St. John, BC Canada and Teslin, Yukon Territory (map those places-whoa) and some serious heart, I have made it over the border of my 50th state.
OH HELL YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Because I am ready to jump out of my skin with excitement, I’ll have to circle back around to more midwest and Canada later. (Lots to share on those spots too!) Onto to AK arrival for now…
I left Madison, WI at lunch time on Wednesday 8/4 and was at the “Welcome to Alaska” sign by Sunday morning 8/8. 2,906 miles I clocked alone in about 3 days and through some of the most desolate, unscathed land you could imagine. If you asked me to do that again right now today I’d look at you and ask you if you were freakin’ nuts. I have to laugh. That’s exactly what some locals and other tourists I have met so far have said to me when I’ve told them how I got here. Did I mention I didn’t plan this drive at all? I don’t have a GPS, had no idea what it entailed and I didn’t even really look at a paper map until I stopped at a AAA office in Madison. The lady at the counter whipped out some maps, drew a line in green highlighter on the road they “recommended if you are driving to Alaska.” I said thanks and just followed the green highlighted line without questioning it. Thanks lady at AAA. You contributed to me seeing some of the most indescribable sights I will ever see in my lifetime with your green line.
This is the first time I am getting enough internet signal to blog in 4 days and after all those miles. To say that since my last full post my mind and heart have gone to a different place than they’ve ever been before and I have seen things I that’ve blown me away is an understatement. Watch out world I am now video happy! Here’s my first one ever after a good “Holy bleep!” I almost just ran into a bunch of buffalo. Not my hottest look ever, but I am convinced that Ben the lumberjack will love me anyway:
The day after the buffalo, I get to the border. It was FREEZING. Not that I thought it was going to be the tropics here, but in case you were wondering Alaska is NOT warm in the summer. Here I am at the border!:
I continue through U.S customs and similar to the officer entering Canada, this one looked at me alone in my Honda Civic like I was off my rocker. I opened my door to get my passport out of my trunk and didn’t think about the fact that you are not supposed to do that so he practically pounced on me. OOPS!
I then have a dance party in my car singing out loud; “I’m in Alaaaska, I’m in Alaaaska!” I’m so exhausted I feel high at that point. I pull over in the tiny gold rush town of Skagway and take a moment. (Keep in mind I have done ZERO research about this town before coming.) I drove around for a few minutes and follow signs to the ferry. This is where I go from high as a kite with excitement to (pardon the expression) bitch-slapped in 5 minutes. Not only did I walk in thinking I could buy a ferry ticket and there would be departure times all day which was wrong, but I had missed the one ferry for the day and I also found out the $150 ticket I thought I needed was actually $600. I wanted to cry and puke in the same instant but was too tired to do either. As I put my head on the counter in shock I think the 2 guys working thought I was about to have a nervous breakdown. I just started laughing. That delirious, are you effin kidding me, I haven’t slept in days, I’m going to have to sleep in my car again, that $600 will wipe out my bank account, what the hell have I done and what the hell am I going to do and oh this is just perfect laugh like I absolutely belonged in an insane asylum.
I manage to stumble back to my car. That’s when I decided to do make yet another video to confess at how much of a doofus I am for not planning anything before just showing up to a place across the country like a puppy dog ready to play:
I thought after that point it’d be a good idea to go for a run. (I mean really? Oh the things we do when we are delirious.) So I did. The guys at the ferry sales counter had told me there was a shower at the marina for the public. After my drizzly cold run I was all about a skeevy marina shower. At .25 for a minute and a half, that was the best $2 and 12 minutes in a shower I have ever spent. Here was the fancy spot. Let me tell you it felt like the Ritz Carlton after driving almost 3k miles and being filthy for 4 days:
An early afternoon shower and nap in my car after a run was just what the doctor ordered. Blanket covered and clean, I was out. Set the alarm for when the ferry sales office opened and went in to gulp- buy the ticket. Making my best attempt to not freak and chanting my new favorite “trust the process” (this one will go down in history Astro.) I drive the whopping few blocks of Skagway looking for a burger and beer joint. This was the only thing I had really envisioned/planned on for the first day getting here; Pony up to a bar, grab a local beer, chow on some good grub and blog away hoping a random local would be up for a chat and to be my first road character. My first and envisioned beer and grub time turned out so much better than I hoped:
Meet Judy and Allen. Before I could even fully get out of my car to check out the Bonanza Bar and Grill and a few other spots, I hear behind me; “Blue Lollipop Road?! Well that sounds fun!” And the rest is history…
I chatted with brother and sister Allen and Judy for about 30 minutes there on the street. They were super friendly and funny. Vacationers making their way wandering town like me. I told them about BLR and that I was going to check out a couple places to eat and try to get some work done and we went on our separate ways. I walked into Bonanza and it didn’t strike my mood so I walked a couple blocks and into the Red Onion Saloon:
Wouldn’t you know it, it was packed and there were Judy and Allen, they already had a chair pulled up for me and waving for me to join. Locals, Alaskan brewed beer and even free snacks. That night was a silent auction for a local daycare. The cruise ships had left port so the three of us got a good taste of what a summer Sunday night in Skagway town of 500 was like. Fantastic. We toasted to that:
The summer ale and food was delicious and company was even better. Judy is a nurse who lives in the Seattle area and Allen in construction in Billings, Montana where they both grew up. We spent hours and hours talking and laughing. They were sweet and generous and bought 2 rounds of beer before they’d let me pay for one and later Judy bought us all dinner. Turned out they were on the same ferry as I was so we planned to meet up in the morning. We spent the entire 8 hours on the ferry together chatting and laughing more. Judy has a daughter my age and is about to be a Grandma for the first time. Allen got in a motorcycle wreck about 20 years ago and broke is neck and back and never even had a surgery and is walking around totally healthy to this day. (He and I talked a lot about life and appreciating time and how fortunate we are to come out of rough stuff smiling on the other side. I think our meeting was meant to be:) It was like we knew each other for a lifetime. They were the most honest to goodness people I could have met and spent time with.
Judy wanted to get a photo of me in front of the map so she could take my story back to her office and I wanted them to jump in with me too so I could post it here:
Of course I wanted a photo of all three of us outside too. (Yes! That is a GLACIER behind us!!!)
We gave our hugs and said our good bye’s after getting into port, but not before Judy made sure to remind me to call her when I get to Washington so we can meet up. She even offered a place to stay. I think we will all be friends and stay in touch for many years to come. Thank you for a wonderful time Judy and Allen! I hope you enjoy the rest of your trip here!
There’s still more to the start of my Alaska stay; I head straight to the house I’m staying at my the port. Cousins of a friend of mine. Total strangers and just come on in and stay as long/as many days as you’d like. (It’s amazing how willing strangers are to host a weary traveler.) 10 minutes into my arrival they are asking me if I’m hungry and what can they get for me. Just when I start thinking about a way to not be a rude house guest but ask if I can have a shower and go to bed at some atrociously early hour like 7pm to catch up on a weeks sleep, they say; “Oh you have to join for a Tongan experience tonight. A feast at Vinny’s sisters house!” (One of the gents I’m staying with is Tongan, the first person to graduate college in his family and they have been celebrating his awesome accomplishment for the past few days.) Thinking I’ll sleep when I’m dead because how in the world could I say no to that? An hour later I’m at the home of a huge family grandma and grandpa too, meeting his siblings, and a crew of the 34 total grandkids and being welcomed with open arms. (What?! is this happening? So cool I’m thinking.) I meet and chat for a long time with the only other non-family member Emily who seems she is part of the family after years of friendship. She is about my age and of all places about to move from here to Washington DC for a job. I joke with her that we could’ve coordinated our schedules had we know each other and traveled back and forth together. The littlest of grandkids cozy up to Emily and I while we chat on the couch and we snap some photos. (I hope to post them but haven’t asked parent permission yet, so stay tuned.) A couple hours and all the “Aunties” working feverishly in the kitchen later, the feast and I am talking feast is done. I am told; Go go! Guests are always first! I eat and eat as grandma keeps telling me to get more. this is the culture, we eat! she says.
As I sat there will a full belly on the couch after dinner is done, watching some of the family members play cards while a crew of the males practice their Polynesian dance outside for their dinner and cultural event they are going to be putting on for the cruise ship guests, I just think to myself somebody pinch me. Now this is what life is all about, there is no mistake in where I am or what I am doing, and this is exactly why traveling is so incredible. What a perfect welcome to Alaska and way to celebrate my accomplished goal. Imagine this. I’m invited over again tonight for another feast This time celebrating Emily’s new job and departure from the west. I must wrap up here now so I can stretch my belly in prep for plates of food.
I am still weary, behind on work and blogging, no idea where life goes after Alaska, but I will never replace this summer, these memories or regret the occasional discomfort during this process. I have never been so un-worried in my life. My heart is on top of the world. I’ve come to Alaska to honor my friends and I’ve found myself. If that’s not some strong mojo I don’t know what is.
(The title BbI is thank you in Russian. The text is not exactly what it should look like, but my computer can only do so much.) Considering I’m where “You can see Russia from land here!” I though a Russian thank you was appropriate for this time around. Hee hee…
*Thank you to Ann. I appreciate your generosity and the fact that you produced a wonderful person Sarah. She has been such a huge help as my intern extraordinaire!
*Thanks Matt for keeping me connected. Without a crackberry or broadband card, this whole blogging on my journey thing would certainly not work!
*Thank you Joe. I had a couch to sleep on last night because of you and a full shower. Oh if I ever take a couch or a shower for granted again…
*Thank you to everyone who has been trying to finagle and connect me with friends and family here in AK. Oh such nice people. I am very appreciative!
As for paying it forward:
I had noted in the top of my website here that I have a separate bank account open and am saving 10% of any donations to pay forward to another traveler, Someone who submits a story to me via snail/comment or email about a place/goal/thing they have always wanted to do. I am a bit disappointed to announce that I have not gotten one “entry” yet and I will likely be out of Alaska by the 20th ready to give the 10% away as promised. It is not going to be a lot, but the point of my creating a pay it forward campaign was to encourage everyone out there to stir up some creative thoughts, hopes, dreams and wishes and share them with us all. I also think it’s just the right thing to do for me to be generous to someone else, if people have been generous to me. I have not told her this yet, but I have decided to give the BLR pay it forward % to my sister if no one submits their traveling wishes. She has applied to the Peace Corps and been in the process for 7 months. (It’s quite and undertaking and extensive process.) During this time she’s paid out of her own pocket hundreds of dollars for medical/dental check-ups, etc. as required by the organization to be a possible candidate for a position. This is her:
She is proudly displaying the Vermonster. All she wanted for her college graduation gift in May was for us (my family) all to go and indulge in a day of ice cream together. It was so fun. She is an amazing, smart young woman (and a cutie too!) and I have no doubt she’d make a perfect Peace Corps volunteer. I figure if she is going to devote 2 years of her life to help others, has already spent hundreds of her own dollars to be able to do it with no guarantee of getting in, she’d be a good pay it forward recipient.
If anyone still would like to submit a story/wish they have I’d love to hear it. $ is up for grabs! If it is after Alaska, that’s Ok- I’ll still take any stories and I always love to hear peoples hopes and wishes. Thank you all for the continued support on this journey!
