Blue Lollipop Road

August 19, 2010 In Alaska, Random babble

open up and say… ahh!

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!

August 18, 2010 In Alaska, Photos, Videos

a promise

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? 🙂

August 17, 2010 In Alaska, People, Photos

meet stan

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.

Maybe it’s all this fresh air…

August 17, 2010 In Alaska, Donations and Sponsorships, Ohio, Photos

merci, merci, merci

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?

XOXOXO and a thousand smiles!

August 17, 2010 In Alaska, Photos

hard working fishin’ boats

…in for the night against the fiery summer sky

August 16, 2010 In Alaska, News articles/Links

trade-offs and choices

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.

August 15, 2010 In Uncategorized

32

Today is my birthday and I’m sitting in my car with all my windows rolled down overlooking some wetlands and snow capped mountains. The sun is shining bright and the temperature is in the low 80’s. I couldn’t have ordered a better day out of a catalog to ring in #32. I remember months ago thinking to myself; It’d be so cool to be in Alaska on my birthday this year, then immediately thinking-yeah fat chance of that happening- and here I sit now. I went for a run up to a glacier this morning and now I’m stuffed from a delicious breakfast. I’m going to spend the rest of the day relaxing and doing a whole lot of nothing, just being outside and breathing in the air and peace of where I am at today.

I did want to share a photo of the big catch from yesterday. The guys I was with caught a 50 pound halibut!

This was the scenery during that catch, along with bunches of whale and sea lion sightings. A pretty fantastic way to spend 7 hours on a Saturday, with some of the nicest and most fun locals I could hope to hang with:

I have taken over 1,000 photos so far and officially been gone over a month now. I’ll have stories until the cows come home so keep checking back. I’m looking forward to sharing more! For now I’m off to treat myself to the gift of being unplugged for the afternoon…

August 14, 2010 In Uncategorized

fishin’

I’m heading out on a monumentally sunny 80 degree day (apparently consecutively sunny days are rare here) with some locals to go whale watching and halibut fishing.

I sure wasn’t doing this last weekend!

I’ll be excited to share news of the big catch later!

August 13, 2010 In Alaska, Photos

just pinch me, pinch me, pinch me

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.

August 13, 2010 In Donations and Sponsorships, Photos

more thanks, followers, friends and sights

Happy happenings from my day:

1.) Pulling over at one a place that looks like this on the side of the road to eat my sandwich for lunch. I’m wondering how many times I can say is this real? Am I really here looking at this?- before I sound like the most annoying person ever or a crazy broken record:

2.) Noticing I’ve officially made the tip over 100 followers! Wahoo! All followers welcome…bring it!

3.) Found out a couple guys from high school Jon and Aaron are up here hiking and traveling around too. We’re going to traipse around together. Yes! You’ve gotta love random connections after years and modern technology.

4.) Generous people. THANK YOU to:
*Ratfink; Out of nowhere you come. Fabulous
*Elizabeth and Todd, Lindsey, Drew, Julie; Gas and belly are full. Ahhh…

Here’s to Thursdays like this one!