Two weeks ago, I surprised my family at home.
This sounds like no big deal. However, a trip to Alaska is slightly more than your average drive across town.
My mother has slowly been brain washing me over the last year, since I moved to Seattle area. Everytime I call her, she says, “I miss you. You should come home."
She wore me down and eventually succeeded in making me homesick. So, I bought a ticket home.
I spent a week with my family, in Alaska. It was so refreshing to be back with my family at home. I didn’t realize how much I missed them and needed to “recharge” before the big journey ahead.
I had all the cute things - A baby, 2 dogs, one cat, and no shortage of cuteness. My heart was full.
On Monday of last week, Matt and I took off for Washington. It's 2,500 miles from Anchorage to Seattle.
We’ve done the drive in 2.5 days in the past, but that was truly awful. This time, we decided to take our time and spend a whopping four days going through Canada. { This is still pretty fast, but kept our sanity in tact by actually getting sleep. }
You might be wondering, “Didn’t you already move from Alaska? Why did you go back?"
Yes! However, Matt moved back to work there for the summer and all of his belongings were there as well.
The trip was timed just right. The the leaves on the trees had turned their fall colors but had not yet fallen. The snow had made it halfway down the mountain threatening the first snowfall at anytime.
The dropping temperatures and the snow capped mountains reminded me of the soon coming winter, and — for the very first time — I wouldn’t have a real winter.
I camped out and slept under a brilliant starry sky.
There’s something just so peaceful about camping in the wilderness. No buzzing light bulbs or ringing phones.
Sleep seems so much more peaceful out there. { Except when I hear a squirrel outside my tent and fear for my life that it’s a murderer. I do that. I think that every noise I hear in the wilderness is someone trying to kill me… That part isn’t so restful.}
I passed through countless small towns, whose economy consists purely of tourism of the people driving to and from Alaska, and the truck drivers who haul things back and forth.
During the drive, I saw bison, moose, caribou, deer, goats and a black bear. The deer were so tiny and cute! I couldn't handle it.
Driving at night is the most dangerous part of the trip because said moose, caribou and deer love to dart in front of your vehicle, at the last second, like it’s their job. To make things more interesting, there are random patches of fog that are so thick you can’t see two feet in front of yourself.
For the majority of the drive, there are no street lamps, guardrails or reflective markers along the highway. So, having good headlights is crucial. The only warning you get before road kill is the reflection of the headlights off of the animals eye balls. Unfortunate, but true.
One night while driving, there was a heard of a few dozen bison in the middle of the road. We. Almost. Hit. Them.
While Matt gasped for breath because our truck almost plowed through a heard of 3,500 pound bison, I gasped with joy because I was so excited to take a photo of them with my iPhone. I took a photo… It wasn’t good.
After the sea of bison had slowly parted, they galloped beside us down the road under the starry night sky. It was pretty magical.
During the drive, I couldn’t help but think about how I did this very drive one year ago, about how much had changed, and what is about the come. I can either reject it, or embrace it. But that is easier said than done.
Yesterday, we left for Los Angeles! Next time you hear from me, I'll be moved to a different state.
With Love,
Alecia