Alaska Is...

       a cool breeze on a hot and humid day.
       a white cloud in a sky of gray.
       a refreshing drink after running 6.2 miles.
       a serene nature preserve in an industrial park.
       the beauty in a mechanized country.
       the one tree left standing after a forest blaze.
       beautiful.

Final Reflections

        Many people believe that to experience Alaska all you need to do is ride a bus or get on a cruise. This is not true in my opinion. Can those people in the tour busses say they have climbed the mountains they pass so close beneath? Can the people on the cruise ship say they’ve climbed one of the glaciers they see or witness whales fluking and breeching less than a hundred yards from the ship? I bet many of them can’t. Even some on this trip can’t say they have dug for clams here. I can say all of them and more.
        This is what I will cherish and remember about this trip. Sure my souvenirs will remind me of where I got them, but my journal will tell me about everyday. I can’t wait to go home and share the many stories about the true Alaska that I have seen over these past three weeks.