- Alex

Alaska Is...

       Alaska is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I had no idea that it was that scenic. Everywhere you look are mountains. You think that’s beautiful until you go on the Denali bus ride and see Mt. McKinley! I had trouble looking away from it. It was so amazing! Then when you climb Mt. Healy! There are no words to describe that view. I  hope I never forget. Then, there are the animals. Moose are seen numerous times but each time is special because of the animal’s majesty. I had never seen a bear before this trip and I saw ten on the Denali bus. Including cubs! The whales today amazed me. I’d only see a whale fluke in pictures, but I think my favorite animal was the sea otter. It was so close and just sitting there smiling at us.
            The most important thing about this trip are the bonds made. As we were hiking back from Exit Glacier, Chelsea Nguyen asked Molly Chapman here she knew e before this trip. Molly responded that we met on this trip and Chelsea thought by how we acted round each other made her think we’d known ach other for years. That is the power of the trip. People  who have never met by the end of this trip feel like they have known each other for a lifeime. And it isn’t just Molly. There are probably at least ten people like Liz whom I came here being kinda good friends and now our bond is ten times stronger. This trip was/ is amazing and I’m so glad I came!

Final Reflections

This trip was much more than I expected.  The trip is so much more than a vacation.  Alaska does not make this trip special, the time spent together and the memories made make this trip special.  I had always heard how friendships were made in Alaska but one can't understand that completely until they've gone to Alaska themselves and made friendships that will last forever.  The scenery is great, and the animals you see are really cool, but they do not compare to the memories, laughs, and inside jokes that are created in Alaska.  I will never forget Alaska because every time I walk down the hallway, I will see a face that will remind me of this awesome experience.