- Lauren

Alaska Is...

      Alaska is…
Alaska is happiness and friends, peace and love.
Jokes and laughter, smiles and hugs (especially at hug time).
Knowledge and satisfaction.
A deep breath; a cleanse from the crazy fast-paced world.
Beautiful and breathtaking.
Opening your eyes, your heart, and your mind.  Independence.
Forgetting pettiness, gossip, and childish rumors.
Excitement and discovery.
Fitting in and being a part of something bigger than yourself, without having to try.

Final Reflections

I’m sitting in a park in Wasilla, Alaska, on the second-to-last day I’ll be here, trying to put into words the feelings about this trip that I have.  There’s a wave of sadness that washes over me every time I think about leaving, but I will also be really happy to be getting home.  I miss home—but I know when I get there I’ll miss Alaska so much.  And not only Alaska, but also AGLP and all its members.
            During the trip, we become like a family.  This is a really good analogy to use for us, because ALP members act like family in a lot of ways.  There are a lot of participants that could be better described as a sister or brother than a friend.  There are role models to look up to, like older siblings, and there are parental figures.  We don’t judge, separate, or care about other people’s flaws as much when we’re here, also like a family.  I’ll miss being together with everyone all the time.  Never being alone can wear me out, but I think I’ll find that there was a sort of comfort to never be lonely.
            On the trip, we do some pretty amazing things that most people will never get a chance to do in their lifetime.  I’m 14, and I’ve climbed a mountain and a glacier, run a 10K, swam in glacial waters, been on a whale watch and seen five or six whales, been on a boat tour of a beautiful coast with sightings of nearly endangered animals, visited many museums and learned a lot form them, been tide pooling on a beach with no civilization anywhere you look, and made friends that will last a lifetime.  I’ve done it all in Alaska, and I don’t regret any of it.