Adventures in the Northland

My trip up north was incredible. I loved every minute of it. I really didn't know what to expect seeing as how I was just going on rumors of what Alaska was supposedly like. It actually wasn't that cold. I packed long underwear and layers upon layers that I didn't end up needing to wear. The thing about Alaska is that it is so pure, so beautiful. There is a natural beauty there that I don't think people can really comprehend unless they've been there in person. People up there refer to it as the 'last frontier' and I would wholeheartedly agree with that. It is absolutely breathtaking.

I spent a few days in Anchorage, a city that I would say is a comparable size to Des Moines plus looming, gorgeous mountains and the ocean that you would never see in Des Moines. It's pretty small but it's the biggest city in Alaska. I met a few really cool people who I hope to keep in touch with. People up there are very friendly and open.

I then spent the last leg of my trip in Girdwood, Alaska which is approximately 40 minutes away from Anchorage. The drive to Girdwood is possibly the prettiest drive I have ever been on and the quaint town of Girdwood is stunning. It is a little ski town nestled in the mountains. In the summer, you can see glaciers from the top of a mountain in Girdwood. I cannot do it justice just to say it was beautiful.

The reason I went to Girdwood is one of my old friends from high school is living and working there right now. He went to school in San Franciso and then got transferred to Girdwood. Seeing him made the trip more special and unique just because I got to meet a lot of people through him, see the town in ways I probably wouldn't have otherwise, and most importantly I got to catch up with him since we haven't seen each other in literally years.

My adventure coming home kind of sucked but I will write about that more in my next post. And as soon as I have pictures, I will post them. Even though I had no desire to ever go to Alaska, I'm now thinking that I have to definitely get back there sometime. And I would highly recommend that everyone go up there at least once in their lifetime. You'll be amazed.