places that feel like home.

There have been few places I've been that when I go they feel like home.  Portland, OR is forver in my heart, and I really liked Chicago, but other than that I haven't been a lot of places that I say, "Wow, I would love to live here."  And now Valdez, AK is on that list.  

I've been here for two nights and three days, I'm going to be leaving today...at some point.  On my friend Krista's suggestion I decided to come to Valdez and she asked her grandparents if I could stay here and they said yes!  So I've been staying with the great Judy the last few nights and I'm finding it hard to pack up and leave.  

Her neighbor, Sunny and her sister Silia, took me canoing yesterday.  They met me for 5 minutes the day before but they hung out with me all day.  And Judy knows everyone in town so I was always meeting people and everyone was so genuinely nice and interested in me it blew my mind.  I even got invited to a bonfire last night.  It's been an amazing few days in Valdez and I'm finding really hard to leave.

I'm currently drinking my second cup of coffee and trying to plan my trip home and leave, it's become really hard.  I didn't expect this.  I didn't expect to become so attached to one place in Alaska so quickly.  I could stay here.  Just have my roommate throw out all my stuff...and stay.  But, alas I'm not quite that crazy.  I know it will be here when I come back and I'm already scheming and getting tips on how to live in Alaska during the summer and make money.  

So I'm going to be heading out of Alaska today, only going about 30 miles away and camping today but then starting sunday I will be doing 400+ miles a day.  

 

The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned. 
Maya Angelou

a quick hi from alaska.

i've made it to Anhorage, AK.  I'm currently sitting in Starbuck's, just bought my third mug for the trip. that's it i have to cut myself off, my roommates are not going to be happy that i'm bringing home more mugs. I have a problem...but it's the only souvenir I've bought (besides a sweatshirt).  I currently have over 800 pictures so far, and it's day 10.  I'm going to have a lot of going through on my way back home.  

I'm in Anchorage doing errands and restocking on supplies.  The city has the Alaskan Mountains surrounding the city, so beautiful.  So I like it better than Faribanks.  

Today is my civilization day, i'm emailing, even posting a blog, and if i get everything done in time i might even see a movie.  The trip, already has been more than i could have hoped for.  

I'll give you a little preview of what i think about my trip so far.  My favorite place is Denali National Park.  I feel in love with the park, I might have even teared up a little while i was leaving, but there are no witnesses...I can't even begin to describe the amazing time i had there in 3 short days.  My legs are still sore from the 2 mountains i hiked up.  Here's a list of the wildlife I've seen so far, Caribou, over 25 grizzly bears, 3 black bears, a herd of dall sheep, fox, ground squirrel, red squirrel, golden eagles, wolf eating a carbiou carcass. a herd of bison.  And some of these animals were on the road or 5 feet off the road.  

AHH!! it's so amazing I could just go on forever, but I won't. I want to save something for when i get back.  Again thank you everyone for all your support, it really has meant the world to me and helped me.  

The end of one story ushers in the beginning of mine.

Okay, 5 hours after seeing Harry Potter Deathly Hallows Part II, I woke up to the pitter patter of my heart being excited to leave for Alaska.  

Last night was very emotional saying goodbye to my long time friend Harry Potter.  It was so surreal watching this movie and thinking how this is it. No more books, no more movies...I know that the fandom will keep Harry alive and Hogwarts will always except me home, but it got me thinking about growing up and leaving things behind.  And moving forward to doing exciting things.

 

So I'm doing one last post.  Hopefully I'll be able to post something while I'm gone, but I've got re-pack my entire car, AKA Shadowfax Jr.  Pick up some bread and then drive north! After a week in Portland I don't really want to leave because I love it here so much, but I have an adventure to take.  

I'll leave you with a quote I love that was recently shared with me by my friend Laura.

"Some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end.  Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next.  delicious ambiguity." Gilda Radnor

if a bear starts to eat you, gouge out it's eyes...your fighting for your life.

I'm going to say that I had a wilderness training course with Uncle Travis. My aunt Terra and him camp a lot, and camp in bear country.  They know what's up and when i emailed Terra to ask for her help they jumped to action and came through like champions to supply me with...most of my camping gear.

So yesterday, after we had a family BBQ at grandma's house it was time for the wilderness camping lesson.  Things I learned about camping from Uncle Travis.

1. do not, I repeat, DO NOT keep anything scented in the tent with you while you sleep. no food, deoderant, lotion, lip balm, toothpaste, NOTHING!!!! If it has a scent keep it away from you when you sleep.

2. keep the car 100 yards away from the tent, and the cooking area 100 yards away from the tent in the other direction, to form a triangle. 

3. as soon as I get into Canada buy Bear Spray. It can save my life.

And then we practiced I practiced setting up the tent.  Travis helped a little bit, and I think the first time I set that up by myself will be a humorous video.  

Thanks Travis and Terra! It's amazing to see how much family rallied around me.  It's good to feel loved.  Dad is going to lend me the rest of the supplies that I need. 

And, my Dad is a certified mechanic and he's been doing it for 20 years and when he saw Shadowfax, my first rental car (a sliver nissan) and saw that the tires were aslkjvosekjlks bald. He said I need to get a new car.  So yesterday I traded in Shadowfax and got Shadowfax Jr. a silver VW Jetta.  

It's been an exciting few days here in portland and every day is jammed packed with seeing the people i love in a city i love doing things i love.  New York feels like a dream...

leaving NYC.

in 7 hours my plane will leave JFK airport and fly straight to the loving arms of my home, Portland, Oregon.  I will be gone for 30 days. 7 of those days will be in Portland and then I drive north to Alaska for about 21 days.

no, i will not miss it. there was a second, a split second when i left work and i was like ohh...bye work...and then the train wasn't running because of a broken switch and that sentimental feeling dissovled quickly into the rage i normally feel for new york. 

I feel light.  the past few weeks i've felt really heavy and weighed down by the city, but i woke up this morning happy and light, ready to leave and see what the west coast will bring this time.  I'm not at all sad to leave NYC.  I will miss some people, yes, but not the city at all.

tomorrow.

i leave tomorrow. TOMORROW?! i'm currently battling rising anxiety about forgetting something, or dying on my trip, and being so happy i'm consistently on the verge of tears.

I will post again before i'm alaskan bound but expect one or two posts over the next month until i get back.

 

do you want a postcard while i'm gone? please email your address at sammi.a.lang@gmail.com

 

(autumn i mean you)