In January 2006 I escorted a girl home to Anchorage and was too chicken to leave the airport. Taking the shuttle bus from one terminal to another about gave me a panic attack and I sat in the airport thinking "why did I do this?" I was brand newly pregnant, it was freeeezing cold, and all I wanted was to be home with familiar food and a nice bed.
Contrast that with this trip, 2.5 years later - exhilirating! There's something amazing about striking confidently off into the unknown and coming off conquerer. Same thing as my recent LA trip - I loved feeling in charge and in control. Maybe now that I'm a mom and thus an official adult, maybe it's because I don't have a man to take care of me, maybe it's because I love all of life in general and a new adventure is just icing on the cake, maybe... who knows. But it's great.
Anyway, pictures-slash-abbreviated rundown, in chronological order:
1) arrival at the freezing cold Anchorage airport, waiting for the terminal shuttle
2) very nice car though I only paid $23.00 for the compact cheapie. Maybe it's coincidence that I'm very friendly to the male agents who assist me? Who knows.
3) an Anchorage airport bathroom. So you can see my excitement at being in a new place. And tell what I'm wearing since the rest are headshots :)
4) comparing prices at the Carrs (Safeway) - my favorite hairspray was $7.99 so I decided my hair was better off dead for the day. Sorry pictures.
5) visiting two of my past clients (sisters) and the new baby (mom is on the right)
6) 5th avenue mall! Totally upscale mall for the great Alaskan wilderness (ha).
6) 5th avenue mall! Totally upscale mall for the great Alaskan wilderness (ha).
7) watching the sun set from the 5th avenue parking garage. What a beautiful land.
8) proof that I ate Alaskan Salmon (though it was at Outback... the local pub we tried to go to had an hour wait and I had to make a temple session)
9) 10:15 pm, Anchorage temple, after my endowment session. Only one person tapped her watch in disapproval as I got dressed faster than you can imagine. Nobody noticed that I still had jeans on under my jean skirt. Wa ha!
10) back to the freezing cold Anchorage airport
11) where I should have taken a picture this morning next to the "Welcome to Alaska!" sign. (and finally feeling like yes, indeed, it is 3 am MY time).
12) for all you Palin fans out there
13) seeing the sun rise in Utah, after a very miserable 5-hours with an armrest & legroom hogger seat mate, being stuck next to the window behind a laid-back chair in front of me. Claustrophobia? Yeah, a little.
14) Eating lasagne with Kendall for breakfast before hitting the sack for the day :)
Not pictured: How I read Breaking Dawn in 8 hours of those flights/airport time. It was... interesting. Not my favorite. It had its high points, lots of bizarre points, and I'm okay that it's over. I still think some books/shows (Prison Break, Lost, Veronica Mars, and Heroes) should stop while they're ahead.
8 comments:
I LOVED this! Cute post and very creative! You were so brave to strike out in Alaska, of all places, on your own. You make me so proud!
I loved all the pictures with Paint in them. You're my favorite. :)
wow! what a marathon! looks like you had a great time. what a fun way to do a quick trip.
An "official" adult, huh? Does that make me an "unofficial" adult? ;)
Looks like you had a grand time. Good to see it.
You've come a long way baby! So glad that you have grown and changed and did Alaska right. I'm sure I would have felt the same way you did...hope I would be brave enough to have a second chance. I sure know that the next time I'm in france I WILL eat the escargot!
What a perfect trip! There is something nice about being able to make decisions just for yourself.
Sounds like you managed to do a lot in a short period of time! I'm glad the second time around went better.
I forgot about this blog--I love it! Way to strike out! I'm jealous you've been to Alaska... I doubt I'll ever get there.
In a few weeks you'll be in EUROPE. Quite the swing in less than a month!
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