A One-Way Ticket to Alaska (Part 2)

Part two of chronicling my road trip starting in Alaska, through Canada, and finishing in Colorado.

By K’Lee P.Published about a year ago • 3 min read

Arriving In Alaska:

I safely made it to Alaska!

Both of my flights went as smoothly as I could have asked for. No screaming babies, no one sat in the middle seat, and I had some pretty good coffee at my layover in Seattle.

There was quite a bit of turbulence coming into Anchorage, leaving me white-knuckling both armrests and reminiscing on a childhood memory that I had long forgotten.

I'm sitting on a rollercoaster next to a very kind middle-aged woman. I guess my anxiety was very apparent because she asked if I would like to hold her hand. For whatever reason, I said yes and I clenched onto that stranger’s hand for the entire ride. When it was over, she beamed with a gentle smile and said, “See, that wasn’t so bad.”

As we descended through the turbulent air, I could have really used a hand.

But I made it!

While waiting for my luggage, my brother told me that he was going to meet me outside, so I was just minding my own business when I suddenly felt someone grab my back. This led to me full-on screaming in the middle of the Anchorage airport only to turn around to see J.T.

I’m not talking about a little yelp, I’m talking about a scream so loud that everyone in the whole terminal heard me. I was so embarrassed that I could feel all the blood rush to my face. My luggage could not arrive quickly enough. What a great way to start off my trip in Alaska.

As soon as we got in the car, he introduced me to a drink he discovered in the Philippines. It was good.

I got a brief tour of Anchorage in the rain as we drove to my brother’s house. It’s not what I expected.

For some reason, I was expecting to be surrounded by evergreens and snow, but it was mostly bare trees and sporadic patches of gray snow.

The mountains are far more beautiful than I was expecting. They are the color of charcoal, tipped with the purest white.

I can’t wait for tomorrow’s adventures!

October 31:

When I woke up this morning, the sky was pitch black. I assumed that I had woken up in the middle of the night due to the time change, but it was 08:00. The sun would already have been peeking past the horizon back home.

When my brother finally woke up, it was 10:00. He told me to get dressed in something warm. I put on my base layer leggings and long sleeve shirt, jeans, a sweatshirt, my coat, and a beanie.

Then we headed to our first adventure.

Barbra Falls:

The first thing we did was head to Barbra falls. The trailhead was a short 15-minute drive from my brother’s house. We saw two moose on the side of the road. A mom and her baby. J.T. was adamant we get a picture. Despite my very valid concerns, he got out and trekked down the road to get me the perfect shot of my first moose.

Despite my attempts at staying warm, the cold air still nipped at my cheeks and burned my throat. I would have to remember to wear a gator tomorrow.

We hiked through slick rocks, damp leaves, and patches of ice on the bank of the Eagle River. The water was the color of the sky before a thunderstorm and green sea glass.