A lot has happened since I left Botswana mid-May, most of it in a whirlwhind of hellos/goodbyes, catching up, driving, camping, driving, hiking, and driving some more. From Pennsylvania to Alaska, I covered just over 6,000 miles, with stops along the way in: Goshen, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, CO Springs, Denver, Yellowstone, and Montana. From Montana it was a straight shot up through Banff and Jasper Parks in Canada to pick up the Alcan Highway a bit west of Edmonton. Four days after leaving Montana, we arrived in Anchorage, and despite the beauty and fun of the trip up, it felt good to get out of the car and to be at the final destination.
Since arriving in Anchorage, there’s been a lot going on, including, thank goodness, the acquisition of a job. Probably the most fun and challenging thing that I’ve done so far though, is to get a floatplane rating added to my pilot’s license. Yesterday I took (and passed!) my floatplane checkride and afterwards had the opportunity to take a beautiful flight up a valley south of Anchorage to a lake with a lodge on it for some delicious ice cream. So…I’m not getting bored yet. I’m also still in the process of a lot less fun things, like finding an apartment, getting a driver’s license, registering my car, etc. For the moment I’m crashed on the friend of a friend’s sofa, which is fine as far as it goes, but it will be nice to find a place and get settled in.
Check out some pictures, if you so desire, that I’ve put up on google. And of course write me emails when you get the urge.
