As I mentioned in my last post here, I am just over a month into my 10 month internship working for the Anchorage Fish and Wildlife Field Office in Alaska. As a native of Colorado, the dry, cool climate and adventurous, get-outdoors spirit of Anchorage are welcome characteristics to me as I adapt to my home (thousands of miles) away from home. Still I know that it is going to take some effort on my part for me to feel more a part of this town and community, especially when all of the other SCA interns take off in August. Basically this translates to: Dani, go make some new friends.  

Luckily for me, it seems like everywhere I go I meet new people who are eager to show off their Alaskan-backyard to me! In fact, one of the new friends I have made since arriving is Ariel, a fellow alumna of Dickinson College who grew up in Anchorage and has since returned after graduating. Although we never crossed paths on campus (she is a year older and we spent opposite years abroad), our mutual friends put us in touch and I am so very glad that they did!!

By stroke of pure coincidence, Ariel is also roommates with another girl, Libby, who I had already met through work as she is employed by the Anchorage Parks Foundation! Talk about a small world!                  

Anyway, thanks to these (plus a few other) new friends, I got out last weekend for my first Alaska backpacking adventure!

       These beautiful photos are courtesy of my friend Elizabeth, who was the "trip photographer" for the group as we made our way through almost 7 miles of Chugach State Park (The largest city park in the country! According to these guys) to our destination at Williwa Lakes.                         We didn't spot any critters on our trip, but the flowers were in full bloom and being out in the picturesque sub-arctic mountain landscape was breathtaking!! I kept having to pinch myself at how beautiful everything was...oh wait that wasn't me, it was a mosquito. In fact, I had over 30 bites when I got home and counted the new red splotches on my arms and legs. No wonder locals tease that the mosquito is "state bird" of Alaska!

All in all, I had a wonderful time with an amazing group of Alaskan women and I look forward to all of the new relationships I form as I start to set some roots down here in Alaska. It is a Bizarre and Beautiful (intentional capitalization) place, and I will never know all of its wonders without a little, or a lot, of guidance from people who live here and know it best.

More updates to come! My plan as of now is to do one work-related, and one play-related post each week. Make sense? Last week was work, this week is play, and next week I will try for a shorter one of each!

TGIF and wishing you all a happy weekend!

~Dani