small update

Helloooooo everyone. I am alive and kicking. I have SOOOO much to share with you. America is beautiful, i have the greatest friends, and I still love Texas best. No time to write since im in and our of tents and reception and what not...but when i get back, pics and stories galore. Please keep the 3 of us in your prayers and we have a week to go. Love you!

Wild West, part 1

We're on the road so I'll be posting pics later. Just a quick update to calm my mother's nerves. Shaster and I have a new addition to our adventures...and her name is Alayna. She is GREAT! It's so weird how the 3 of us each contribute different things that make this trip fantastic. Alayna is on the ball, getting the rental car for us and being so easy-going. We love her. She's so kind too, always helping out strangers...I love my friends.

Checkmark on the San Diego Zoo. (though the Steve Irwin Zoo has ruined me from all other zoos). The polar bears were cool though, followed by a hilarious conversation with the kinder gardeners standing behind us about how "Lettuce rules!". We stayed with our wonderful friend Paul who was so sweet to give us a key so that we could come and go as we pleased. Walked to the bay with him and down the Ocean Beach pier that night. Had a minor set back when our stupid honda hybrid lost its battery power on the ON RAMP on the 5. The experience was unnerving for me, the driver, but didn't seem to phase the other two. Fox rentals brought us a new car and we were on our way to see TOBY AND JANE in HERMOSA BEACH! So far, this is my favorite place in the United States. I love the food here. Java Man has the best oatmeal in the world. We've had a healthy dose of volleyball on the beach, glow in the dark frisbee at night and I'm working my way up as lead guitarist, "Foxy Brown" in the popular video game Rock Band. Our friends Dan and Glen live out here as well and we've gotten to share a few meals with all of Jane and Toby's neighbors.

No fun stories and pics just yet. I really shouldn't even be inside right now. In fact, what am I doing? I'm going back outside to play volleyball on the sunny beach...everyone have fun at their jobs!

Denali is WILD

Did you know that 2/3 of Alaska is completely uninhabited? Which is understandable. As beautiful as it is, you couldn't pay me to live in sub-zero temps, minus the sun, for months at a time. I'd easily turn into some paranoid, snaggle-toothed woodsman like any forest cold and dark would create. But, for the few days I was there...it was perfect. I hope it stays uninhabited as the last frontier, because I could feel my lungs overjoyed with detoxification. The weather was sunny, temps between 60-72ish, rain-free, awesome. My buddy Clint, got a job as a tour guide on the Stampede trail. And with Alaska being the tourist trap that it is...I felt like this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to take...even with limited time and resources.

I haven't yet told you I had a a FEVER for the duration of most of my travel from Dallas to Fairbanks, I kept it my secret, praying for God to heal me, which He thankfully did...I've never believed in the God of "health, wealth, and happiness". It doesn't explain people in suffering, and i dont believe God "needs" anything from us in order to reward us...but I do believe there is power in prayer, and submitting yourself to a Being who is bigger than medicine, financial aid, or self-help books. And, for whatever His reasons, it was He who healed my fever the minute the boys pulled up to the airport, it was He that gave me a small savings to afford travel, and He who is glorified in my awe of nature.

My first real day began with a trip to the sled-dog farm where I got to see these glorious dogs along with their puppies. They were SO cute I wanted to steal one for my backpack. Did you know that Huskies are most comfortable at -10 degrees? I guess it would have been selfish for me to bring one back. After the furry babies, we had some time to kill before rafting scheduled later in the day. This was when Alaska revealed its enchantment, wildlife.

Clint and I took a drive and shortly we found a gigantic caribou near a river off the road. Clint asks me if I "want to take a closer look"...and well, I'm in Alaska so why wouldn't we park the truck and wade through rivers and brush to see a wild beast that could very well mangle us if it so choose? I'm wearing jeans and water-absorbing boots. There is about 45min. of hiking and me trying to jump puddles that Clint is clearly in better shape for...(so I was wet to my calves and need of a belt). I'm the doubting Thomas the loses $10 in a bet that this caribou has gone back to his home when suddenly we see his huge antlers in a clearing. Clint stresses our need to be silent, as caribou startle easily and we dont want him to run away before we get a picture.

Ahh, there he is, that big monster of an animal. Taller, and broader than a horse with a rack on his head that gives him an almost prehistoric effect. Crouching down in this thicket of bushes with my camera, concerned only about the wind that has now given me awareness to the crack poking out of my jeans...*gasp*...the beast raises his ears and tail, looking directly at us, he makes eye contact. My eyes give Clint a puzzled look and then right back at the caribou...then I hear Clint say, "Ok, now i'm getting a little nervous". A LITTLE nervous? YOU said they were scared of us? I'll be lucky if this thing doesnt trample me? Are you going to run and leave me to fend for myself? Do caribou bite? Are they carnivores? Am I going to have to use my health insurance? Did I just pee in my pants?

So there I was, a million thoughts racing. We FOLLOWED this thing for a while, like a train wreck-you should let it go but cant take your eyes away from fascination. Finally, the beast lays down and we scurry out a back route. Back across the rivers, back to the trailer I'm staying in to let my boots and jeans dry for the next day. Did I mention I stayed in a trailer? Mighty different from the Marriot the night before but wonderful. Clint's fellow guide, Nick, had a couch in his trailer and I slept there next to a space heater. I got to spend a lot of time with the other guides. They were all so welcoming and friendly and I can't wait for most of them to move back to Dallas in late September.

This trip also included a trip to the "Bake", (local pub) for drinks and darts, rafting the Nenana river, jeep tour with Clint on the Stampede trail (yes Chris McCandless, no bus though), acoustic sing-a-longs late into the sunlit evenings in the trailer park, my first fish taco, and a delicious piece of bumbleberry pie. Did you know Clint doesn't like cake OR ice cream? I'm not sure why we're friends...probably because he does like pie.

Couch surfing came to the rescue again. Though I didn't crash on some stranger Italian's couch this time...I did happen to get a ride (2.5hrs) from Denali to Fairbanks (airport) for FREE, thanks to my sparkling new friend Ericka, from couchsurfing. She was sweet and easy to talk to and I hope I can offer her a couch to sleep on in Dallas anytime. My time in Alaska was way too short, but I am SO thankful that God allowed me to go and took care of me the whole time. He is so good. And, you should see the scenery He's painted in Alaska...its un-photo-able.

Marriot, 2 thumbs up

I just had a big fluffy bedroom all to myself at the Seattle Marriot Hotel. FOR FREE. The night was a far cry from the bunkbed hostel I was supposed to be staying at in Fairbanks last night. "How did you manage that?", you ask? The events leading up to my fluffy bed are as follows...

Delta Airlines can suck my left elbow.

I would say that the Delta air transit operations are comprable to that of little children who like to play house. Though the children are obviously ill-equipped, and way too immature to actually fit themselves into the shoes of adulthood, its cute to watch them try. Such as Delta Airlines. I won't bore you with the gruesome details of their idiocy from yesterday, but I can safely say that next time I purchase a flight...I will gladly pay the extra $30 to go with a different airline.

My ways of "sticking it to the man" are moderate. Sometimes I read magazines without paying for them. Sometimes I leave my cell phone on, in a movie theatre. So yesterday, when Delta gave me a dinner voucher, I was prepared to seek revenge. But, should have read the fine print. I went to Fridays, ordered the most expensive thing on the menu, AND a fruity beverage. With my own money I would have had soup and water. It was not until the end of the meal that I realized my voucher was only good for up to $7. Dammit Delta.

The plane I was scheduled to be on, arrived 2.5hrs late. At 9pm, I was finally off to Salt Lake City. Arriving in SLC, they offer to put me on the next flight to Seattle, and I took it, and jackpot!My seat was right between 2 guys my age! So I sat down next to the first one, Connor. He was chatty and looked like an all american guy. Then came the next one...tall, brown eyes, brown hair. Well...thats about as good as it got. Connor was scratching his tenders through the majority of the flight. What is with guys doing that? Do you think we don't notice? You might as well get a shovel and pick your nose in public. It's just as obvious, and would actually be better to see you scratching above your equator. And yes, I can even see you when the small table connected to the back of the seat is down. Did you forget we are packed on that plane like cattle? Gross. I buried myself in my book. Brown eyes didn't talk to me, and refused the gum I offered him. He was also quickly off the list.

So here I am in Seattle this morning. I'm about to go take my last great shower of the week, and eat my $14 breakfast voucher (they gave me 2 and said I could combine, I checked). Then off to Fairbanks where Clint's friends will pick me up and I should be sleeping in Denali tonight.

All in all I really shouldn't complain. My Lord has been so gracious to give me the means to go to Alaska and friends to share it with. I know that He is good, and has His own reasoning and timing. I am grateful to learn from all unanticipated experiences. Please keep me in your prayers!

Alaska or bust!

Its that time again. Time to nourish my freedom side and see what the world looks like somewhere else. Feel free to check here periodically. I'm keeping this travel blog to record ALL of my adventures (just in case the travel channel is hiring). Tomorrow, Alaska.

On a side note, I got a teaching job! A REAL one. You're reading from Middle School's newest Health/P.E./Coach! I can't wait. I anticipate my first year to not be quite as dreamy and sugar-coated as I'm hoping for. But I dont even care. It will be new, and different, and they actually still send me a check even if Im sick and need a day off. They give me more than one day off for Thanksgiving and Christmas and they even pay me still, while im on Holiday. Maybe thats the norm for you, but THIS worker bee is used to a life of no work = no pay for the last 4 years that I've been completely on my own. Im also excited for the challenge of it all. I am going to miss my personal training clients soooo much! Pat, Shannon, Ann...you ladies mean the world to me. But its definitely time to move on. Im so in love with teaching, and personal training hasn't been quite the brain teaser that it once was when i first began.

Also, my grandpa (Pa) passed away. He was 93. I'll miss him. He was the last grandparent I had, and I loved him a lot. My dad's dad, and my mom's mom were the best. They both had colorful lives in different ways and i love hearing stories about them. He spent his life working under some intense physical labor and its fun to see pictures of how tough he was when he was my age. I remember going over to his house and he'd "need" me to clean out the change in his sock drawer. Then he'd always let me keep the change. We used to split coconut pie at the Smokehouse. When he got older and quit going to the Barber shop, he'd let me cut his hair...which was probably way more fun for me than him. Im glad I got to see him one last time on fathers day. And he was himself, watching baseball and cracking jokes. I keep a book of quotes and a few years ago I was at his house, calling him an Old Man since he had a birthday, and he said, "Well, I guess the older you get, the longer you live."

I know he didnt mean anything profound by that at all. But it kind of was. I worry so much about the looming age of 30, thats like this black rain cloud above my head, inevitably waiting to pour down. But that's why I've got to see and do all I can while I can. Tolstoy said, "I wanted movement and not a calm course of existence...I found in myself a superabundance of energy that found no outlet in our quiet life". Therefore, Alaska is next on my bucket list. I've got a buddy up there who is a tour guide so I'm gonna go check it out. The longer God lets me stay on this earth, the more I get to LIVE. And, I feel so alive when I'm traveling. I love coming home at the same time. It's strange that the feelings of going out and coming home are so powerfully wonderful.

Here's Pa...post haircut.