An Alaskan recap.

I went to Alaska and now I am home. I still slightly loathe the second part of that sentence.

It was a good trip of family fun. Boating on Ben’s new boat, kayaking on a glacial lake, and record high & sunny weather. [We’re talking upper 80s with huge piles of snow still melting in parking lots, and Alaskan houses that don’t have air conditioning.] We explored what there is to explore in Valdez [read: not much] including a couple museums and shops catering to tourists. I learned that I like coleslaw [that kind that isn’t swimming in white goo] and you can make your own magic shell for ice cream using coconut oil and chocolate. [Thanks to Ben’s girlfriend for both of those culinary discoveries.] I devoured Mindy Kahling’s book. It was also quite an experience to wake up every morning and see the mountains after a night when it never really actually got dark.

Though the downside is we don’t see him often, it’s quite convenient to have a brother who lives in Alaska. Especially one who owns four kayaks and a boat and a house. We were able to have a great trip doing loads of fun things that would have cost the normal traveler a bundle and a half. Thanks for letting us visit, Ben. See you again in your neck of the woods in another two years? I sense a tradition beginning …