Five Things I Didn’t Expect About Alaska

It’s been two weeks since my last blog post?

What in the world have I been up to?

Sorry.

I’ve wanted to write, truly. I just… got caught up with stuff… fell ill… went into my bubble…

I know, I should stop with the excuses. And just try to do better.

What better way to come back from a “dry” spell than to share with you seven five things I didn’t expect to find about Alaska, following my trip there?

It’s incredibly green.

I don’t know why I didn’t expect this.

I suppose it’s all those images of frozen, shimmering skylines I visualize when I think “Arctic” or “sub-Arctic.” Thank you, television.

But, duh, they have summer there too. And it’s gorgeous.

Santa Claus lives there.

Yes and no.

I figured the big man would have some kind of presence in the north pole. What I didn’t expect was to find North Pole in Alaska, and to get to sit on the big guy’s knee, to boot.

See, sometimes it pays to be on the “nice” list (thank you, whoever put me there).

The sun feels very, very close.

I know we’re not really closer to, or further away from, the sun when the seasons change (I suppose you could argue we are/not, depending on how Earth’s axis is tilted… but then you have that whole rotation thing to factor in as well).

But there’s something about the Alaskan sky – particularly in Fairbanks, where this photograph was taken – that makes you feel it’s very close.

Which can lead to some interesting and rambling musings on being. Which I won’t go into now.

You’re welcome.

The Exxon Valdez spill has been memorialized.

This, I definitely did not expect to see at the Anchorage Museum (which is lovely, you should go). It was really interesting, though and again, probably not surprising when you think of how much of Alaska’s economy depends on oil.

I couldn’t help but wonder if Louisiana will ever do the same for BP.

Alaska Baseball League games are more fun than MLB.

This Mat-su Miners game was the first of its kind I’d been to. I loved the casual atmosphere, the absence of hype and hoopla and the focus on the game itself.

Simple is so often much better… and isn’t that one of those life lessons we can apply to PR as well?

I could go on, but I’ll stop here.

Suffice it to say Alaska was everything I thought it would be, and lots of things I didn’t think it would be (you can see all the photographs I took, if you like).

Thanks again, PRSA Alaska!