After what feels like weeks at home we’re finally off again. This time we’re heading to Alaska, and I’m STOKED! I know that it’s going to be an amazing trip. 

Recently I realized that we returned from our gap year nearly one year ago…I think we came home mid-October, to be exact. Ever since then, I’ve sort of been in recuperation mode, and long planning-intensive trips haven’t had much appeal to me. We’ve done a fair amount of traveling in 2017, and our Caribbean cruise at the beginning of the year was definitely a highlight. But I have trouble thinking of that as traveling because it was so freaking relaxing! Outside of the flights and the seasickness it was a week straight of pampering! 

Alaska, by contrast, is going to be a different kind of trip. We’re driving for hours on a gravel road. We’re camping in some of the most remote spots in the United States. We’re eating stuff like cold cuts and canned meats and crackers (yes, I’m a picky eater, and I like my food fresh). And, of course, we’re doing all of this on a strict budget. But those things are bringing back that same excitement that I felt during our gap year…that feeling where I never knew what was coming next!

When we were abroad I felt like I was in a constant state of anxiety mixed with excitement and wonder. Naturally, I’m a nervous person, and I have to fight that tendency every time we head to a new place. Even going to Alaska, a US state that will probably have all the comforts of home, kinda wigs me out. 

In any case, I’m SO excited to be on the road (and in the air) again! I know I’ll come home with a million new memories, thousands of photos and tons of stories to share. Let’s get this show on the road!