Travelogue: Alaska Part Two

The beauty never gets old.  I decided to drive across the Kenai Peninsula where I stayed for two nights on a hostel/farm owned by this famous local family, the Kilchers in Homer.  I was able to work on the farm for a free room.  I love being a money savvy traveler so that was right up my alley.

I headed back to Seward after my time in Homer to go ice climbing on Exit Glacier.  I highly highly recommend ice climbing. Strenuous, beautiful, tremendous, challenging, and rewarding.

 View on my four hour drive across the peninsula.

  Back at the Harbor watching a sea lion in the bay before catching my bus to Anchorage.

Next up: Denali.

-Leah

Travelogue: Alaska Part One

Travelogue: Alaska Part One

First things first, I loved Alaska.  Vast, extreme, epic, unforgettable. My advice on traveling to Alaska: GO.

All found on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail in Anchorage.

On the train ride from Anchorage to Seward.

At the SeaLife Center

 Seward Small Boat Harbor

 Sea otter

 Rare Harbor Seal - they are usually very shy of boats.

 Sea Lions

 Aialick Glacier

More to come.  Alaska's beauty and wildness is too much to contain in one post, two posts, a whole blog, or the whole internet.  

-Leah

Goals for July & August

Goals for July & August

Blog more.

Get all my pictures uploaded from Alaska.

Downsize my closet.

Train for my upcoming half.

Feel more confident in my new job.

Make new work friends.

Today.

Today.

Currently
              Listening to First Aid Kit and BOY.

              Reading Orange Is The New Black

              Watching TINY: A Story About living Small

I am inspired by Orange Is The New Black and the story of Piper Kerman not only surviving a federal prison, but doing so with grace, compassion, and sincerity toward her fellow inmates coming from drastically different backgrounds than herself.  Finding common ground and a mutual understanding through the bonds of womanhood despite different ethnicity, language, socioeconomic background, religion, and education is a testament toward a goal all members of society should strive for, but are rarely trying to do.  While the television show based on Piper's autobiography is interesting, funny, and heartbreaking all at once, the reality of the actual story is poignant and relevant in a way the show can never be.

The concept of a tiny house is intriguing to me.  I want to think of myself as a person that can give up enough worldly possessions and material goods to live in such a tiny, simple space and be content.  I love the freedom a tiny, tow-able house offers, and the disconnect from the capitalist society it creates to better return us as an individual to nature, respect for the environment, and an overall goal of only taking what is necessary and no more.  I want to find out more about the people who do live in tiny houses.  What are their stories.  What made them decide to do this.  Do they feel judged by society when people ask them questions about why they did this.  What is the biggest challenge.  The biggest reward.  Do you see yourself staying in a tiny house forever. And more.

Also, I adopted another dog.  We are a happy family of three.  Winston agrees.

Meet Niles.

-Leah

Portland, Maine

A little over a month ago, I was invited to Portland, Maine to visit one of the vendor's I work with headquarters along with a couple of my coworkers and one of our clients who utilizes that vendor.  We were able to fly on a private jet from Salt Lake to Maine.  I've decided I could get used to that.  No need to get to the airport two hours early, no baggage check, no security check, no crowded terminals and grouchy fellow travelers.

This was my first time to Maine, and while late January is not the ideal time to visit for a tourist, we still had a lot of fun even in the bitter cold.  We were treated to some incredible seafood and hospitality and very much enjoyed briefly seeing the city of Portland.  I would love love love to go back there during the summer when everything is open and the weather is nicer and get more of a tourist experience.

-Leah

Snowshoeing

A couple of months ago Winston and I had a snowshoe adventure with some of the people I volunteer with for CAWS.  Since we're all crazy dog ladies, it was only fitting that we had more dogs than people on the trail.  Even though Winston was one of the smallest dogs in the pack, he definitely kept up with the big dogs without a second thought.  I love that he is so willing to do anything with me.  I can admire my dog, right?

Recently

I've been...

Spending some quality time here prepping for summer.

Snuggling this sweet baby bun.

Taking selfies with this pretty lady.

Helping this handsome guy find a forever home.

Playing with this snowbeast.

Hiking in the mountains.

Sharing the trail with these two hooligans.

Playing lots of fetch.

 Admiring the incredible fog that rolled through my neighborhood.

 Visited the ice castles up in Midway.

 -Leah