A lot has happened since I last posted about the few days we spent exploring the Flint Hills of Kansas with our dear friends. Most importantly – we made it! Hello from Alaska – Fairbanks, to be exact. It’s been a trip. Actually, a journey is more like it. We left New Hampshire on July 3rd, we spent the , and we inched our way across the US. There is so much about this adventure that we want to share, but we’re going to take our time.
Hello from Alaska!
We arrived in Fairbanks late Sunday afternoon after a whirlwind week on the AlCan Highway, which will absolutely get a post of its own. There wasn’t much hotel availability, so we jumped at the first hotel we found and checked in, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. We got a late lunch, we managed a dinner at the hotel, and we settled in for the night.
And then, we woke up in the morning to find that all our camping gear strapped to Ryan’s truck was stolen. It was, in part, our fault. We should’ve taken it inside, but it was firmly attached, and we parked right by our hotel room. The hotel has no security cameras, and the police said it’ll likely hit pawn shops and the marketplaces. While we can replace it all, it was definitely a bummer, and it left such a dreary cloud over our heads much of our first full day here in Fairbanks.
However, we’re aware this could happen anywhere. We’re SO happy to be here surrounded by such incredible scenery, so much vast wilderness, and so much adventure to be had. After wallowing much of the morning, we’ve chosen to focus on the good. We managed to get a last-minute room booked at a different hotel, and we’ll move over there tomorrow, thankfully. They have cameras, they have working laundry, and it’s the one we’d originally wanted. But the better news?
We got offered a house on post in the neighborhood we’d hoped for! We were actually offered the house en route, and we got to take a quick (sneaky) peek at it yesterday and today. It’s right next to a playground, at the very back of a quiet cul-de-sac, and backs up to a sledding hill and the Chena River where the dogsled races go by. We’re so thrilled!
Every PCS has it’s unique challenges. Korea was the fun two-week barracks quarantine. Fort Drum was a brand-new baby and a snowstorm just days after moving in. Washington was a near-immediate TDY. We roll with it, and we move on.
So, even with the yuck, hello from Alaska! We’re so excited to be here and cannot wait to explore this incredible state!
