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Published: July 24th 2012
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Packing was a definite challenge - needed to consider having shorts to winter coat and everything in between. Stopping to do wash is only going to be every 10-14 days. The absolute best part was that when done, not one business suit included! That I could handle.
Arrival at the Milwaukee airport was no different than any business travel day with the exception of having more luggage. It just wasn't real that a trip to Alaska, that dream trip you hope to make some day, had actually begun. Having exhausted myself in finishing work and trying to pack and get ready plus a myriad of other things, even the 5 1/2 hr flight from Minneapolis to Anchorage went fast since I slept most of the way. Then that announcement on the plane that our initial decent had begun and I was like a little kid wondering and impatient to see what Anchorage, Alaska would look like once we broke through the clouds. The dreariness of the cloud cover didn't take away from the excitement of actually arriving. The clouds even penetrated the mountains, a site to behold.
I could immediately feel the temperature relief compared to Wisconsin as I
stepped off of the plane. By the time I picked up the car, I had a sweatshirt on. I broke my rule of knowing exactly where I was going to go ahead of time since I never figured out how to get from the airport to the hotel. Yeah, I know I could have invested in a GPS but it's much more fun to discover the roads less travelled. It didn't take too long before I pulled over, got the map out, and figured out where I was in comparison to where I needed to be. The hotel was an easy find.
Checked in around 10pm Anchorage time but it was still light out so who could resist getting back in the car and investigating the area. The reality of being somewhere new was definitely sinking in and the excitement increased ten fold. I returned to the hotel after a McDonald's shake (chocolate of course) since it was starting to get dark out. I'm definitely going to have to work at managing this many hours of daylight or I won't sleep enough to stay safe. No worries - I'll figure it out.
Met and talked with a few
people along the way. They have had a much more cloudy summer than they are used to. That doesn't bode well for seeing Mt. McKinley and everything else but with the time I have, it shouldn't be a problem.
A great travel and arrival day. Tomorrow is an organizational day. I'll stay in Anchorage to get acclimated, shop for some of the supplies I wasn't going to bring all 9 1/2 weeks worth, map out at least my initial route to the next place, see to a few work items I feel compelled to finish and oh yeah, see to a few bills I didn't get done from home too. It'll be a great segway day to getting into the true nomad traveling mode again. I am already getting excited to be on the road and discover! Can't wait!! Sleep without a morning alarm will definitely be goodness 😊 Shared just a few pictures of the arrival. I'm certain more to come as I journey onward.
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Todd
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Congratulations
Congrats on your first day of travel. I'm sure it will be an exciting trip. I'm excited for you and am anxious to stay up to date via your blog. HAVE FUN !!!!!!!