Alaska or bust

Have you ever been to Alaska? I have this incredible want, and it's to go to Alaska. You know, an even better word for it would be yearning. People write off Alaska because its cold. My sister thinks me to be absolutely out of my mind because I want to go there. Let me put it in her words.

My sister: "ALASKA!!? Are you completely insane!?? It's like 100 below zero there. You'll be frozen and then die and then we'll (my family) have to travel up there so we can bury you because we won't be able to ship you down to California because we don't have money. And because of your choice to move up to Alaska we'll freeze and die too because we just had to go up and give you a proper burial."
Me: "I should believe you because you complain about it being SO SO cold when it's 70 degrees outside."
My sister: "If you don't freeze to death, you'll sit in your house and grow depressed because you won't see the sun for months on end. Then we'll come up to take your body because you died of depression. Either way you die"

How she survived in Germany for a school year, I'll never know. On the other hand, my cousin believes a move to Alaska is a great idea. He took a completely different approach. His approach: Husband Hunting.

My cousin: "Chloe, I think that's a perfect idea to go to Alaska. You'll find some of the best husbands up there."
Me: "Really, Aven? How do you come up with that?"
My cousin: "Well, if you go to Alaska, you'll find a husband that knows how to work. As opposed to one in California-mainly SoCal-that never works for anything. The problem with Southern Californian guys is that they're always in the fast lane. The never want to meet reality head on. Alaskan men are good, hard workers driving in the slow lane. You can't go wrong there."
Me: "Thanks for the advice, Aven."

Mind you, my cousin is ten...and I'm fifteen. My mom just had to throw in that up in Alaska the ratio of men to women is 8 to 1. If it's anything like when the Yukon Gold Rush happened, my chances of proposal are high. As much as my cousin might think it's a good idea to go up to Alaska for husband hunting, that is most definitely not my reason. My reason is way different.

Nature. That is all there is to it. Have you ever looked at the vast expanse of undisturbed land? It is absolutely breathtaking. So pristine and perfect. I know a man who was in Alaska just last week. This man is a pastor and 93. He happens to be one of the most ahmazing men I have ever met. Well, my mom mentioned that I want to live in Alaska, so he described his experience as best as he could and it was one word. Tranquility. He didn't know this, but tranquility is one of my favorite words. This place is perfect for me. Another thing he told me was this: "If you told me that an athiest went up to Alaska and came back as an athiest still, I wouldn't believe you." The fact that he said that made me smile. [Idea-I'll take Skandar Keynes with me...]

At the moment, the plan is to stay there for a year so I can experience all seasons. By that time I'll have then acquired my Alaskan Malamutes and/or Siberian Huskies. Three to be exact, named Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego. I'll then move to England and travel through Scotland frequently. I understand this may never happen (the dog part will though..), but that isn't the note I'm ending this on.

Next time you see me, you can give me a bumper sticker that says: Alaska or bust.