myumyumyu

My Alaskan adventure has come to a close. I haven't updated all week, but it's because I've been busy just enjoying the last bit of time with my friends there.

We found a new favorite restaurant. We made a couple of visits to Spenard Roadhouse, on Northern Lights & Spenard, in the last week. We got one of those frequent visitor stamp sheets, and Stella, Jensen, and Carla are going to attempt to fill it up by the end of their time here. A $25 gift card with 12 visits within the next two weeks--can they do it?

Bacon of the Month at Spenard Roadhouse: pepper bacon sliders with cumin popcorn

Jambalaya at Spenard Roadhouse

When the sun came back out, we tried to spend as much time as possible outdoors to enjoy it. Part of that meant a visit to another one of our favorite places: Fire Island Bakery. On the walk over from my office, I looked up into the beautiful, blue sky and saw this:

:) I think this was to advertise the airshow that I just missed this weekend

Blueberry compote maple cupcake at Fire Island Bakery

Bob kindly took all of us Yalies out to lunch on one of my final days at F Street Station. It was a fun place downtown that attracted an interesting crowd--it seemed to be a mix of tourists and locals. There was also a big block of cheese that was marked as for display only, yet everyone went by to carve some out to eat. The restaurant was also decorated by many stickers and pictures from places around the world. It seems that the restaurant is a popular stop for pilots who bring tokens from their travels to display. I got the crab sandwich, figuring that I only had a few meals left to get my fill of Alaskan seafood. It was a great choice--so delicious!

Crab sandwich at F Street Station

I may have mentioned fireweed a few times before. This is a weed that is seen all along the trails and highways. It's actually quite pretty and also useful. Fireweed is used in medicine and is also an element in many foods, from jams to ice cream! One of the first ice cream flavors that I tried in Anchorage was a light and floral fireweed honey from the ice cream stand at the weekend market. Apparently, it blooms from the bottom up, throughout the summer. It's like a summer stopwatch: when the tips finally bloom, you know that summer is coming to a close.

Fireweed along the Coastal Trail

One of my first thoughts when I got back to the Lower 48, transferring flights in San Francisco, was a realization of how dark it was. I had gotten so used to the daylight in the Land of the Midnight Sun that it was uncomfortable for me to look out from my gate and see pitch blackness at 9pm. I wondered if the rods in my eyes had forgotten how to function while in Alaska!

The sun lights up the inuksuk, train tracks, and mudflats

I really treasured my time in Anchorage. In particular, my time spent in Alaska showed me a lot about this incredible place that I didn't know much about and had always taken for granted. I will really miss the place and all of the great people who made my experience so amazing. There are still several things that I wish I had been able to do--seeing the Northern Lights, especially, is something that I will have to make another trip back to experience. A winter trip to Fairbanks, anyone? We can relax at the Chena Hot Springs while surrounded by one of the most beautiful natural phenomena in the world!

US & Alaskan flags in downtown Anchorage

I was also sad to miss the annual Yale clambake! I would have loved to have been a part of this fun, huge food fest at Mead's and to meet more alumni in the area. Ah well, another reason to perhaps return one day :)

I had a window seat on the left side for my afternoon flight out of Anchorage. Bob explained that this was ideal: as I headed south, the sun would be shining on everything that I was looking at. It was a beautiful day, and I was able to get a great last look at this place that I called home for the past eight weeks.

Goodbye, Anchorage!

I also got a good look at Fire Island and the wind turbines that recently went up!

Fire Island!

I'm going to miss these mountains

Thank you to Renewable Energy Alaska Project, for offering an internship that allowed me to learn about the incredible state of Alaska, its resources, and its huge potential. A big thank you also to Yale and those who have supported this fellowship, from Bob who coordinated the entire program, to Mead who gave me a wonderful home during my time in Alaska, to the countless others who have given both time and money to make my summer possible. From its air to its mountains to its wildlife, Alaska will be a place that I'll definitely remember fondly for a long time.