First Night

May 13, 2008
Got I to Alaska last night at around 8:00, flight was late, but damn it was a beautiful descent. I can’t imagine what some of the “real” mountains look like. In hindsight I completely mispacked based on spatial scale. I should have just brought my backpack and daypack like I was planning… but I expected the college to be in town, and walkable from wherever I was camped, and I could store my stuff there. However, such is not the case.
I’m staying at Tom’s house for the time being, until we hit the field. He seems like a great guy, as is his family, and they were more than accommodating and helpful. I must have looked like a deer in headlights when we were driving to his house. The rolling hills around Fairbanks remind me a lot of the southeast region of the ‘Dacks. The tree cover is mostly short black spruce, taller white spruce, Alaskan birch and the occasional poplar. Damn sunlight is odd to get used to. It was 10:30 when I crashed last night and still “early dusk” by our standards. Then I woke up at 6am to full sunlight. I’m glad I can sleep through anything.