The Last Frontier

I'm posting this entry from a Kaladi Brothers coffee house. It's like many coffee houses that you would be familiar with, except it is in ANCHORAGE, ALASKA. I'm looking out the front window watching the clouds roll down the green Chugach mountains that border the city to the east, with snow still in the high crevices near the peaks. Awesome.

I still can't believe I'm back. I lived in the Anchorage area for nearly 9 years prior to moving down to Springfield, MO to attend seminary. I served for 4 years as a squad leader in an airborne infantry battalion on Ft. Richardson, adjacent to Anchorage. I earned my BBA from the University of Alaska Anchorage. I've motorcycled nearly everywhere in the state where there are roads, and some places where there weren't any. It feels like I'm back home.

I was a little surprised by how much the place looks the same. Sure, there have been some changes, but everything is so familiar. It is almost like I went Outside for a short vacation.

One thing that has been different is the weather. Anchorage is in the midst of the coldest, rainiest summer in most folks memory. It tends to be overcast the majority of the time. I think it's FANTASTIC! I was never really happy with the heat and humidity of the Ozarks, and tended to stay inside most of the time. The fellow I drove up the Alaska highway with commented each morning about how the temperature was dropping as we continued traveling north. The temperature difference from his previous home (Mesa, AZ) was greater than mine. Each time he commented on the temp, I'd reply with, "Isn't it great?" and laugh.

Following posts will detail how I ended up here, and why.