Trip #4 to Alaska

Have I ever mentioned how much I love Alaska? I have never seen anything more beautiful! I swear, as I fly through the Alaskan sky there's a song that's on repeat up in the clouds. It goes, "take my breath aaawaaaaaaay".

I just returned from there a couple days ago. The 3 previous times I had been up in Alaska was always in July/August. It was kind of strange to be there in October. I thought maybe it would be fall. But nope. It was winter. Not a leaf on a tree. But it was still beautiful.

This is Homer.My beautiful friend Amanda and I in Homer!

The Kenai River. Looks so bare without all the boats and bouys.

My friend Abe and I.

Well, I think most everyone has heard that I'm moving up to Missouri and will be starting Cosmetology school soon. But let me just make it official by saying that that is definitely true. :D

My little sister Sarah lives 20 minutes from the school so I'm moving right in with her and starting on the 3rd of November. The school is only a year long. And I know that sounds like a short time, but I spend an average of three months in one place. I always get antsy and just have to go somewhere. But I'm determined to get rid of the travel bug if only for nine months.

I'm so excited! I've wanted to do this since I was 17. But I'm also really nervous because I have never cut a persons hair in my life. I think "God help me" is about all I can say.

Anyway, thanks so much for taking the time to read my blog! Hugs!

Family

I've gotten pretty bad about updating my blog these days. Seems I just do the picture thing here lately.
So... Here are some pictures. :D

The siblings! First time we've been together since last Thanksgiving I believe. (Love my family!)

My Grandparents! They came to Arkansas to visit on their way to Arizona.

I love my grandpa!

My little niece Rebekah

My brother Luke and my youngest niece Emma.

Gone, But Not Forgotten

In remembrance of my uncle Carl Bjornstad who departed us one year ago tomorrow. October 6th 2008.

You will always be loved and greatly missed.

Hello!

I can't believe it's been over a month since I last wrote. They say time fly's when you're having fun and that is the truth!

Fishing ended about a month ago, so I (sadly) returned to Arkansas and am now plotting my new adventures. I sure do miss Alaska, because it truly does feel like home. Maybe someday I'll even get to live there. I guess one can only hope.

I took a trip out to Virginia a couple weeks ago to see my dear friend Janna marry the man of her dreams. I had such a great time seeing a bunch of my Friend Ships friends and hanging out with my best friend Debi! Such good times!

Most have probably heard that I canceled my trip to Australia. The dollar is still dropping even as I type, so school was starting to cost way more than I was willing to pay. Who knows, maybe when I'm old and gray I'll be able to take a little trip Down Under for a vacation. But for now I think I'll probably stay in the states for a while.

I have a couple different directions I'm heading in at the moment. All I know right now is that I need to make a definite decision on what that is before I go completely insane.

Hopefully in the next week or two I will have a solid plan. Who really knows though? I like to reserve the right to change my mind about anything, at any time, whenever I feel like it. :D

So for now, here are some picture from over the past month.

Canoeing with my baby!

Taking a rid on the carousel. 2009 Fair.

Joey Loved this fire truck! He must have ridden on it 20 times!

My beautiful sister Sarah and my cute little brother Joseph

Janna and David
Sweet Debi! If only she didn't live so far away!

Just Some Pictures in Alaska

I thought I would share a few more pictures with you of my time in Alaska.
So, this is picking fish on the Early Dawn. Or watching Abe pick fish anyways. :D

Abe is a phenomenal Captain/fisherman. There is no way in the world that I could ever even hope to be as educated about "things of the sea" as he is. Generally people scare me on boats. Like we're going to run into something or just flip right over in rough weather. But I don't think I was ever frightened even the slightest while working for/with Abe. I think it runs in his family because his dad is probably the saltest person I've ever met.

Chad and my best friend Amanda halibut fishing!

MY FIRST HALIBUT! I was so excited! (And to think, all those clothes in JULY!)


Abe and Chris or Brandon (they're twins and I had the HARDEST time telling them apart!) filleting halibut in Seldovia.

Snagging for Salmon! Oh my gosh! This was so fun! Everyone was just pulling salmon out of the water right and left! It was crazy! I only caught a humpy, but I was still happy!

Fishing

Oh surprise! I am actually working while I'm in Alaska! Ha ha, but it hardly seems like it! I'm just loving life up here!


On the Early Dawn. Looking over the port quarter.

The net

Kiss a fish!A couple fish in the hold. I believe the hold is about 5 foot deep.

After ice down.

A Little Bit of Alaska

On the beach at Snug Harbor

Cuddly little bear I wanted to take home with me.

And a moose up close and personal.


Caribou! Gosh I love Alaska!

Beautiful Alaska

I had a three hour layover in Fairbanks that I was super excited about. It created the perfect opportunity to see my cousin and his family. They came to the airport to pick me up and then took me out to dinner and ice cream. It was so great to see them again!

Thanks so much Adam and Kimberly!

This is on the drive from Anchorage to Kenai. At around 12:30 at night. I love how the sun just stays around. :D

Some of Abe's beautiful flowers!



Dandelions LupineOne of the nets we've been working on.

picture music playing

and singing "Take My Breath Awaaaay" (as I'm flying over the Alaskan mountains)

(not my photo. What I was seeing was WAY more beautiful!)

I cannot even believe how beautiful Alaska is! Yes I've been here twice before, but it has been three years. And I must have forgotten what I had seen, because there aren't even any words that can describe the site my eyes are seeing! This has got to be what heaven looks like! ...Just has to be!

I've been traveling now for, I guess you could say, five years. And I've found that generally the average amount of time I spend in one place is three months. Not really long enough to make it my official home, but long enough to be away from my last "home" to make it, well, not so homey anymore.

I call Arkansas home for obvious reasons. Because it's where I grew up, that's where my parents are and also where I have an address and a drivers license from. But Arkansas doesn't just feel like home. I feel out of place kind of, or maybe just out of my element. It's almost like I feel 16 again, like everything I've learned and experienced in the past years was just merely a dream. And this is not a good feeling.

Anyway, I don't know if anyone knows what it's like to move around so much that you always feel lost... Yes, I generally feel lost, like I'm in the wrong place at the wrong time. Just weird.

Well, Alaska let me tell you. It's like I found myself! Like I came home! Who knew you could be so far away from what you call home and yet feel so content and joyful.

I think everyone should move to Alaska! Or at least come up and experience it! Though probably by the time winter rolled around, my bags would be packed and my ticket booked for the south.

But for now I'm going to soak up every moment of pure flawless extraordinary beauty! Gorgeous!

Joseph

Pictures of my baby before I head off to Alaska.