Those who know me know that to say I am electronically connected is a bit of an understatement. I travel with two phones, a laptop, an iPad, a PS Vita, an iPod Touch, GPS, a Jambox, and a myriad of adapters and cables and the like. This is an important point for all the newcomers to remember as we go down this journey of today’s entry into the Life and Times of Jamie.

I got on a plane in San Antonio to began a 12 hour trek to my next assignment: Fairbanks Alaska. I am watching movies, TV shows, and even Monday night Football (GO FALCONS!!!!) as I push north. I got off the plane in Fairbanks and was met with an extreme silence: no airport noise, no highway noise, no “typical” city noise. None of this set any alarms off; I did spend a decent amount of time in the country as a kid. The unsettling thing was the electronic silence; the feeling of my cell phone reaching out into the darkness and nothing is there. Now I have been plenty of places where I have had no cell service; those places were not in my own country. I think I was hyperventilating at the car rental counter because the young woman behind the counter asked if I was ok. It only got worse as I drove to my hotel while learning that the US map on my GPS didn’t include Alaska…who knew??? It’s an interesting feeling when your GPS and phone keep asking you “Where are we?” the whole trip. The final nail was getting to the hotel and the internet connection is abysmal. I drifted off to sleep wondering how much this trip was going to blow.

Maybe coming in under the cover of night wasn’t the best idea, because sunrise brought a whole new experience. Between the view in the above picture, the moose crossing the street, and the extremely fresh air, all of the need for technology drifted away. Don’t get me wrong; I love a good Facebook session…but I can see why people love it up here. There’s something to be said for getting your ATV stuck in the mud in the middle of nowhere.

 


So I will apologize in advance if you don’t hear from me for the next 3 weeks as I find fish to catch, animals to hunt, ATVs to ride…

Oh and if you need a message to get to Santa Claus, let me know. I’m going to his house this week. I think a hand-delivered letter has to score me some points on the nice list, right?

3 thoughts

  1. Alaska is a whole other world. The cool thing about it is that ultimately *no one* is from their. Its barely been a state 50 years. Everyone there said screw-it somewhere else and took their lives there. Because of this there is a kindred connection between everyone you meet. A bond that says I know what is important in life, and I forged a path to go find it.

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  2. Wow.. That is crazy.. It will do you good to be up there in the wild.. Remember if you see a bear… RUN.. Do not play dead. I am sure you can out run a bear anyway… Oh yeah and Howl.. That scares them.. If you have any Epsom Salts or quicksilver throw that at them.. They hate that stuff… Just a few outdoors survival tips from Old Bradley J!!

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