The idea of Alaska has intrigued me for quite some time. It was not always on the forefront of my mind, but looking back I realize I always enjoyed shows like “Surviving Alaska,” books and movies such as “Into the Wild,” and documentaries such as “Wild Alaska.” The problem with all of these medias is that I always pictured this place as way beyond my realm and somewhere that might as well have been a different planet, because I never thought I’d find myself there.
All of that changed for me when I began thinking about what I would like to do after graduation. I think it’s important for everyone to do something incredible as a reward for completing such a huge milestone in life; finishing years of schooling, and transitioning into the working world. For me that incredible something was to take a trip to somewhere I had never been or even really dreamed of going.
Alaska actually fell into my lap one day as I stumbled around the interwebs looking for anything to grab my attention. The attention grabber that hooked me was “Hidden Alaska,” a short film produced by National Geographic. It documented photographer Michael Melford’s journey around Alaska as he captured many different shots throughout this wild land. The pictures he showed in this short film truly amazed me and were the spark I needed to convince me that Alaska was somewhere I needed to go as soon as reasonably possible. (Check out Melford’s documentary at the bottom of this post, you won’t be disappointed)
That was the moment I decided I would travel to Alaska upon graduating regardless of outside circumstances. And low and behold, here we are a few months later with a rough outline of my trip compiled and plenty of logistics for me to work out.
Stay tuned for future posts regarding what exactly I plan to do in Alaska, but to give you a little sneak peak it involves some volunteering, hiking, wildlife, glaciers, and much more!
Ian's Outdoor Adventures 