what I did on my summer vacation

It was such a big trip--14 days away from home. Traveling from Vancouver, BC, to the Inside Passage, stopping at Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway, then boarding a train to stop at Mt McKinley, Denali Park, to Fairbanks and home. I've never been away from home for that many days in a row before. I guess I can't say that anymore, can I? Once I got home, spoke to my girls and family, saw my pups, and got over this cold, I knew I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

The zipline was a hoot and I was terrible at it. Everyone else in the group sailed straight down the line to the next landing. Not me. I clinched so tightly to the harness assembly at the top of the line that I turned myself to the far right each and every time I zipped. Then, when it came time to slow down before landing, I usually braked too hard and stopped short so the poor boy guide would have to help me pull myself clumsily up to the landing. Except for the time I didn't brake hard enough. I plowed into him. I'm a big girl. Him, not so much. Knocked him into the padded tree behind him. We had a good laugh each time it was my turn to land. Some of us laughed more than others.

The ATV adventure was amazing. Byron and I got a two-seater Rhino so I didn't have to drive. It's a good thing, too, because I'd have turned around for sure at the first sign of water. It was a cold, drizzly day and we dressed warmly but it didn't mean much when we hit the creek and crossed it with water up to our wheel tops. Talk about a rush! We were in a natural gravel pit with rushing streams running through it and gorgeous snow topped mountains all around. There were 11 vehicles that included 2 guides, one in the back and the other in front. One by one, over hill over dale, we went flying over the rough terrain and upstream through the water, laughing and, some of us, screaming all the way. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

This trip was an adventure in so many ways. The time away, the distance, and going with a group of people that, for the most part, were related to one another but not to us. When we started planning this trip, my daughter asked me, "Are you sure about going on a two week trip with these people?" She knows very well how I need my alone time. But, this was a lovely trip. There was no emotional "claustrophobia" at all. We were free to participate or go it alone. It was easy and fun to be with one another. One of the things I liked most about it was that there were all ages in our group from little Noah, Ava and Peyton to Helen and Voline and Mr and Mrs Mooty. We were truly community.

As I think about the fun things we did and the beauty we saw--the awe-inspiring majestic mountains, the tremendous glaciers, the delicate beauty of the ever-present flowers, the wildlife, and the warmth of the Alaskan people--I am humbly grateful to have had this experience. This trip was not a little thing for me. It was big. A big, good thing. I'm a blessed woman.

Thank you, Father. I had a great time!

Suz