I'll straggle in late, as I won't be home until an hour after you guys start. Stupid Alaska...

We joke that there are only two seasons up here: winter and construction. Maybe it's not really a joke... Anyway, summer is usually our best month. I mean season. No, I do mean month. The last few summers have been supremely lame, so we're due a good one this year. For a lot of us, I think, who have migrated from the south, it's the best part of being here. Beautiful environment and endless sunlight to enjoy it. It's over all too quickly, though. My favorite part of the year follows shortly after, the crisp chill of autumn. The changing leaves don't last very long, but the sunsets linger. The stars start to come back, and everything feels sort of magical.

The downside? A distinct separation from the rest of the world, and unless you have the funds to leave on a regular basis, you can find yourself feeling caged in. Anchorage has mountains on one side and water on the other, an almost literal bowl, with one road going out, which caters to some of the worst drivers in the world. Most of us suffer from severe vitamin D deficiency. There isn't much in the way of variety or opportunity here, either, unless you are into certain things.

It's a unique place, that's for sure :)