The Great Land

First of all, there's the light.

I was just in Alaska for a work trip.  This is the middle of the northern winter, of course, and that's a great time of year to go back.  In January the sun just hangs low over the southern horizon for the few hours it's up, and the light is always a rich amber color as a result, as if it were ten minutes until sunset for the whole day long.

I got lucky with the weather.  It was cold as hell and I loved it.  I rented cross-country skis when I was in Anchorage and went skiing on the trails near my hotel after the conference I was attending was over each day.  It was my first time on skis in the four and a half years since we left Alaska.  

There is absolutely NOTHING so invigorating after a day of listening to scientific talks as going skiing in -25° C weather:

And then of course there's the grandeur.  This is the view of the Chugach Range as you fly out of Anchorage:

But more than anything, there are the people.  Alisa had me take pictures of all of our mutual friends that I ran into on the visit.  The results make a great cross-section of our social universe in Alaska.  Right now, home is wherever Galactic is.  But this visit was a great reminder that when our sailing years are over, we'll have another home waiting for us up north.