Talk Tuesday:

Talk Tuesday is my most read post every week. It is where you get to ask me whatever you want and I answer you here. Did you miss the prior weeks, take a peek as there is some good stories in there: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7  | Week 8 | Week 9  | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13 | Week 14 | Week 15 | Week 16 | Week 17. Have a question for me about anything under the sun? Ask away in the comments below before next Tuesday. I

 

SO last week’s Talk Tuesday: When Are You Getting Married caused quite the stir. The #1 question I am asked from people, men or women, young or old, is about my dating life. Seriously. Moreso than questions about Alaska, about traveling full-time for 19 months, more than what it was like to camp for over 100 days. People seem to want me in a happy healthy relationship. Well, I would like that too. Until that happens though, I am going to just go ahead and keep on having fun trekking around this great big world. I waited WAY too long for Mr. Right to come along and I’m not waiting anymore. I have moose and Beluga whales to see, oh and Grizzly Bears, and so many more glaciers… 🙂

This made me smile!

What is the most frequently asked questions you get asked about Alaska?

There are a few that I get asked over and over again. One is about bears and moose. Do I see them walking around everywhere? Sadly, no. I have only seen bears on my drive in from Canada and once in Denali. I have only seen a moose in Anchorage once late at night and the rest of the time they were away from the city. They say there are more moose in Alaska than humans… prove it! 😉

Like Moose? Check out my Moose Monday posts. This one was hanging out at the 19th Hole. 🙂

I also get asked a lot about the 24-hours of darkness in the winter. From what I have been told, Anchorage receives about 6 hours of sunlight a day. However, farther north in Fairbanks it is much more common to only have a couple hours of sunlight. I don’t mind it getting darker early, but not having sunlight to wake me up in the morning will be an issue. I am very much a person who rises and falls with the sun.

Whats your fav story to tell Lower 48ers about your time so far in Alaska?

That one time when I saw a Grizzly Bear eating dandelions on the side of the road and I stopped and took his picture for 20 minutes all while telling him what a good boy he was. #truestory Or that time I was writing at a picnic table and a moose came up to within a couple feet of me. I like to tell the story of the amazing people I met in Seward when I first came to Alaska. I was scared, heartbroken over the loss of my manuscript, and didn’t know which way was up. They had no idea I was going thru so much and they welcomed me with a smile and a hug. The people I have met in Alaska are where some of my best stories come from. Oh, and dancing in a yurt!

What’s your favorite brewery in Alaska?

This would like be choosing a favorite child! Alaska’s brewery culture is far more unique than other parts of the country. In a place as large as AK there are only 23 breweries – but each brewery is so unique and creates vastly different brews. I absolutely adore the newest brewery – Seward Brewing Company – and can’t wait to see what they create. Midnight Sun Brewery Co is my fave for being so close to my Lower 48 fave, Rogue Brewery out of Oregon. They come up with unique combos and have some of the best bottle art I have ever seen. There there is Broken Tooth Brewery and I always seem to have a growler or two of their beers nearby.

My fave sours (my new thing) are found at 49th State Brewery and Denali Brewery Company. Then there is St. Elias which seriously needs to distribute as those beers are quite awesome. Kenai Rivers Brewery likes to flirt with the unknown and I might just be in love. I just started tasting Anchorage Brewing Co and the palate on that brewer is remarkable as those beers are bursting with flavor. Glacier Brewhouse has this Raspberry Wheat that just calls my name across town – delicious! Before I came to Alaska, I only had drank Alaskan Brewery – I love their Smoked Porter – but I am SO glad I have been given the chance to really try what this great state has to offer.

So do I have a favoriate brewery in Alaska? No. I love Alaska Beer and each brewery has at least one beer that I don’t want to live without. Look for posts this winter as I share my faves from each brewery.

What is the most frequently asked questions regarding Arizona do you get from your Alaska friends? What’s your fave AZ story to tell them?

How hot is it really? I personally like a 100 degrees over 50, but most Alaskans surely do not like that idea! And yes, you can fry an egg on the pavement in the middle of summer! I get a lot of questions about the weather, espeically since it is the exact opposite of Alaska. When the haboobs hit AZ, Alaskans want to know if it looks as apocolytpic in person as it does on the TV. Yes, yes it does.

I also get asked a lot about AZ politics. A lot. I don’t like to talk politics and I dont agree with a lot that AZ does, so I try to evade this question.

My favorite stories to tell Alaskans have to do with watching the monsoon storms roll in and the amazingly beautiful sunsets that they leave in their wakes. There is nothing on earth like an Arizona sunset – it is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I also like to share the story about when I was bit by a baby scorpion after I had a dinner party – I called my friends back to help get rid of it and make sure I didn’t die!

My best AZ stories involve my best friends that I miss greatly. They also include what it was like to grow up in a racecar family. I am asked a lot if I had tortillas and refried beans a lot. Yep!! Damn, I miss those. I love bean burritos! 🙂

Are honestly ready for the amount of snow that you are going to get this winter in Alaska??

No. No I am not. I’m terrified of the snow. Alaskans say they dont get a lot of snow. I just found out that what they meant by this, is they *only* get like 5-7 feet of snow in Anchorage. Oh, hells no!! An inch is a lot!

Every day I second guess my idea to stay and experience it. I’m afraid, plain and simple. I’m afraid of freezing in a snow bank and being found in the spring sometime.

And do you plan on hibernating or trying to get out and experiencing it all and how??

I will hibernate for a bit of it as I want to stay put and write. That’s hard to do when I am on the go as much as I am right now. I’m also tired. Really tired. I want to stay in and cook and rejuvenate my soul a bit… hopefully that will come out by writing a book or two. I also plan on experiencing the snow by learning how to snow shoe, cross country ski, downhill ski, ice skate, and maybe even get on a dog sled for a little bit. I’ve never done any of these things and I can’t wait to try them out! First I need to learn how to walk in snow!

I’m worried that I am in a place that isn’t close to town and gets more snow than what I have even planned for. I’m worried that the darkness will be too much. I am going to try to face each of these fears though and push on.

One of the boots I am looking at.
Sorel Tofino Women Boot