How to Prepare for a year-long adventure

I had a hard time preparing for this trip. Not so much with the packing - though there were three last-minute trips to REI in the three days before we left. When it came to "what do I want to see and learn?" it’s a bit harder. The possibilities seem endless and one idea leads to the next but the time we have for our trip is limited so how do you choose? And for that matter, how do you choose before you know what the options are? All of this makes Alaska a great place to start - it is so big there's no way we can expect to see it all so I guess the pressure is off. Add to that starting with a cruise and you get the recipe for making hardly any decisions at all. You go where the ship goes. This particular ship only goes to one National Park and we're not allowed off the boat so literally no planning need to be made. We're just going to stick like glue to the ranger(s) who will be coming on board to teach us things and keep our eyes peeled for whatever might move. After that, we'll have a little something under our feet helping us make more decisions as we go.

We've had a lot of people ask us what "counts" as seeing a National Park and that answer is also is a work-in-progress. Definitely it needs to be more than a stop at the visitors center (along the lines of "how many countries have you been to?" "do airport layovers count?".) I'd like for us to hike in each park but even that, maybe it's not the thing we need to do to get a sense of the place. That's the crux of it for me: I'd like to get a sense of what makes each park it's own place. I'd like to get a sense of the landscape, of who and what lives there, and of what the place has meant to people throughout the years. I'm pretty sure there are things we need to build up to. So longer hikes and backpacking - those won't be happening in this go-round in Alaska but come spring... we might just surprise ourselves with what we can do. Also: I want to run in each park. We'll see how that last part goes; not all the parks have much dry land. This, like many things, might change a bit as we go but right now it seems a good place to start.

I said packing wasn't the hard part and it wasn't. We'll get along fine if we've forgotten something. The part I find hard is that I can't pack people. I am grateful for the enthusiasm our friends have shown and support they've offered, all of which makes this crazy trip possible. It's just… I want to bring you all along as well. To have a chance to share in discoveries like glimpsing a lighthouse, overhearing a particular accent or finding the feeling of familiarity in a brand new place . All of these things will bring someone I love close for a bit. Which is, of course, bittersweet. You may get a note from me letting you know about something we shared while I was here and you were there. Even if you don't, chance are I'm thinking about you. Know I appreciate you coming with me. i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)