Northern Exposure

In between house-hunting excursions, Curtis and I took a quick three day vacation to visit my little sis Emily in Sitka, Alaska. It was amazing.

Our first amazement came from traveling with nothing but a solitary suitcase and a small purse -- a far cry from diaper bags, suitcases, strollers, car seats, and the myriad of books and snacks that we usually have to lug on planes. It was incredibly easy.

Our second amazement came once we landed. Sitka is truly a real-life Northern Exposure set. The entire town knew Em, even though she's only lived there for two years. During a hike on Sunday, Curtis and I met three different locals along the trail. They all knew Emily.

Emily and her darling roommates were such great hosts. During our short stay, we were able to experience Wild Kingdom moments such as a sea lion devouring a three-foot salmon as we were kayaking, a close-call with a bear during a hike, bald eagles diving for fish, and yes, climbing a mountain.

The only disappointment was that we had mediocre weather, which meant that after climbing thousands and thousands of stairs to the top of Gavan, we couldn't see more than 20 feet around us. Though we missed the spectacular view from atop, the hike was well worth it for the slide down the slope on our bums!

It was an incredible three days. Emily's Boot Camp definitely lived up to its reputation!