After graduating high school my mom surprised me with a plane ticket to visit my cousin out in Alaska. Her husband was stationed there out in the Army, so it was the perfect opportunity to visit a new place in the world. We hit all the tourist places, and the food out there was delicious. Once I landed in Alaska and my cousin picked me up from the airport she immediately told me that they were already out camping in the RV, and we were going back to meet up with her husband and his friend. It was midnight at the time, and it was shockingly still light outside which is something I was definitely not used to. We were able to ride dirtbikes and quads all through the night because during the summer it only gets dark for roughly around two hours between three to five am then the sun comes back out again. It was really strange to be sitting around the campfire at two in the morning with the sun still out, and this made it especially hard to sleep without blackout curtains.

On the first day I was there we took a train through the depth of Alaska, and saw moose, bald eagles, and many other wildlife. Everything is Alaska is so much greener than in California I could not get over it. The second day we took a shuttle up a mountain and then hiked to see a glacier. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking, and you can see my cousin and I in front of the glacier in the picture below. The third day I was there we took a tram at the Alyeska resort and made it all the way to the top of the mountain where there was a museum with facts about Alaska. It was very intriguing to learn about Alaska’s history, and the view was incredible too not to mention how great the food was at the restaurant we went to. I remember clear as day ordering salmon with rice and veggies, and it was the best fish I have ever had to this day. The next day in Alaska we went on a glacier cruise through the waters of Alaska, and I was able to see many glaciers and ice caps floating in the water. We also saw a pod of Orca whales and sea otters floating in the water. We got fish and chips during the trip, and got to order glacier margaritas made with the ice scooped out of the water from chunks floating off the glaciers.

All in all, my trip to Alaska was an unforgettable one. I would recommend if you ever decide to travel to Alaska to go to all the places I mentioned above in order to have the full experience. Take the time to enjoy all the beautiful sites Alaska has to offer because it is unlike any other place in the world, and is full with new and exciting adventures that you can’t get anywhere else. Going to Alaska made me have a greater appreciation for nature, and really let me open up to just how gorgeous different sites on earth can truly be.