I had a friend ask me the other day how did I get to where I was to where I am now.  This question made me stop and really think, I answered it in a literal sense, but after doing so I got to thinking I should have answered it in a more spiritual sense.

It is easy to say how you got to a place physically, how you literally got to where you are.  The steps taken, the road traveled, the physical reasons why you move, change locations, adjust careers.  However, have you ever stopped and really thought what emotionally, mentally, spiritually got you to where you are today?  I will be honest, I never did, I always thought in a literal sense.  The spiritual sense comes in to play in one word, happiness.

Being happy with where you are, what you are doing, who you are with, just general overall happiness with life is all anyone really needs.

I guess I have always sought out adventure, looked for the new thing.  I come from a small town with no real opportunity for adventure.  It is a nice place, good people; you know the kind of people that wave at you when you drive down the street…even if they don’t know you.  I guess growing up I lived all the adventures a young man could.  Great memories with good friends, cruising “the strip”, hunting, fishing, camping, partying, and all the things a young man in a small community could do.  I’m not saying should do but saying could do.

I always knew I wanted out of my childhood town, wanted to see the world and experience life in general.  A few events and opportunities presented themselves and I jumped on them.  I was actually in a hurry to get away, maybe running away if you will.  Emotionally I needed to leave, I was not happy, I was frustrated.  I made staggered moves and eventually moved out of State.  I have no regrets of leaving, in fact I’m glad I did as I have had many great adventures in life, too many to even think about writing out here.  I have traveled, have seen, and have experienced things that many may never have the privilege of doing.

The bird pictures below remind me of freedom, freedom to roam, travel and experience the life wherever the wind may blow.  I challenge everyone to pursue what makes you happy.

My roaming has led me to happiness, but the adventure continues.....



The Arctic Ocean, Barrow Alaska.

The ice pack broke up and was miles out for a couple weeks. The winds changed the other day and the ice has been pushing into shore.

Such simple beauty, ever changing, only captured in an image to be preserved forever. I see life and the ice as one in the same. Life is ever changing; you only take snapshots of memories and events along the way. Then when neither can go on anymore they simply melt away, going back into the earth.

Life is a journey, explore, roam.............

A few various pictures of my time here in Barrow, Alaska.  I'm trying to catch up on my pictures, my stories, my adventures.  Until then...enjoy the pictures.

Roaming around the town...... 



Bearded Seal, I thought how fitting..I can relate to this as have hauled several deer on trailers and trucks.

Bearded Seal being butchered, the little girls were proud of the harvest and wanted to be in the picture.  The Bearded Seal Skin is used in the boat coverings for the Bowhead Whale Hunt.  I have not had the honor of trying seal meat yet, but I know I will.

Bearded Seal being butchered,

Lion's Mane Jellyfish or Moon Jellyfish, I am not 100% certain of the type as there have been two diff types washing up on the beach. 

Jellyfish on beach

Lion's Mane Jellyfish or Moon Jellyfish, I am not 100% certain of the type as there have been two diff types washing up on the beach.

Dena at the famous Barrow Whale Bone Arch.  Not to be confused with the Golden Arches, no Big Macs in Barrow...no fast food or chain places in Barrow.

This is what the moon looks like in Barrow Alaska at Midnight.

The Sun at Midnight, the Beach, a Sea Gull, the Arctic Ocean  (Yea, Yea, Yea...I know it is just a Gull, but I have my reasons for adding the Sea part to Sea Gull)

Kids Enjoying a warm summer day in Barrow, Alaska

Caribou

Caribou, mmmm, yummy Caribou

This little dog thought he was 10 foot tall.

Dena and I with the Arctic Ocean in the background

Fog rolling in off the Arctic Ocean

I know it has been a long time since I have updated my blog.  The purpose of this blog is to share my adventures with those who care to follow.  While my experience here in Alaska has been life changing I have realized that technology is not as important to me as it once was.  I have been gathering the experience of life, truly living life, and that to me is more important than updating a blog every few days.  I will make it a point to do more timely updates as several people have asked for more stories, more pics, and more adventures.  I have a huge back log of things to share, stories to write, and pictures to edit.... keep checking back often as you never know what you will find.

A wonderful day was spent on the Alaskan Tundra south of Barrow.  Three guys enjoying nature and leaving the stress and worries of life behind, for a few hours at least.  It was an approximate 12 mile hike taking about 8 hours.  Yea, we just spent our time taking in the beauty around us.  Relaxing, bonding, sharing the adventure was the goal of the day.  The phrase of the day was “did you hear that?”  The answer was always followed with “I don’t hear a thing” No cars, no other people, no noise pollution to distract your mind from the gift of nature itself.

It was a day that I will never forget, hard to truly put into words, guess you just had to be on the Tundra that day.

Roaming around Northern Alaska for a bit…..

Justin, Scott, Nathan - taking time for ourselves, enjoying a good cigar.

The only thing ahead of us was more Tundra, hundreds of miles in fact.

Bones of the unknown

Natural Gas Pipeline, this is the line that supplies Barrow with Natural Gas.

No idea what type of plant / flower this is, but I thought it was beautiful.

Miles upon hundreds of miles of Tundra.  The pure expanse of the area is amazing.

Snowy Owl

Snowy Owl in flight

This was Justin's picture, edited on camera to only allow the blue to show.  I liked it so much I just had to share it with everyone.

This is actualy two Swans, they didn't let us get too close, and I was lacking zoom on my camera.