There is a word for newcomers in Alaska... you are a "Cheechako" until you have celebrated your first year anniversary in this harsh climate.
Nine months ago, we were fresh off the plane, tired, excited, and a little out of sorts. The first day we were in our new apartment, while Ryan was at work, I decided to walk to our neighborhood coffee shop.
Before setting out on my first adventure in Alaska, I consciously decided to put on my "bear bells" that Ryan's mom had given us before leaving Colorado. After all, it’s Alaska right, there are bears on every corner… or so I thought. As I walked the four city blocks from our apartment to the Kaladi Brother's Coffee house... I cautiously scanned the neighboring sidewalk, houses, playgrounds, and trees for approaching bears.
I can now look back on that moment and laugh. What a Cheechako... I was. Cheechako is a “tenderfoot” stage that one will outgrow if they stick around in Alaska long enough. The best thing about living in a new place is the sense of wonder that you get walking down a new street for the first time. Whether you are clad in obnoxious bear bells (which are actually very useful in rural or wilderness settings) or you are just going out for a stroll... the point of living in a new place is exploration.
Recently Ryan and I decided to explore our local surroundings. We had the spring bug and decided that we wanted to go camping in the wilderness. It's Alaska right? You should be able to pitch a tent anywhere! We hit the road after half-a-day-prepping our gear, gathering firewood, food shopping, and filling up a tank of gas.
We drove along the coast for several hours, hitting several of our favorite landmarks. We visited several of our chosen campsites... ultimately to find that all of them were closed.
Silence and smiles, we pulled over to our last option for camping that night. Our “Walley World” consisted of hot dogs, smoking campfires, whiskey and sleeping bags. As we pulled up to the large gated barrier we suddenly had that song "Holiday Road" resonating in our minds.
Yes, we had prepped and traveled all this way to experience our first "Griswold Moment." Our last option for camping sat at the base of a melting avalanche zone. Yes, we are still Cheechako.
Outside the avalanche zone we poked around for a while. Once the sun started going down (10pm) we headed back to Anchorage. We fired up the toaster oven, and laid out the sleeping bags, and sipped nightcaps watching a movie on our living room floor.
