“What guided me there was a deep, unreasoning love of an idea, a place I’d never seen; a land far beyond roads…don’t ask me where it came from. I suppose I was born with the notion and honed it as I went. I didn’t want to just live in such a place; I wanted to meet and know it on its own inscrutable, uncaring terms.” –Nick Jans, June 2021 edition of Alaska magazine

Watching and critiquing surfing documentaries is a long standing family tradition.

When the boys were young, everything was sports and surfing, and in the summer, mostly surfing. After their day’s surfing, they would settle in with snacks and juice, and watch documentaries featuring famed surf spots they dreamed of seeing: Waimea. Pipeline. Mavericks. Teahupo’o (CHO’ Poo). Cortes Bank. Dungeons. Ghost Tree. Pe’ahi. They watched these films, over and over, until they could recite the dialogue.

Bruce Brown’s “Endless Summer,” of course.

“Stepping into Liquid,” directed by Bruce Brown’s son, Dana.

2002’s “Dark Fall,” featuring their beloved Jersey waves.

“Bustin’ Down the Door,” with a cameo by John John, who along with Kelly and Rob was our in-house surfing celebrity since the first day they saw his ten-year old tow head in Surfer magazine.

They just recently vegged out in front of “Momentum Generation,” featuring all of their childhood favorites: Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Shane Dorian, Taylor Knox, Kalani Robb, Ross Williams, Taylor Steele and Pat O’Connell. They let me join them for the viewing, and it was an honor. I mean, surfing has always been their thing with their father, something I have never “understood,” although as little boys they “let” me drive them to surf competitions. They just spent the fall semester of 2020 at the North Shore, also an experience I will obviously never truly “understand.” And that’s fine.

Man, I’m digressing. Let me get to my point: Alaska. But one more surfing reference first.

The documentary “Riding Giants” was another favorite of ours, although it has been said by surfing purists that being towed into big waves is not real surfing. It looks like surfing to me, but what do I know? The boys remind me all the time: Nothing.

So there is this scene at the end of “Riding Giants” where Laird Hamilton gets this big ride at Teahupo’o, this epic life-changing ride. And at the end of the scene he describes how the magnanimity of the ride, the significance of it, softened some hard corners in his life. Aw hell, here’s the dang video:

I know this is what Alaska will do for me. I know it just like I know the sun will come up tomorrow. I know it the way I know Alaska has a civil twilight, bears and salmon. I have been waiting to immerse myself in the Alaskan wilderness ever since I was a little girl flipping through National Geographic magazines and Sierra Club books.

“One day that will be me,” I vowed.

That day is tomorrow. I haven’t even been able to sleep.

I know that Alaska is going to soften the remainder of my hard corners, whichever ones Iceland missed. The thought is terrifying, because hard corners protect one from getting knocked around, for goodness sakes. I’m not sure I’m ready to be that vulnerable. But hey, I’m in for whatever Alaska has in store for me. Wish me luck.

Note: I don’t know the WIFI situation yet where I am going. If I can post, I will post. If you don’t see a post, you’ll know I’m so far off the grid that I can’t. But part of my trip is glamping, so I’m sure I’ll be able to post most days. I’m going to take the next two Mondays off, if you don’t mind, to acclimate and appreciate. So no posts this Monday or Memorial Day Monday. Enjoy your holidays, your families and your newfound freedom, in whatever form it takes. Celebrate your life, you deserve it.