Spring break is in full swing and I am so happy because I get to be in the sunshine state for a whole week. Brandon and I got on a plane early this morning and flew into Riverside, CA to visit his Dad and brother.
As soon as we settled in, we went for a cruise around town and walked through the downtown area. Our first stop was at this funky coffee shop called Back to the Grind. We basked in the sunshine in their back porch area with fruit smoothies and tea.
Arriving in a new place is so exciting for me. I love looking at the buildings, storefronts, and people. I like to watch how people go about their days.
Later we met up with Brandon's Dad and brother and had some lunch. Since we had only a few hours of sleep last night, we are now resting up a bit. More pics later! xoxo
Winter quarter is officially over!!! I am so relieved and so happy!!! This was by far the most challenging quarter I have ever had in my entire academic career. Seriously, I cried like 25 times and slept an average of 3-5 hours most nights.
Spring break starts officially next week, but this week all I have to do is attend a 20 minute conference with my professor and I am done. Oh man, I almost don't know what to do with myself...
almost...
I do have a huge paper to write and some reading and more writing to do... :/
But still, I don't have to go to school for two whole weeks!
Two of the major highlights of my trip to Alaska was the drive down to Seward from Anchorange on the Seward Highway and the Wildlife cruise in Resurrection Bay. On the morning we departed we woke up early, went to a European bakery for coffee and pastries, stocked up on snacks, and headed on the road.
Seward Highway is 125 mile stretch of highway with beautiful views of the Kenai Peninsula, Chugach National Forest, Turnagain Arm, and Kenai Mountains. The morning fog creeping around the mountains made for a mystical ride.
The cruise we took through Resurrection Bay was stunning. The weather was beautiful, lighting up the backdrop of the Chugach and Kenai mountain ranges.
The captain and crew of this ship were amazing.They were so friendly and made a point to visit with each person at some point and make sure everything was going well. At one point I was feeling sea sick from the rocking boat and a crew member saw and made sure I was OK (side note: Dramamine! It works!).
We saw several species of wildlife and stunning glaciers along the mountain range. Unfortunately, my camera isn't adequate to capture all of the details, but I am sure you can imagine how beautiful it was.
See the orca fin in the distance?
The captain told us this was a teenage Orca and that she had never had one swim so close to her boat. She did a little victory high five with her crew and was like "Yeah, is that close enough!?!?" haha :)
Sea lions lounging in the sun.
We saw several animals that my camera couldn't capture; including mountain goats, baby bald eagle, puffins, and humpback whales. Nevertheless it was so fun and beautiful to see the land and wildlife. It was humbling to hear the ranger tell us about how much the glaciers have receded in the last decades. Also, almost all of the animals we saw are endangered. This area is still very beautiful, but it's sad to think about how it will never be the same. :( Here is a video I took of three glaciers; Prospect, Spoon, and Porcupine Glaciers.
The ride back to Anchorage...
I wanted to go on this trip because I thought it would be peaceful yet adventurous, and I was right. It was the perfect trip to take just before I started grad school, which has been a major learning experience for me.
If you ever get the chance to visit Alaska, I highly recommend it! If I were to go again, I would go in July so I could visit Denali. By the time we got there the park had just closed.
