My heart is in...



Alaska. Denali National Park to be exact.

     I'm sitting here in my warm, well-lit dorm room, looking outside to see the flurries of snow whipping around so fast you can't tell if it's really snowing or if the wind is just moving the snow all over the place. As nice as it is inside compared to outside at the moment, I'd rather be somewhere else. Does that ever happen to you? You think of a memory, or read something, or hear something or see something that reminds you of somewhere else? That's me tonight. I'm here, in St. Bonaventure, N.Y., but my heart is in Alaska.

     I'm lucky enough to have family who lives in Anchorage and I was also lucky enough to spend my summer there the year that I turned 17. What an amazing place to not only celebrate your birthday, but just to be. If I could leave at this moment and move anywhere I wanted and not have to worry about money or a job or any of that nonsense my top three choice would be: Greece, Nepal and Alaska...Alaska being the favored choice because it's actually an ideal option for me.

     The picture above is one that I took while we were traveling through Denali National Park. And what a gorgeous park it was. We saw moose, momma grizzly bears, baby grizzly bears, mountain goats...the list could go on. What a beautiful piece of land full of so many amazing creatures and plants.

     This picture is what I think of when I think of Alaska. It makes me miss it so much on nights like this. Nights when you're content with where you are, but always ready to be somewhere better. This picture is my better. The tranquility of the land, the lack of wind, the lack of humidity in the summer (always a plus) and the beauty everywhere you look is just wonderful. You really don't get that here in New York. I guess I take that back. You do get beautiful landscapes in New York, but you don't get the peacefulness. We would drive along different roads and not meet a car for hours. Just you and the land.

     The older I get, the faster this world gets spinning. I feel like I'm one of those little snowflakes outside my dorm room window, being blown all over the place without any choice in where I go.It scares me sometimes when I think about it - how I'm getting older, things are getting harder, the real world is beginning to knock on my door, relationships are forming all around me and life just keeps on getting crazier. What's the deal? I'm old now, shouldn't I have it all figured out? I guess not. This must be some funny joke God is playing on me. But as fast at the world gets turning and as crazy as my life might be, I'll always have this picture to take me back to the simpler times.

     So as I sit here trying to get the voices to silence themselves in my head, I'll look at this picture and remember a simpler life. I'll remember the peace and tranquility that would come over me every time I breathed in the sweet, crisp Alaskan air. I'll remember the beautiful landscapes that overwhelmed my vision. I'll remember a wonderful summer, full of memories and love. I'll remember where my heart is...