Juneau or Bust

Tomorrow morning I am off on a jet to Juneau. Mike from Petersburg and I are finally embarking on a trip we’ve talked about since I moved here in November. Besides the initial excitement of getting away for a long weekend and seeing another part of Alaska, our excitement is tenfold because we will be there for the last weekend of the 32nd Alaska Folk Festival. One love that Mike and I share is of live music. And the fact that it’s free makes us both drool.

It’s my first time off the island (or “off the rock” as some people say) since my trip to San Francisco over Christmas. I have to say, I’m a bit nervous about how I’ll react being in a crowd, in a ‘big’ city. Juneau is the capital of Alaska and a city of over 30,000 people, and it will seem that much more crowded with the folk festival contingent. When I went to San Francisco I had only been in Wrangell for a little over a month, and already I was taken aback by the traffic, the crowded sidewalks, the sight of so many people. I did get used to it quickly though, which was a relief to me.

But now it’s been close to five months since I’ve moved here, and over three months since I’ve left Wrangell. In general, I cannot remember the last time I was in one town for over three months in a row. One town. I’m just really curious to see how I feel, how I adjust my mindset for the three days.

This will be one of those tests. The first time I realized Hong Kong was home to me was when I flew back into the airport from a trip away and felt such a sense of relief and calm. We’ll see how I feel when I fly back to Wrangell from Juneau on Sunday. Then again, a weekend might be too short of a time away to show anything.

Mike and I will be staying in downtown Juneau at the Alaskan Hotel which has been called both a ‘hell hole’ and ‘a blast.’ It’ll certainly be an interesting time. We’re looking forward to the live music, the bars, shopping, and the range of ethnic cuisines offered in Juneau (sushi, Thai, Mexican) that we’ve been craving forever.

I’m so excited.