Hello community,
What a week! Last time we talked, I was leaving for my solo Alaskan adventure. Late last night, after a long day of travel, I finally made it back home to Oregon.
Reflecting on my trip has brought up a lot of emotions for me, because I am both a sentimental and nostalgic person. Always such a bittersweet feeling to leave a place you fell in love with and return home. Good things must come to an end. And that’s what this trip felt like for me. A really good thing that ended much too soon. But Alaska knows, I will be back.
I went to Alaska to visit my uncle Willie. We are not blood related, but we called him my “operating uncle” to explain our relationship to the people I was introduced to. His community said they had heard a lot about my father, Tomas, so it was easy to connect me to him. He grew up with him in Chile, and so he has been in my life since I was a baby. He knew my brothers since they were babies. He probably knows my father better than anyone else in the world does. And he was more involved in my life than my actual uncles on my father’s side ever really were.
I have been telling him I will come visit him in Alaska for years. He visits Portland a couple times a year, so I get the opportunity to see him often. But his home in Alaska has always been this mysterious legend to me that I have been curious about; eager to see with my own two eyes. Chilly Willie, as we lovingly call him, is a mixture between a cowboy, a lumberjack, a sailor, and a motorcyclist. He is also a father of three, loving husband, and really good friend.
In other words, he is simply a badass man who I am honored to know.
My brothers, Nico and Tomas, both got to visit him in Alaska when they were teenagers.
It honestly felt like something that everybody in my family got to experience, besides me. So, this year, I was determined to make it happen. I even put it on my vision board.
However, I had never left my son, Mateo, for more than one night. Being a stay at home mom, I found it hard to peel myself away. So it was very much like ripping the band-aid off — doing something I was afraid to but knowing it will be okay if I do.
I am so proud of myself for finally buying the ticket and deciding to go. There was something inside of me nudging me to do it, and I feel truly changed by the experience. Not only was the scenery profound and beautiful, but the people I met really touched me, too.
While I was waiting to board my flight to Anchorage, an older man dressed in camo said to me, “You’re going to love Alaska. It’s like going to heaven before you die.”
Traveling to see such stunning sights reminds me of all there is out there for me to still experience — places that will leave me awe struck and speechless, much like Alaska did. Especially this special little inlet called Sadie Cove where my uncle Willie built multiple cabins and boat houses. It is only accessible by boat and it is one of the most serene scenes I have ever seen.
My Uncle Willie has been sailing and working with boats for 40 years, so I felt like I was in excellent hands when I trusted him with my life out in the open sea. To tell you the truth, he is just about the only person I would get in a boat with. The man knows what he is doing. In fact, the day I left, he went sailing boat racing against hundreds of other people, and won the race. Like I said, this man is a badass.
Not only a badass, but Willie is a good man. He is thoughtful, hardworking, kind, and open. He is such a comforting presence in my life. In all the places my dad is rigid and hard, my Uncle Willie is soft, gentle and more understanding. Over the years, he has become such an important figure in my life and I didn’t truly understand that until this trip. What a gift traveling can be. It can show you so much about yourself, and others.
In addition to my Uncle Willie, I got to spend quality time with his wife Marcee, who I love deeply as well. She is a hoot, has a great sense of humor and knows how to laugh, captivate a room, and make sure everyone she meets feels important. Going anywhere with her takes ten times longer, though, since she knows every single person in the town of Homer and stops to talk to everyone she sees. Not only that, her phone is always ringing because she is such a popular lady. The two of them have lived in Homer for 40 years, so it makes sense that the entire town knows them.
They actually celebrated their 38th wedding anniversary while I was visiting.
Alaska also showed me how friendly people can be. I do get a taste of that living in Oregon and knowing so many Canadians. But Alaskans are friendly, ya’ll. Everyone I met was kinder than the next.
The people are the best part about traveling to me. They remind me that there is so much more good than bad out there.
Isolation and social media have a tendency to make us feel like we are so alone and that most people are evil. But actually going out into the world — getting outside of our comfort zones especially, show us that just isn’t true. Humans can be so wonderful. We just need to get out there and meet the wonderful humans.
Speaking of wonderful humans, I got the chance to meet someone I had been friends (on Facebook) with since my brother, Tomas, passed. This isn’t unusual for our tight knit community — if you knew and loved my brother, you are a friend to me, too. This friend’s name is Dana and he offered to show me around Homer while I was there. Which was great because Willie and Marcee had already done a lot of hosting and entertaining me. Dana drove me around, giving me the local experience. We went on a long drive around Homer and the outskirts of town, too, and also on a hike. His sweet pup, Adelaide, sat on my lap for the whole thing. He generously spent his day with me, and as a thank you, I bought him some (freshly caught!) fish and chips. That is one of the photos above where only his beard is pictured.
The photo on the left is from a dinner party at Willie and Marcee’s friend, Kim’s. She warmly opened her home to me and gave me a seat at her table where she fed us the most delicious meal, we drank wine with some visiting Swiss guests, and laughed the night away around the fire. I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard or felt so carefree. I got to meet some of the most interesting people, while allowing myself to open up and as Willie said, “let loose a little bit.”
It’s true, I guess I didn’t even realize how serious I had become over the years. Of course spending all day with a toddler means silliness, but letting your weird out around fellow weird adults is a special kind of freeing feeling. Marcee knows how to be goofy all the time, and with a few whiskeys, Willie does, too. They reminded me that age doesn’t have to stop you from having a lot of fun. I was thankful for that reminder.
Everyone I met was warm, welcoming and made me feel like I belonged there.
All in all, the journey felt long in only five short days, because of all the ways I was changed by the experience. I was reminded of my humanness, separate from being a mother and all the various roles I take on and carry every day. I was reminded that there is so much beauty to be divulged by me — it’s only waiting for me to come find it. I was reminded of how easy I am to talk to, as conversation with everyone I met flowed naturally and I felt so comfortable. Oddly enough, I feel like I came out of a shell I didn’t even know I had retreated into.
I saw bald eagles, sea otters, moose, and wild bunnies. No whales, or bears. That’s for next time.
My overall takeaways from the trip:
I have so much respect for people who build things with their own hands. Willie has built so many dwellings and cabins, with intricate details that only he could create. They will live on well after he leaves this Earth. There is something so special about a tangible legacy.
People will meet you where you are. Then they will remind you that you can walk further, and do more. Let them.
Being a good guest means many things. Bringing love is most important.
I can be funny and charming when I let down my walls I often forget I’ve built.
My generation is heavily reliant on social media for validation and many means of pleasure. Myself included, but I would love to change that.
When I have the space to know myself, I really like myself. When life gets too busy is when the inner dialogue that is torturous starts. Slowing down is key.
Getting to know a town or city well can only be down on the ground with the locals. You can’t change my mind about that.
When a Swiss asks if you’d like more wine, say yes. Good times will be had.
As a mom, being away from my son makes me ache. So I try to focus on where I am, and know he is in good hands. Otherwise the missing feels too painful.
If there is a deep nudging inside telling you to do something, buy the damn ticket. You will likely regret that trip you didn’t take over the one you did.
Alaska is a wild, beautiful place and easily one of the most gorgeous states in the country. Not much else compares.
And that’s a wrap, folks. Now I feel like I need to decompress and sleep for a week. There is so much to be grateful for. And probably more to tell, but I am tired for now. Thank you for reading.
All my love,
Isabel
Your stories and photos make me want to go “way up North” too!
My BFF are planning an Amtrak train trip from Vancouver WA to Alaska! Going to Alaska is on my bucket list and I'm 65 years old so I need to make it happen. I'm so happy for you that you got to go.