Alaska Summer

Alaska Summer

Hi Folks,

 I’ve been a resident of the Fox Valley for many years but for quite a while now I’ve spent my summers in Valdez Alaska as an adventure tour guide. I was sitting outside my cabin this morning having coffee, talking with my friend back in Geneva.

 My friend and his buddies are planning an adventure trip here next summer and I was reiterating the many differences, not only in the land but the people who live here.

As we talked, he mentioned a minor incident while driving in Geneva yesterday that quickly turned into an angry exchange between drivers.

 The incident was so very minor that it didn’t seem possible that it could have escalated so quickly but was the result of little or no patience, lack of courtesy and perhaps underlying anger that seems so pervasive in our society today, especially in urban areas.

 In stark contrast, in all my 20 plus years coming to Alaska I have never seen nor have I had, an angry exchange with another driver or for that matter, any native person. It is rare to hear a car horn honk…in fact years ago when I first came up here the only two times I heard that sound was when I was the one blowing my horn, a result of bringing my impatience from the city to the wilderness.

 So what is it that makes such a difference in people’s tolerance levels? People here have many of the same problems as their urban fellows: financial, marital, kids, sports, school, etc.  

 I feel one of the biggest differences is that in smaller towns, especially in Alaska there is a deeper, more personal connection between people…one that doesn’t depend as much on email, texting and internet, not that this technology isn’t used a lot here, because it is but people here just talk to each other.

 There’s also a deeper connection with nature and less with the material world as folks here are more dependent on the land as a source of recreation as well as an additional food supply.

 Personally, I love to see people in the urban areas try to spend more time in nature and outdoors. My goal in starting my tour guide business was and still is, getting folks out of the urban environment and into a place where they can experience the power of nature, a place where they can stretch themselves a little. It is a joy to watch the changes when folks come here and in a day or two, are so much more relaxed - the energy in them goes from jangled and rough to smooth and relaxed.

 It isn’t just here in Alaska where that can happen. I had to learn to make time in my busy life to get outside whether it was a state park of a short hike around the block in the midst of a busy workday. Nature is so energizing and allows us to leave, for short periods, the tangled energy of the urban life. Among the many benefits, is the ability to think more clearly, opening up the creative juices and bringing a sense of calm to an otherwise chaotic thought process.

 I hope you all enjoy this one of a kind, never to come again day!

 Namaste

Jim Robertson

Owner and Operator

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