7-24-2010 Fairbanks: Interesting & Awesome/ Crazy People

The last three days have been a combination of time spent with incredible people and people the I needed to escape. It has been a great experience meeting these people and I hope to stay in contact with many of them.

When I finally arrived in Fairbanks the Yukon Alaska shuttle dropped me off at the Glacier hostel. A friendly man greeted me at the entrance and showed me to where I could stay and helped me put the sheets on my bed. This was more of a house hostel than a regular hostel. A couple lived on the first floor and the hostel was in the basement. It wasn't well kept and made me frustrated that I was paying money to stay there. The bathroom was a mess and very out of date; the carpet in the the entire place was very stained and worn thin. I would have know to avoid this hostel had they been posted on hostel world and I could look at the ratings. Once I was a little settled and had my bags unpacked I was able to talk to the guy a little bit. I could tell he was a very intense person and not in a good place in his life. He had been living in a hostel for at least two months, usually did not leave the place, and had no job. I was able to share my perspective on things and thought it might help him. I continued to talk and at times he talked about suicide. It is uncomfortable to be staying in a hostel with people that you know are not healthy and are unstable. I decided to leave the next morning and try to get away from him, while he was running errands. He didn't seem to be leaving the hostel at all that day, so I decided that I would just pack my bags and head out. I had a feeling he knew that I was leaving because of him and that I was not the first person to leave the hostel because of him.

I had an 12:00 appointment with another engineering and architecture company. I had been in contact with them before through a guy named Jared who was from Kalamazoo, MI. We had spoken about LEED certification and how an engineer would fit into their organization. Jared took me over to the mechanical engineering department to talk to the department heads. The two gentlemen I met were very friendly and walked me though all the mechanical engineering projects they were working on. I think both of them were LEED-AP BC+D (Building Construction & Design) certified. We went out to lunch at a BBQ place just a few block away from the office. The conversation stayed on the topic of architecture and engineering and then if moved onto how everyone had gotten up to Alaska and what the lifestyle was here. I was impressed to know that they were both from the lower 48, Oklahoma and Michigan. They both had gotten married and moved up here, it seemed like a good situation they both had.

As soon as lunch was over I got on the bus and started heading to the campsite that I would be spending the night at. On the bus I met a very nice couple, Auryn and Rowan. Auryn was from New Orleans and Rowan was from Seattle, but had settled down in New Orleans. Rowan had started to do a bike tour from Providence, RI to Austin, TX; she only made it to New Orleans. She never made it to Austin, but stopped in New Orleans and met Auryn. They have been dating, since then. Both of them were very smart and had great perspective on social issues and

seemed to be able to find a lot of happiness in life. They lived simply, enjoyed good food, good books, had great friends, and were able to travel frequently. At the time I me them they were hitchhiking across Alaska! We decided to get off at the same stop where I was going to camp and share a campsite. Both of them were very interested in organic farming and sustainable living. Rowan knew the different types of mushrooms to pick that could be eaten. She frequently picked these up as we collected the firewood to cook dinner on. We decided that we weren't hungary at the time, so we went over to the local baseball game between the Fairbank Goldpanners and a team from southeast Alaska. It was the first time there was nice weather since I had gotten to Alaska. The game was great, Fairbanks won, and my two new friends kept me entertained. When we got back we started the fire and Rowan cooked the mushrooms, they were delicious.

I started the next day early and didn't get to talk to Rowan or Auryn before I headed out. I had a 11:00 appointment with a company that does a lot of work with green buildings and sustainable design. I have a passion for well designed cities and buildings, so I was excited to meet with them and see all the work that they performed. I had applied to an internship with them about a month ago, but had not been offered a position. They did offer for me to meet with their lead mechanical engineer, Chris. He was a burly friendly man with red hair. He was from the midwest just like Jared and me; he came from Milwaukee. I got to share with him why I was in Alaska and why I was drawn to his company. It seemed to be the same reason he was there. He wanted to offer me a position, but told me he would need to get back to me and let me know. I don't think they had a lot going one right now, but he saw the value I could add to the company. CB&I had built my resume well.

I headed back to the camp ground and picked up a fishing pole on the way back. I wanted to see if I could catch a trout for dinner. I tried for a while, but didn't have much luck. I don't think I was in a very good area. There was a lot of weeds and it seemed to be pretty shallow, I guess all fishing in Alaska is not amazing. Rowan and Auryn called me as I was fishing and asked if I wanted to go have a burger and beer with them. I walked across the street and met up with them. Not the best burger, but good company.

I was tired when I got back to my tent, since I had walked over 9 miles that day. I went to sleep pretty early and incase I needed my knife I placed it in the tent pocket next to my sleeping bag. I didn't expect to need it, but I like being prepared. At 2am I heard someone yelling right next to my tent, "Is this Bryan? You are in the wrong campsite". I said something, but I didn't remember. The voice was deep, but it still sounded like a female. She kept asking questions, so I decided I would open my tent and see what was going on. Before I opened up the door I unbuttoned the knife's sheath, but did not pull out the knife. I knew my knife was razor sharp, since I had just bought a ceramic sharpening rod in Branson, MO. I opened the door and no one was there, but then on my left side there was a quick movement towards me just two feet away. I drew the knife and prepared to stab. I looked over and there was a brown colored face with two foot long black hair covering it. I thought, "What the f#$% is this?". I realized it was a native Alaskan woman about 5'-8", well built, and probably on drugs. She had no reaction to having a knife in her face and me being prepared to defend myself against her. This is a big contrast to my post a few days ago where I shared the gospel with the Eryn at the hostel. Maybe this is how the verse "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." plays out. I would not enjoy hurting someone, but I believe I have the right to do what is required. Luckily she was not a major threat to me and she went away and bothered other people.

Today has been a great improvement. I went to the coffee shop down the street to do some planning and update my blog. When I got there I met a nice lady, Francine, whom was around my mother's age. She was from North Carolina and drove all the way up here. We talked a little bit and found we both had an interest in the farmers market down the street. We had a great time there, it was probably the best farmers market I have ever been to. The was a diversified product group: meat, produce, pottery, artwork, jewelry, and clothes. I ended up buying a bunch of postcards and cards that had paintings of Alaskan wilderness scenes on them. I also ended up buying Andrea a gift. Francine is very generous person. As we walked around she bought a lot of fruits including strawberries, blueberries, carrots, etc. She shared it all with me. We decided to have lunch there. We had a halibut burger, fries, and cranberry tea. It was her treat, which I am very thankful for.

That takes me up to the current time. Right now I am in a coffee shop at a small table typing and Francine is at the black leather couches behind me planning the next stages of her trip. I have ran into a lot of interesting people. Some of the people I have had to defend myself against, but the majority have been incredible. Rowan and Auryn are heading back to New Orleans in a week or so and I hope that I will be able to come visit them. They are planning on starting an organic garden at the home they hope to get there. I think Francine and I are going to go drive around for a while and see if there is more to Fairbanks!