Fish, Love, and Music.

I've finally just recovered from a weekend full of work. 

And instead of anticipated slow sales, we were graced with the presence of many a traveler on their way to or from Alaska's most "compelling and dynamic" event in the state.

It's dubbed: Salmonfest.

Hey, if it involves Alaska, it's involving our most popular fish!

I myself have never ventured to the Ninilchik campgrounds, even though they're a mere 45 minutes away to attend this iconic Alaskan event. A three day festival of "Fish, Love, and Music", they "emphasize and celebrate the connection of all Alaskans to the fish and waters that provide this magnificent resource."

For awhile, it didn't necessarily appeal to me. Crowds, crowds, more crowds, and not to mention the legalization of pot now available in the state. To me, it sounded like a hippie fest!

But if there's one thing I've learned recently, it's to not judge books by their cover. While I wasn't able to visit due to a working weekend, I was able to interact with fellow fish lovers who had attended.

Between the responses of "totally rad!" and "quite fun", my curiosity piqued and where I once felt distaste for this seemingly hippie festival, I instead felt camaraderie and likeness to these... slightly stinky but very smiling Alaskans.

I'm finding that the more I live here, the more  I interact with these people, and the more time I spend outdoors, the more it clicks in me why folks live here.

It's a special state, that's for sure. It's completely "off the beaten path" (no, literally), and I'm learning to appreciate these people who have, like me, either made the bold move to live here, or have toughed it out since they were born. 

Who knows, maybe I'll venture down to Salmonfest some year and instead of smoking pot, I'll bring along my own salmon and have a puff at that. I think Alaskans would definitely appreciate my humor.

I'll be smoking salmon! Do you get it?

Little shoutout to the sixties! If it's the 50th anniversary of the "Summer of Love" and a celebration of Alaskan's most popular festival, I'm definitely wearing something from the sixties..

Highlight of the Day.

You remember back in school when we were reccomended to use highlighters to mark the items deemed most important in our books?  

Because highlighters stand out. I mean, that's why their colors are bright pink and electric yellow. We used them because they caught our eye.

Using that bit of advice, I decided to incorporate that into my look today. I already stand out, why not highlight the fact?  

We had a social call to make, errands to run in town, and most importantly: I helped my mom with the layout of 602.  

To catch you up to date, my mom is in the process of opening up a coffee shop in an old Alaskan train car (as well as a beer/wine bar in another train car and a depot for an art gallery), and as I happen to have six years of coffee experience and knowledge, I was more than willing to help out where needed.  

So we headed up to Whistle Hill and I proceeded to give advice and imagine the coffee making process in the layout she originally had.  

We changed a few things (it's expected) and we played around and had ourselves some fun in these old choo choos. 

It's interesting how, in the moment, you may not realize how meaningful and special moments seem to you. Then, at the end of the day, as you're looking back and recalling the highlights, you smile and appreciate them for happening.  

Course, they not might match the same feelings one gets when highlighting their homework, but they stand out.

And that's what today was all about.