h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Greetings to Alaska from London...

The beauty of this site is that one can be as anonymous as one wants to.

I think you will come to enjoy it very much...I did, and I was unbeliveably shy at first...

But enough of that!

What I really want to know..is what is living in Alaska really like? I am going there next july, 2002 for the first time, and am really looking forward to it. Even though I know I am not quite sure what to anticipate...

Hi back! First I'll need to know where you plan to be in alaska..
I've only been to a handfull of places.. Talkeetna.. (a cute little town in south central AK that is definately worth a visit) Seward.. (cruise central.. also a cute little town .. you'll get that a lot- as Anchorage is the ONLY city of any real size in Alaska.. and it's mostly given over to urban sprawl) Wassilla and Palmer.. suburbs of Anchorage.. Portage, (glacier central) ... Girdwood.. which boasts a very plastic, yet gigantic hotel called Alyeska .. it's a skii resort. And places like Moose Pass are so incredibly tiny that mentioning them takes longer than passing through- but of course.. flea sized towns often boast just the expirience you are looking for. Once the road (and there are maybe seven highways in the whole state... and none boast six lanes) clears up I plan to get back to Seward, becuase they have a sea life museum I missed last time I was there.. this is not to say that I didn't see it- because it drew quite a lot of attention to it's self.. just by sitting right on the harbor and being the tallest building I saw. What I am trying to impress, in my sick and medicated way.. (have a lovely bout of the flu) is the size of the actual land.. and the comparative smallness of human settlements. As I flew from Seattle to anchorage.. I witnessed the largest expanse of uninhabited land I had ever seen.. mountains.. HUGE lakes.. ... more mountains.. more HUGE lakes.. and some more mountains for good measure. If you drive up to Talkeetna and walk out past the end of town there is a bend in the river.. the colour of the water up here is something that you will have to come to grips with... it is perhaps the most beautiful colour an artist could never hope to capture. This is due to the glacier silt that the rivers pick up on their way out of the mountains. (Pardon me while I sneeze my head off) Conveniently placed at the bend in this river is a long piece of driftwood.. when you sit on this log and gaze across the river.. catching the splash of salmon.. the roil of the bizarrely coloured water and breath deep- realizing that what you are looking at is the begining of an IMMENSE clump of land that is wholy given over to nature. I could go on and on.. but I'll have to think about your question some more. What can you expect? The attitude of the people.. (countless expiriences to describe here) the fact that there are so little OF said people.. and the shear size of the land will most assuredly put you in your place. And this, I found, once I went along with it.. (and this is not to say that you are expected to have this expierience, but most often this is the feeling I gather it gives) was a wonderful feeling. Alaska will make you feel very very small. I need a nap now! I hope in my garbled, just got out of bed, feeling very nasty way.. that I helped.. and made sense- but as I said, I'll have to think about this some more.. I intended to write a few lines to let you know I had read your post and would get back to you soon! haha.. Untill then.. (I love this little smiley) Take care.

By the way.. I am not trying to remain anonymous.. I just think it's fun being refered to as a researcher with a number. Kind of what they were going for I suspect. On the contrary.. I'll divulge all sorts of personal information! Haha... Maybe too much at times.

Just called in to say hello, sorry you are suffering at the moment
Get well soon, researcher no........... Aw, come on, give us a name!!!!
Best Wishes
Lurcher

Haha... Sorry lurcher.. I can't seem to think of one that fits me!
I have other screen names.. (yahoo, etc etc) and they would do- but no, I would like to have something more fitting this time. Spending the day in bed, thanks for your well wishes.. maybe one of those times I drift off I'll wake up and yell AHA! If that happens I'll come right to this site and type it in.. I promise.
Hmm.. call me Fin for affinity if you'd like. Take care.

Fin,mmmmmmmm Fin, yes, that has a ring to it!
So, you get well soon, and, until you tell us different....
Fin it is!

Be happy
Lurcher

Hello again.. enjoying a relaxing day at my parents house where I am not the only sickling. The only person who has survived the plague of sniffles is my sister. I appriciate your well wishes once again. Unfortunately Fin is a part of another alias I use on the net.. not at all original of me was it? However, the truth is that it fits me... for some strange reason -no, I do not have fins, although that would be interesting....

How long have you been involved with this whole business? I'm a bit curious about where your postings end up and how many ways one can come across them...

Anyway..

I'm off to take advantage of the parental refrigerator and chide my sister who is a homeschooler and is supposed to be doing schoolwork- but is instead giggling madly and telling me that things could be worse.. and that I could be, in fact, burping slugs.. Ah youth.. she takes after me you know. -Be well.. be happy!-Fin

Hello Fin (original or not....it sounds fine!

Glad you`re up and about, go easy on that Fridge!
How long have I been around here? ...Only a few weeks, tho` it seems much longer Beware, it`s very addictive,
Postings?..not too sure what you mean, but here goes:For example, your postings on "HI" will be seen on your own space, also on mine, because I posted to it as well. Plus anyone else`s space that posted to it. If you were to post to say *Ask h2g2*,then everyone who subscribes to that list will see it, and so on and so forth.
Any clearer? I`m not the best person to ask really, the Ace who greeted you , or any other Ace (look up the list of them) are much better qualified, and will gladly assist you with any query.

Me, I just stumble along learning as I go!!
Talking of which, I must fly.
Talk to you again soon
Stay Happy

Content...Content! It seems, in my incredibly brief wanderings.. that people don't get to know one another via specifics such as location etc etc.. doesn't matter.. Merely replying .. now in slightly bad mood..

Some day life will get back to normal.. do I really want that?
So what do you think of the name? I think it'll do for a bit.
Ciao.

So... where do you live? Hehe.

Normal, Naah, who wants to be normal? Only normal people, and they don`t know any better
In Real Life, I live in a village just about central in the UK. Probably can`t match the splendour of where you are, but there are a million places of beauty on my doorstep. Ever heard of the Peak District? Snowdonia? The Lake District? The Cotswolds? All within easy reach, especially if you drive like I do

In my Fantasy world, well, I live many dreams, reality is what you decide it is, and you can change it anytime you want

Normal, no, not for me!

Keep the name, it suits you

"Specifics, such as location".......Some do Fin, it`s one way, and that`s fine. Others meet in imaginary places, and just show what they feel comfortable with. You Choose, does that make sense?

Take care

Hi Fin ...

Thanks so much for your reply on Alaska, it certainly sounds like a place to get one's senses soaring. Wilderness. I love vast tracts of wilderness more than anything on this earth.

I apologise for the tardy reply, but I'm glad to see that in the meantime you have 'christened' yourself.

Wish I'd waited before choosing such a frivolous name for myself...maybe it's time to change it...

Am I allowed to ask why you're spending the winter there?

Are there many Inuit?

Go-Go

Of course! (Go Go) I am attending the universtiy of Alaska. Moved up just before the semester began. My family moved here.. hmm... 'bout seven years ago. I missed them, and my old uni was not filling my needs for advancement. But to be honest, this one isn't doing much in that area either... I missed my family and figured- what better time than now? When I get the itch I'll move again. Take care. -Fin