Not in California Anymore!

I arrived in Juneau, Alaska yesterday around 4:30pm. Alaska's an hour ahead apparently, so it was really 3:30. I flew from the LAX airport in Los Angeles to Portland, Oregon, and then to Seattle, Washington, and THEN to Juneau. Boy, what a long day! I spent most of my time sleeping, like this.

I found the flight from Portland to Seattle very interesting. Although it only took 30 min, it was quite memorable. We flew on a narrow little plane that couldn't have had more than 18 rows. It had large propellers on each side, and when we boarded, we walked up a little staircase out on the runway. Unusual. My carry-on bag was too large, so they stowed it like when you're on a bus.

The view of Seattle from the plane was beautiful! You could see intricate harbors that wound around the city.

When we flew over part of British Columbia, you could see the snow-capped mountains peeking out between large fluffy clouds.

When I arrived in Juneau, I was met by my boss. He showed me around town before dropping me off so that I could acclimate better to my surroundings. Boy was it beautiful! Within the first 20 min of being in Juneau, we spotted six Bald Eagles. Six! And I had never even seen an eagle before that!

The house where I am staying is located in the valley, which is where most Juneau natives reside. It's a quiet little suburbia in the middle of the forest. Since most people here work downtown, they all commute about 10-15 mi to work each day. I will also be making this commute. Unfortunately, my car is still in California, so I will need to take the bus. On the bright side, the bus stop is located across the street from the driveway where I am living! Here are a few photos of the walk up to the house.

 

There are a few women who live here renting out rooms. It's a very large 4-bedroom house, so there's plenty of space. I was incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to meet the owner in Simi when she came down to see her daughter graduate from Moorpark High. She saw my ad on Craigslist, saw my area code (805), and felt that she needed to reach out to me. She wasn't looking to rent out to anyone at this time, but remembered how difficult it was to find housing for her daughter in Moorpark. Upon meeting me, she agreed to let me stay! She isn't home at the moment, but I believe that she will arrive back in Juneau sometime today.

Since I didn't have any food, I had to go shopping today at Super Bear Market. It's only half a mile away, so that was nice. I just slipped on my backpack, and with camera in hand, walked down the road. Here are some pictures from my walk.

The store was like a typical market inside. I bought some essentials and stuffed them into my backpack to make it easier to carry. Super Bear. Can't help but chuckle at the name. And yes, I now have a Super Bear savings slasher card. -_-

On the walk home, the breathtaking view of the snowy mountains was too irresistible not to show you.

This last picture shows the Mendenhall Glacier. It looks like a blue wall of ice right at the base of the mountain. I'll have to visit the glacier soon with my camera to give you all an up close view!

I guess that's it for now. I'm going to a Brazilian dinner tonight around 4 with the ladies who live here at the house. They invited me to their church earlier, but I decided not to go. Until dinner, I might take up their offer to ride one of the bikes to a clothing store. Forgot to bring my belt and my pants keep falling down! :)