As if there aren't enough perks to my new job, another is flying "space available" on military flights. This means that I fly standby in order to save money and get to the continental US, which this summer, is the only way I could have visited. So, my journey started on June 23rd at 5 am at my house in Yokosuka, Japan. I woke up, got ready, and hopped a ride to base in order to catch the shuttle 2.5 hours to Yokota Airbase. Once I got there, I had to wait all day in the terminal waiting to see if my name would get called to hop a flight to Seattle. I was feeling really positive, and honestly thought that I would be on that flight. Needless to say, I didn't make the flight. Many service members, spouses, pets, and children were aboard...but not me. I didn't quite know what to do at this point...no amount of research could have prepared me for this experience. Luckily, I recognized another teacher from a committee meeting just a couple weeks ago. We started chatting and decided to meet up for dinner and drinks. For the next two days, he became my new best friend. We ate, we drank, and we passed the time until the next flight with style. In that short amount of time, I learned so much about this type of travel from him. We met some new friends at the bar on base...imagine that! So, when the next available flight to Seattle was scheduled, we headed up to the terminal. I ended up leaving first, dragging my two bags and one backpack about a mile down the road to the terminal. It was on this trip that the tread of my large suitcase wheels was worn down...a conundrum for the entire rest of the journey. Now, I know what you're thinking...why did I pack so much? Well, the entire 56 pound large suitcase was filled entirely with gifts...for many of you. You'll have to wait until Christmas to get them, but they have arrived safely in Illinois. Anyway, I digress.
After I failed to catch the 2nd flight to Seattle, I was devastated and feeling sorry for myself, when another flight to Cold Bay, Alaska popped up with only 10 seats available. Me and my new friends immediately had our laptops out, researching flight options from Cold Bay...nothing. I wasn't going to catch that flight, when suddenly they announced that it was going on to Eielson Air Base in Fairbanks, Alaska. This increased my chances of getting somewhere else quickly. So, I signed up and was selected to get on the flight. At this point, I had been waiting at the airport all day and hadn't eaten or drank much at all. I tried not to get too fired up, because I knew that I could be pulled off the flight up until it went down the runway. In fact, I witnessed a woman get taken off a flight on Thursday just as it was ready to pull away. So, I checked my baggage and climbed aboard my first ever military flight...I was pumped up...I couldn't stop smiling. We flew to Cold Bay, a 10+ hour flight aboard a C130. It was super noisy and either sweltering hot or freezing cold. So, I wore my military issued earplugs and sat down in my cargo netting for the flight. Honestly, it was pretty comfortable, and those folks who had enough room could lay down for most of the flight. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
We landed in Cold Bay, refueled, and took off for Eielson, another 3 hour flight. Once we got there, we scanned the screen for flights out...none! We called the Airbase in Anchorage, Elmendorf, and they had 3 flights leaving at 7 am the next morning. So, me and my new friend talked about renting a car and driving to Anchorage, a 6-7 hour drive. Some others overheard us and wanted to join, so we ended up with 5 strangers in a car driving across Alaska together...Awesome! We hopped in a taxi and took off at about 9 pm. So, we had 2 whole Saturdays...the one in Japan and the one in Alaska. Thank goodness for 23 hours of daylight and energy from running on Japan-time!
Here I am in my cargo net with my new friend Rob by my side. Half the time I was laying down, my feet were tangled in the wiring...thank goodness I wasn't electrocuted!
As we were piled in the taxi headed to Fairbanks Airport to pick up our car, we saw this moose right outside the base. I can't believe she wasn't bothered by all the noise and traffic!
Here I am with our rental car...I had to call about a hundred places to get the best deal. I was super pumped up here!
One of my first photo stops to take pictures of this beautiful state. Everything was breathtaking!
Santa at the North Pole in Alaska. We didn't have time to stop, but who knows, I might go back through there on my way home.
This was my first glance at Denali National Park...we snaked in and out of it many times along our journey.
The open road...
I made Rob stop and reverse way down the road in order to document this...it is too funny!
It was overcast and rainy for about 50% of the trip, so that stunk, but I have many more summers to detour here and hope for clearer weather.
You don't see these signs in Illinois.
Wow! I'm a long way from home! Both of them!
This is an abandoned hotel...quite the scene for a horror flick!
This is our group at midnight. We knew that we had to document how bright it was. This is Cindy, me, Diana, Rob, and Rae was taking the picture. It was while we were stopped here that we experienced the crazy, blood-sucking mosquitos that Alaska is home to.
Look it's an elk...moose...me.
Here I am getting a little goofy towards the end of the trip.
Our arrival at 4 am in Anchorage on Sunday morning. We scoured the town for local eateries, but didn't find anything. Even after asking some local drunks, we ended up at Denny's....Blech! After Denny's we hurried up to get to the airport in order to catch the 7 am flights, but to our dismay, after all that rushing, the flights were cancelled. I have now learned that things like this happen all the time in the military...things change...go with the flow. There were two flights leaving on Monday, so we knew we had that option. So, we confirmed that we had the rental car until 5:30 and drove to the international airport in Anchorage to see what our other options were at this point. Once we got there, we started chatting up strangers and found one that had just hiked a glacier. Cindy wrote down all the details and was trying to convince us that we should do that to pass the time. She didn't have to work hard to convince us though. We ended up leaving Rae and Diana, as they purchased tickets to get them home later that day. So, it was just Rob, Cindy, and me headed onward to the glacier.
On the way to Palmer, we stopped at the look-out point to take some pictures...
and with all the beautiful scenery, this was the focal point of our stop. I'm not sure why it's always me who wonders upon scenes such as this. Who does this?!
Here I am pointing, kind of, at the glacier...we're getting closer!
It was so huge!
Here I am at the top...if we had more time, we would have gone further, but we had to hurry to get the rental car back.
Another view of the ice.
Cindy kept telling me to keep moving over, but I kept hearing the glacier creaking. I was quick to pose and get the heck out of the way.
Here I am peering down a crevice...you could hear the water running and see the melting and run-off. It was kind of scary, to be honest...a testament to global warming.
The beauty of the fireweed growing through the rocks and sediment near the glacier. It was interesting, but even with all the sediment and rock on top, there was ice underneath.
After the trip to the glacier, we headed back to base to return the car. We looked like hell...and smelled like it too. I had stepped, full footed into glacier mud. I was pretty much wearing the same clothes for the past 5 days and hadn't showered since Saturday morning in Japan. We were ready to get home...or somewhere with a shower. We returned the car and hopped another shuttle back to the terminal with our luggage. We took turns showering in the terminal bathroom and then ordered pizza to be delivered to the airport. We set up camp with about 10 other folks waiting to fly out too. After eating, showering, and getting comfortable, the airport personnel informed us that since they didn't have any departures or arrivals that night, they had to close the terminal and we all had to leave. So, the adventure continued. Some decided to stay and sleep outside for 6+ hours, we decided to steal airport carts, load our luggage, and walk over 2 miles to the base lodge. We already knew that they didn't have any available rooms, so we were set to camp out in the lobby.
We finally got there, loaded the carts and luggage into the lodge, and raided the mini-mart in the lobby for some local beer. Four of us sat out front and enjoyed our drinks while harassing anyone who dared to walk by at 11 pm. We eventually made friends with about 150 soldiers from the Air Force who were there for training. They invited us upstairs to hang out in their day room and on the staircase where I had the privilege to meet a crazy young fellow named the Albino Rhino. Needless to say, it was an exciting night. One new friend in command decided to help us out and wake one of his soldiers to give us a ride to the terminal. McNugget, as he was called loaded us up and took us first to Taco Bell for breakfast at 4 am and then to the terminal. We waited there for many more hours, delirious from lack of sleep. At this point, I hadn't slept in a bed for 4 or more nights and hadn't slept for more than 2 hours at a time in almost a week.
Finally, that afternoon, Cindy and I hopped a flight to Travis Airbase in Fairfield, California and Robb took a commercial flight to Seattle. We rode in a KC-10, which was super cool too. Frankly, I don't remember much about the flight because I fell asleep before we even took off. We landed in California and the trip was over for our group. I left on a shuttle to San Francisco while Cindy headed to Sacramento. But, it doesn't end here for me. I got to the airport in San Francisco and tried to research flights and other options in order to get back to Illinois. It was about 9 pm there, finally, I got a flight, for the next afternoon at 1 pm to St. Louis. So, I packed up and drug my luggage from terminal 3 to terminal 1 to the USO. I was super thankful for the cushy chair, ramen noodles, pillow, blanket, and water. This is my plug for everyone to support your USO. I have never been so thankful for a nice place and friendly face in my entire life! I quickly fell asleep about 11 pm and was surprised to awake at 5:30 am surrounded by about 25 army soldiers asleep all around me...in chairs, on the floor, everywhere! I hung out there until about 10 am when I headed back to my gate. Thankfully, I checked my luggage and headed off through security. Once on my flight, it only took about 4 more hours to reach St. Louis. My amazing race was almost over...my mom and Harold came to pick me up and finally after a full week of travels, I made it home to Illinois. I will stay here to visit until the 25th, when I start my next Amazing Race. Stay tuned!
