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Living in Alaska

 

Our employees share what it means to them to be an Alaskan.

 

  

Ken Wyman, Anchorage Operations Manager

 

My first meeting with “The Last Frontier” was in the earlier days of 1979 when my father was stationed to Ft. Wainwright by the Army. At that age, I had no idea the continual draw I would have to Alaska but it had grabbed my parents as well and both times we were stationed elsewhere, within 18 months, we were back.

  

 

Maybe it was the wildlife, the broad backdrop of snow white tipped mountains, the camping,
or maybe it was just the clean crisp air but, one thing was certain, there was no other place like it.                                                                                            
                                                                                     

 

As I grew older and moved out to a more independent role in life, there were times where I felt that there just wasn’t enough for me in Fairbanks, Alaska and I found myself taking trips to more populated areas like Reno, NV and Houston, TX. All it took was 2 weeks here and 2 weeks there for me to realize that “home” was definitely in Alaska.

 

For many, living day to day life at sub zero temperatures is challenging anyways but for me, it was a welcome challenge. Not only physically but also mentally, almost to a Man vs. Nature point. With 9 months of winter, of which most of the time you are in darkness, cabin fever begins to take its toll. It increases the challenge to get up and go to work or even plain get out of the house at all for that matter but finding a hobby, hockey in my case, is a sure cure at avoiding cabin fever all together!

 

Because of these daily challenges, Alaskans seem to have a different outlook on life. We not only approach how we do our jobs differently, but we approach the people we encounter differently. When asked what it means to be an Alaskan … to me, to be an Alaskan is to live!

 

 

                   Alaska Sled Dog Racing is a popular sport

 

 These pictures taken by Ken Wyman, Anchorage Operations Manager, show the incredible beauty of Alaska