“It’s Alaska…”

“What do you mean, ‘It’s going to be 37 below tonight?!?'”

“Celery is $2.48 a bunch?!?

“Is your car plugged in?”

These, like so many other questions you never expected to ask, all seem to elicit the same response: “It’s Alaska…” As you would probably expect, things are different here in the 49th state. It’s incredibly beautiful, and incredibly harsh. You can step out of your front door and see the Aurora Borealis. And if that door swings shut behind you and you’re in your pajamas without a house key and there’s no one around, you can also die. Getting dressed is an entirely different matter here, too. Layers are mandatory. And there are some pretty unique ones, like fleece-lined Crocs.

And these babies. Wondering what these are? They come in various lengths, from mini to maxi…skirt-liners, anyone?

Locals will tell you to make sure your car is stocked with extreme cold weather gear and supplies like food, water and flares for a quick trip to the grocery store. And locals will also stop to offer aid in the first thirty seconds of being parked-by-the-side-of-the-road-to-take-snow-pictures. The weather is distinctly unfriendly for a good share of the year. The people are extremely friendly and helpful, any time of year. During one of the first big snows, Aubrey’s neighbor not only used his Caterpillar to plow her drive, he also told her that he and his wife would be out of town for Christmas and so he’d leave the keys with her in case she needed to borrow it. ! And, for the most part, the locals love it here. Of course the ones who were born here are often eager to relocate, presumably to places where the weather (and wildlife) won’t kill you. But there are also lots of people who came from far less scary climes that have made Alaska their home for decades, and love it. And even I, all tingly with adrenaline and a bit bad-ass, have felt the thrill of “the wilderness is calling and I must go!”…even if it’s only to WalMart. I am looking forward to being back in Kansas City, but I am glad to have been in Alaska. There are so many things about this place that I didn’t know, and you may not either. For example, did you know that:

Alaska became a state in 1959, making it younger than…some of my friends.

Did you know that Alaska is less than 50 miles from Russia? or that, while it is legal to shoot bears in Alaska, waking a sleeping bear for the purpose of taking a photograph is prohibited. (I love taking pictures but, seriously? Who does this??)

The lowest temperature recorded in Alaska was -80 degrees Fahrenheit at Prospect Creek Camp in 1971. The lowest temperature recorded in Fairbanks was -66 degrees. At that point, what’s a difference of 14 degrees?

More fun facts…

Alaska accounts for 25 percent of the oil produced in the United States. The Trans-Alaska Pipeline moves up to 88,000 barrels of oil per hour on an 800-mile journey to Valdez.

Of the 20 highest peaks in the United States, 17 are in Alaska, including the highest peak in North America (20,320 ft. above sea level), Denali. Alaska is also the only state name that you can type on one row of a keyboard.

The largest salmon ever caught was at the Kenai River. It weighed in at 97.5 pounds, and there are more than 3,000 rivers and 3 million lakes in Alaska. Alaska also has more coastline than the rest of the United States combined (more than 34,000 miles). And Alaska is the only state to have coastlines on three different seas: the Arctic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and Bering Sea.

You know how people from Texas like to brag about size?

Alaska has the lowest population density in the nation at one person per square mile. If New York City had the same population density as Alaska, only 16 people would be living in Manhattan.

Alaska is the only state that does not collect state sales tax or levy an individual income tax (my favorite). But Alaskan Kodiak and Polar Bears can grow to 1,400 pounds and 11 feet tall. (Not my favorite.) Moose can grow to 1,350 pounds with antlers spanning up to 6 feet wide. But note: It is illegal to whisper in someone’s ear while they are moose hunting in Alaska. (These must be the same people who wake bears for pictures.)

My days of living in Alaska will soon come to an end, but it will always hold a warm/cold place in my heart.