When you live in such a harsh and remote place, it is difficult to find the wonder and beauty around you. This is true until the snow starts to melt and you experience the two month stretch of warmth that all Alaskans live for. Fluorescent purple and red blooms cover the gravel-spotted ground. Weeds are the first thing to bloom. Dark green crabgrass quickly follows. The mountains in the distance start to peak from the clouds as the first day comes around. The summers are short but the days are long. The sun does not set. Instead at night, one experiences a hazy brightness similar to the early dawn.
Living during the summer is no challenge for the average self-reliant Alaskan. Coldness seems to be something forgotten. It is easy to survive …show more content…
Emergency goods may come, but if the roads are closed it is not likely. It is at this point that self-sufficiency is not enough. If gas pipes burst or engines do not turn over, nothing happens. In crisis everything is still yet chaotic. The sun does not change. The wind gusts at 60 miles per hour. This is when the real damage occurs. Power lines fall, and my father has to go fix them. With the help of three men and my eleven-year-old self we hop into the bucket truck. I followed on the fourwheeler. We used the fourwheeler, a chain, and the bucket truck to haul the massive part required to fix the …show more content…
How many people had received frostbite? These thoughts all raced through my head. I was worried I had not done enough. What else could I have done? My little mind did understand the extent of the situation. However, I underestimated the resilience of Alaskans. I did not think of the countless hours spent chopping wood and gathering charcoal for the long season. If your house goes up in flames, it is your neighbor that comes to the rescue. The scale between life and death is balanced in the favor of the ladder. It is up to people to control their own life.
It is impossible to express the feelings Alaskans feel for their home state. It is a mixture of pride and hatred. Alaskans are a different breed. They are odd in character, yet they are some of the most generous people on the planet. Being self-sufficient is the only way to survive, but in time of dire need neighbors, friends, and family may be a last resort. Being independent is the only way to survive in this chilling and breathtaking land where I was
Living during the summer is no challenge for the average self-reliant Alaskan. Coldness seems to be something forgotten. It is easy to survive …show more content…
Emergency goods may come, but if the roads are closed it is not likely. It is at this point that self-sufficiency is not enough. If gas pipes burst or engines do not turn over, nothing happens. In crisis everything is still yet chaotic. The sun does not change. The wind gusts at 60 miles per hour. This is when the real damage occurs. Power lines fall, and my father has to go fix them. With the help of three men and my eleven-year-old self we hop into the bucket truck. I followed on the fourwheeler. We used the fourwheeler, a chain, and the bucket truck to haul the massive part required to fix the …show more content…
How many people had received frostbite? These thoughts all raced through my head. I was worried I had not done enough. What else could I have done? My little mind did understand the extent of the situation. However, I underestimated the resilience of Alaskans. I did not think of the countless hours spent chopping wood and gathering charcoal for the long season. If your house goes up in flames, it is your neighbor that comes to the rescue. The scale between life and death is balanced in the favor of the ladder. It is up to people to control their own life.
It is impossible to express the feelings Alaskans feel for their home state. It is a mixture of pride and hatred. Alaskans are a different breed. They are odd in character, yet they are some of the most generous people on the planet. Being self-sufficient is the only way to survive, but in time of dire need neighbors, friends, and family may be a last resort. Being independent is the only way to survive in this chilling and breathtaking land where I was