It’s been quiet here on the mexiblog for a while…
Well, at long last, I’m back. But before I get down to the business of blogging about all things Mexico, por favor indulge me while I stray off-topic, and take it back to my other world, a.k.a. the motherland, a.k.a. Alaska. I took a trip back to Alaska earlier this summer, which came as a welcome break, really, kind of an antidote to Mexico at a time I’d been feeling a bit over-Mexified.
It seems for a lot of people living abroad, home is like a barometer of just how much distance makes the heart grow fonder. There are things you miss, things you’re glad to get away from, and things you didn’t really know you had till they’re gone. Some days in Mexico I get pretty nostalgic for certain things I had when I lived in Alaska: a 10 minute walk to work, a cozy apartment with heating included, family, old friends, a salary that allowed a little wiggle room, good beer, forests, recycling, cross country skiing… Fresh air, the smell of the ocean, a reliable postal service, NPR, hulu, bagels, you know.
It had been a year since I’d been back to AK, so I had to pack in my favorite things and places and people into way too short a time. I went to beaches and backyards and rode on boats, watched whales and the 4th of July parade, ate potato salad, halibut, and salmon, drank plenty of Alaskan beer, made a rhubarb pie, walked in the forest, got a few bug bites and a little bit sunburned.
On the way back, doing the Juneau-Mexico City trip all in one day is kind of a doozy, so I came back to Mexico groggily, wishing for more time in my last frontier. But I’ve definitely warmed back up to this Mexican life since coming back. After all, this is home now too.
More on Mexico later… Here’s some of my pics from Alaska Summer ’09.

Skipping rocks. That's the glacier in background, por supuesto.

Picnic at the beach, featuring a new classic: bun-based s'mores!

4th of July parade, downtown Juneau

Hanging with Baby G

The big rigs are as tall as the buildings, and always kind of exciting

A world champion beard, in the land of fully bearded men

Just a few bagpipers

Fun with driftwood at Sandy Beach

Backyard barbeque

Still life with beer

Evening view, looking across channel at downtown Juneau from Douglas

Crossing the channel

Douglas bridge, blurry Juneau

Midnight fireworks over the channel

Wood chopping technique A

Wood chopping technique B

Captain Talbot on the lookout

Went along on a boat run to pick up the miners off their island.

Bosco checks the view of Point Retreat Lighthouse, where he grew up.

On my friend's boat, looking for whales...

Looking for whales...

Whales! At one point they got so close it was kinda scary.

Beautiful day on the Boy Scout Trail