Just got back from a cruise to Alaska. It was my first cruise, my first time outside the U.S. (we set sail from Vancouver), and my first time to Alaska! The goal (for me) was to see a bear, a moose, and a whale. Saw all three and more! XD Among others saw a black bear, some lady moose, a couple pods of Dall's porpoise, a few unidentified whales (they all look surprisingly alike when all you see is a tiny bit of dorsal fin), a group of sea lions, bald eagles, and a couple porcupines.

The trip was absolutely amazing. For anyone thinking about going to Alaska I definitely recommend it. I'm not a huge oh-look-at-the-pretty-scenery person but it was gorgeous and unlike anything I've ever seen. Also cold. XD We sailed up the coast from Vancouver to Seward, Alaska, stopping at Ketchikan, Hoonah, Juneau, Skagway, the Hubbard Glacier, and finally Seward. Then we took a train from Seward to Anchorage to catch our flight home. There was something to do or see in every port we stopped at, even ones where we didn't get excursions.

In Juneau we went gold panning with a guy named Randy. I was a little skeptical on it but it was awesome. It was legit panning with rusty pans out in a little creek in back woods Alaska. And Randy was hilarious. Found my little bit of gold flakes that I got to keep in a little vial. Then we went off to a salmon bake that was delicious. In Skagway we took a four-hour scenic train up just past the Canadian border to White Pass.

An awesome trip to be sure. But now it's back to work for me. -kicks motivation into high gear- Woo!