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Dear Ketchikan — I never thought I’d find a place like you.
The day I arrived in Ketchikan, it was a bright, beautiful, 80 degree, summer day last year. That's a novel idea in Ketchikan — sunshine — because it's located in a temperate rainforest. It was the second day of the Blueberry Arts Festival. I didn’t make it to the festival because I had to be a tourist for two days with my brother Zach. We went on the duck tour boat. Very underwhelming. Then we did the zodiac boat tour, where Zach almost crashed our rubber boat into the one in front of us. That’s more like it. I was the only person on the tour who could now say they live there. The rest were tourists. When my tour guide found out, she said: “Oh, you’re in for a treat. Ketchikan is magical. It will suck you in." I wasn’t quite sure what she meant, until now. Six days before I leave, as I sit here writing this. I have never felt like I’m going to lose a part of me from leaving a place… I could tell you Ketchikan has made me a better person and that I’ve had the experience of a lifetime here. That living in this artsy rainforest has had an immense impact on my life. But lucky you — my Google calendar can show you exactly what I’ve been through over the past year. So, even if you’ve never heard of Ketchikan, my stories can make you miss this place that you’ve never even been to. Aug. 9: My first day of work, five days after I got to town. Scott, my editor gives me a story assignment. A man had come to Ketchikan to redeem a 50-year-old drink coin at a local bar. He was sailing his boat from Oregon through the Inside Passage. Literally the best story I could have been given on my first day — and I actually ended up winning a first place journalism award for it months later. Also my first day — a whale was hit by a cruise ship. RIP. Sept. 15: My co-worker Zach and I were invited to a lunch on a cruise ship. They wine and dine us. I mean like, really, wine and dine us. Zach had veal. I had some weird vegetarian thing. They top off our wine glass one time. Two times. Three times. So here we are, a bit toasty, walking around a cruise ship, getting a tour of how they turn poop into water. Wild times. Sept. 23: I head out from Ketchikan at 8 a.m. Hopped on a catamaran to head to an island an hour-and-a-half away — Prince of Wales. There was an art extravaganza I was covering. I never got sea sick in the past. I ate those words that day. The entire trip back, you could find my face in a plastic bag, as the boat rocked up and down and massive waves plowed into the side. I was literally sick for days after that just thinking about everything I threw up and those stupid, disgusting ginger candies that were supposed to cure motion sickness BUT TO NO AVAIL! Seriously, don’t eat Gin Gins. This is not meant to slight the AMAZING arts festival that I had the pleasure to write about. Seriously extraordinary. Oct. 1: I saw my first bear at Herring Cove!! Oct. 9: I was invited by the superintendent to go on a fishing outing on the school’s boat at 5 a.m. on a Saturday until 4 p.m. Just me, the photographer, Taylor, and some high school students.I didn’t know what to expect — but it never occurred to me that I would get splashed in the face with blood while they bludgeoned a salmon to death in front of me! Ah, Ketchikan. Nov. 8: Saw the local theater group, First City Players, production of the musical “Cabaret.” The most beautiful play I have ever seen, a piece of art that made me fall in love with theater. I loved it so much I saw it twice. In fact, to this day, I still have songs from it stuck in my head. Jan. 20: When I caught the hiking bug! Bobby got to town just seven days earlier and I was waiting on him to do some real hiking. We did the Carlanna Lake Trail and Coast Guard Beach Trail in one weekend. I can now say that I’ve hiked 16 of the 24 trails in Ketchikan. Feb. 1: The Wearable Arts Show! Relax, sit back, have a glass of wine and watch people strut their stuff down a runway wearing trash and oddball items. Bottle caps, grocery bags, antlers, you name it. The weirder, the better. The front row reserved seats were definitely a perk. March 17 — St. Patrick’s Day! A festive boat ride around the Misty Fjords National Monument. Breathtaking. The most immaculate thing I’ve ever seen. My heart actually skipped a beat. Absolutely stunning! May 18: Headed via boat to a remote summer camp on the Naha River! It’s about a 20 minute boat trip from Ketchikan. We had to boat to a trail, hike a trail to a skiff, take a skiff to another trail and hike that trail to the summer camp. I spent the night there in the complete wilderness with a few other people. We woke up in the morning and hiked the Naha River Trail. Earlier that morning at 5 a.m., I saw a bear across the river grazing on some skunk cabbage. Nature is cool. June 29: The Daily News caught word of bubble feeding humpback whales! We skipped out of the office, drove 10 minutes down the road and watched our neighbors eat. My jaw dropped when the whales came up with their mouths open, gulping in hundreds of fish. A few expletives might have slipped out, too. A lovely first sighting of the creatures. Aug. 4: The Blueberry Arts Festival! We’ve come full circle — except I actually made it to the event this time. I spent more than $200 on art from local artists, I ate a reindeer dog, I watched kids race their slugs and old men shimmy down an aisle showing off their beards for the beard and mustache contest. It was a successful day. Aug. 12: “There’s a bear in the backyard.” -Bobby. Me, who has been wanting to see a bear for months: “Shut up you’re lying.” Bobby: “LOOK!!!” *Walks outside. Huge bear stares at me. Must grab photo. Freaks tf out* These are only a few of the memorable experiences I’ve had in Alaska’s first city. Then there was the Monthly Grind— where talented musicians, poets and singers show off their talents in an all-cedar building. Each performance met with roaring applause. Admission? A dessert to share. Then were the several First City Players productions I saw. Charlotte’s Web. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Sense and Sensibility. The talent in Ketchikan — in every form—is immeasurable. Thank you for instilling a passion for (watching) theater in me. The several art gallery openings I went to, and museum exhibits I visited. The internationally, nationally and Alaska-acclaimed artists I’ve interviewed. The amazing local artists and musicians who have shared their stories with me. Then there was the opportunity to learn more about the Native culture in Ketchikan. How younger generations are reviving their cultures through art. The dancing. The totem poles. The Native language revitalization. Thank you for allowing me to tell your crucial stories. Then there were the quirky, crazy stories I got to write. A seafood restaurant operating out of an old school bus. A Ketchikan man who sailed from China to Seattle. A couple who had been swept off their skiff by a rogue wave, and were stuck in the water for hours. A forest fire in a rainforest. A plane crash in which everyone on board survived. The list seriously goes on and on. Ketchikan, you are otherworldly. I love the crazy Alaskan lady you turned me into. I love your artists, your trails, your wildlife, your community. You have opened up my eyes and pierced my soul with everything you have to offer. I’ll never look at anything the same. Especially rain. The isolating island life and only being able to drive an hour makes everyone face what is inside of them. The overwhelming darkness in the winter makes you turn to friends, art and music. None of these experiences would have been possible without the Ketchikan Daily News. Please support your local newspapers. We’re there to tell your story. If you’ve made it this far in my rambling, I hope, for you, either one of the following.
This isn't goodbye, it's see ya later. I'll be back many times to my second home. From the depths of my soul, thank you for EVERYTHING! Love, Alaina |
