Hello. My name is Holly. I put myself in ridiculous, far-fetched, uncomfortable, crazy situations for work and play, as such usually find myself in strange, unusual, frightening places, with crazy people or circumstances full of excitement/fear. These chances and changes end up to be good, bad and ugly. In this case with Alaska, I'm not sure what it is yet, but we haven't had the most solid start.

I landed in Anchorage to discover my fears of a cold summer might in fact be true- it was about 14 C and raining. Everyone in the airport was wearing gortex or was over 80 (no offense Grandma) and the airport possibly hasn't been renovated since 1965, much like the rest of Anchorage. My Lonely Planet book has informed me that Anchorage is the 278th best place to live in the USA, out of 300, as per Money magazine.

My luggage happened to not make it with me which was an unfortunate and highly ironic part as with Backroads and leading in the US it seems that this is a *constant* challenge- this is the third time I have gone state side to work and my luggage HAS NOT come with me.

Worse than the luggage though is that on day one of my time here, with two new people from BR who'd I never met (Rob and Nicole) I got sick on our hike. Not a little sick friends, VERY sick. Like puking my guts out all the way back down the mountain sick. I haven't felt vomit with that much passion since my long stint with illness in Ireland last summer (right around this time) that had me bed ridden for days and nine pounds lighter at the end of it all (rest assured, some good whiskey and fish and chips help me put that weight back on no problem).

So I come back to the leader house post hike (all the while stopping the van three times along the way home so I could pull over and toss) and I get quarantined to the RSS room (he is the only one who has his own room, but is on trip) where then I spend the better part of two days crawling in between his room and the bathroom. Ew, ew, ew.

I was just ill in Montezuma in Costa Rica not even five weeks ago and I am dumbfounded that this again is already my reality. BUT I WAS JUST SICK! TRAVEL GODS, WHY ARE YOU PUNISHING ME?!

Today is a bit better with me up and moving around. I had a little oatmeal for breakfast and it tasted ok. The biggest thing to deal with now is how utterly exhuasted I feel (from not eating?) and the nerves I feel from my two trips ahead: back to back leading in two different areas in two trips I have no clue about. Fantastic! I have been up for 2.5 hours and I am tired. It is time for a nap.

Signed,

Ill in Alaska xo