I’ve been dreaming of Alaska and the Iditarod for more than a decade but getting to the starting line of any great adventure takes time, effort, energy, training, perseverance, and more than a little positive thinking.  Finally, it all came together and I was ready for the experience of a lifetime. It was time to go to Alaska as a 2023 Teacher on the Trail Finalist.  Getting to the start of this adventure required a day of epic travel; the final training run before the actual race.  Up before dawn, I brushed the snow off my car and headed to the airport to leave Western New York for a cross-country trek to the great North.   

After careful review of the procedures and expectations for my exit row seat I settled in to read Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod by Gary Paulsen.  I absolutely love reading books set in locations I am visiting, and this was the perfect way to immerse myself in the upcoming Iditarod experience.  From the first page I was hooked, and I read the entire book on the flight.  As an elementary librarian I am familiar with Paulsen’s writing through Dogsong and Hatchet; his remarkable Newberry Honor winning adventure/survival stories for middle readers.  Winterdance is an adult book, an autobiographical account of Paulsen’s journey from his decision to race the Iditarod through to Nome.  It’s a tale both exhilarating and terrifying, and the perfect way to kick off my trip.  

As the plane circled round to descend into Anchorage I was lucky to catch the sunset and get a glimpse of the mountains in the last lingering rays of daylight.   After landing I couldn’t wait one more minute to start my adventure so I beelined it for the baggage claim and nearly sprinted to the car rental counter.  Of course, I came to a screeching halt in the little passage way between the terminal and the rental counter because right there in the hall was a little mini-museum!  Tradition, Innovations, Continuity is an exhibit created in 1990, updated in 1999 and 2008, that connects the past with developments and changes over time through Indigenous People’s creative endeavors.  My exhaustion momentarily forgotten I took a few moments to enjoy the displays.

So how did this never-ending day come to a close?  As I drove into Anchorage the sky erupted in front of me.  One perspective is that this conclusion is how all good adventures should end, with fireworks.  I prefer to think that it was a kick-off celebration, cheering me on as I finally arrived at the starting line.