Steve We

Alaska Is

Alaska is visiting what America was. Watching people grow into leaders, young adults, and goal meeting adventurers. It is a chance to experience new challenges like sandwiches for lunch, tent sleeping, being apart from your wife most of the day on your “honey moon.” It is a chance to get away from the norm, meet new people, and build new relationships with all of the participants. Alaska is the opportunity to show strangers that the youth and future of America ARE respectful, interesting, are responsible, and courteous.
            Alaska is a spiritual recharge from Mother Nature. A reminder of the damage humans have caused the earth, the struggles to restore balance and the reward of a well preserved and cared for area.
            Alaska is the opportunity to share a once in a lifetime experience with new and old friends, and once the trip is completed, to join one of the greatest alumni groups created (AGLP Alumni).

Final Reflections

28 and Feeling Great
This trip was my 3rd time to Alaska. What made this one special to me was my hike up Mount Marathon. This hike was probably what most people feel when they climb a mountain for the first time. This hike renewed my competitive nature. The hike was difficult, I wasn’t sure I could do it. Mark, Devin, Clay, and Matt helped me when I needed encouragement. As hard as this hike was for me just making it to the top was enough to give me that high I need to get when I was an athlete and had just reached a touch goal or finished a difficult practice.
            The view on top was, for back of letter words, AMAZING! The first part of the down ward hike was so much fun. We were essentially ski/sliding down. When the ground turned solid we had a chance to look up and see the RIDICULOUS scale that we were descending.
            Though the rest of the hike was also difficult I finished. It felt me with a sense of pride and accomplishment. It also made me hungry for the next challenge. This hike also made me feel the way many of the participants look and act when they climb Mt. Healy. That’s why this trip is so special. For each person it is something different. This year it was a chance to make and meet a new challenge.