Stephen Downes

Today is my last day in Alaska - I catch the red-eye tonight - and I leave with a new appreciation and affection for this northern state. My thanks to everyone at ASTE who made me feel so welcome, to John Concilus and the rest of you from BSSD who are doing great things in the wilderness, to Ted and Sonny and Matt and Art and Diana (who is living her dream), to Naruo Ohno (who I last saw on a mountain glacier), to the good people at the Lucky Monkey cafe and the staff and amazing patrons of Darwin's Theory. And to everyone else I've missed. Alaska is a special place, and the people here (along with my friends on three continents who have kept me afloat with emails and support) have helped me find my way north again.