A Trip North begins!
This is probably not a great idea.
The plan to travel from Stanford to the Hobbit Hole under my own power after finishing my PhD, walking 1000 miles to Puget Sound and kayaking another 1000 miles up the Inside Passage, came about naturally enough, chatting with a couple of friends walking back from lunch one day. Jess mentioned that when people are trying to raise money or awareness about a cause, sometimes they attempt some sort of heroic physical feat. Think of the Boston Marathon’s “Miles for Miracles,” or Kevin and Hunter Steele, who are hiking the Appalachian Trail right now raising money to build a center for the treatment of veterans. The idea appealed to my reckless nature immediately. I already knew that I was heading home to Alaska. Why not go under my own power? I could meet new people, spread the word, and maybe even give a few presentations about our plans for Inian Islands Institute along the way — brilliant!