So, where were we? Oh, at the hostel in Fairbanks, having dinner with a group that was actually a good representation of America: a guy from Texas; a girl with Mexican origins; an ex-soldier who had been to Iraq and Afghanistan, among other places, and said he loves the gun laws in Alaska; a Korean guy who had lived in the US over ten years; and a few other people. Samuel from Texas made me realize that the Americans think of education as an investment - you spend $200.000 on yourself, for your future. Sounds like a lot of money to me, coming from Finland where you get many things for free. Or can you imagine e.g. spending $30.000 to giving birth?! Samuel still cherished the idea of the American freedom, the equal opportunity, meaning that if you have an idea, you can make it happen and even the poorest people can get rich. He said he has been attacked twice in Houston, so nowadays he carries a gun to protect himself and anyone with him. With great interest, we also listened to him tell us what it was like to stay in Houston when a hurricane hit the city. The guy from South Korea also cherished the freedom in America: the freedom of speech. He had just recently moved to Alaska, bought a house, and turned it into a hostel. He had a plant with big leaves growing in his backyard - it was rhubarb - and he was so astonished when I told him it is edible and made some jam for a cake we had for dessert.
The following day, Asser and I had to start driving towards Anchorage as Asser was going to return to Finland in two days. On the way, we saw part of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline:
And then we had these gorgeous views on Glenn Highway:
In the middle of the night, tired after driving all day, we luckily found a campsite in Palmer and stayed overnight there. The next day, we drove through Hatcher Pass and visited Independence Mine, the preserved ruins of a once bustling mining camp:
In the evening (last Saturday - sorry, I'm a bit slow with this blog!), we had dinner at my friend Sage's place. Then it was time to say goodbye to Asser and take him to the airport. It was a magical moment: the sun was setting and it painted the mountains behind Anchorage in beautiful shades of pink and we hugged each other full of happiness after such amazing three weeks of traveling together. This certainly gives us hope for the winter, when I will be studying in Paris and Asser will be working in Finland. I will now be staying another month in Alaska and then a few weeks in Finland before moving to Paris. Asser and I also traveled together last year after Christmas, when we had only just met. That time, the trip together did not go so well... I suppose it is easier and more enjoyable when you know the other person well.
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