And Just Like That… I Ripped My Pants!
October has always been my month, mostly because I’m obsessed with Halloween. A gay who loves Halloween, groundbreaking, I know. But hear me out: Halloween movies are elite. The Halloweentown series? Iconic (though we don’t talk about that last one where they recast everyone and sent them off to college). There’s just something about the creativity this time of year that makes my little spooky heart happy.
I also figured there was no better time than now to start a blog. I wanted to try something new since social media was starting to feel like a bit too much. These days, I’m all about posting funny videos when I feel like it, not to be some “Alaska hiking influencer,” but just to make people smile.
Anyway, I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s rewind to the beginning of the month.
California
I started October off back home in California, and I’m so thankful I get the opportunity to work remotely when I need to. I swear I wouldn’t survive in Alaska for as long as I have without that flexibility! The main reason I went home was to celebrate my 10-year high school reunion (which I was on the committee for), and it went absolutely amazing. I got to see so many people I hadn’t seen in 10 years and even met some I never knew went to Clovis High.
Give me a break, I was a band nerd who made YouTube videos under the name Saxy Connor (which, by the way, have now gotten millions of views and were a small topic at the reunion). Seeing all the committee’s hard work pay off made it so worth it, and I’m already excited about planning the 20th.
For those wondering if there was any drama at the reunion… not really! BUT here’s the tea: at the end of the night, there were two single people who were getting a little close. Like, he was fully putting his arm around her as they smiled and laughed. It’s such a cute love story if they actually start dating! Imagine going to high school with the love of your life, being so close physically but running in different circles, and then finally connecting at the reunion.
Tell me that’s not giving Hallmark movie. I’m sure there’s already a plot just like this somewhere, but I’m rooting for them. I hope by the 20th they’re married with kids. I know that’s asking a lot of strangers, but I’m feeling this vibe for them.
After the reunion, which a few of my best friends flew into town for (from Norway and North Carolina), Ryan, Julia, and I went down to San Diego to work remotely. Just saying, working at a coffee shop right on the beach is a vibe that cannot be matched. Besides dinners, the pool and hot tub, and going to Sunset Cliffs to watch the sunset, I didn’t do too much. Why, you ask? My nephew (allegedly) passed along his cold to me, and I was down BAD.
But it goes into my next point about how much I yearn to live in a walkable city, because I woke up at like 4:30 in the morning and was able to walk to an open pharmacy to grab some meds and then go back to sleep all in about 20 minutes. Tell me that isn’t the dream! Nonetheless, San Diego was absolutely amazing and even better with the company I had.
By the time I got back from the beach and back to Clovis, it was time to face the nephew himself after he had me down for a few days. He was all giggles and smiles, wanting to play play play! He LOVES to play if you couldn’t tell, and I sometimes can’t keep up with him, which really shows how much older I’m getting. I know I’m only 28, but the fact that I can’t catch him or keep up with his energy… well, “Good Luck Charlie.”
After spending some time with my nephew, I sat with my sister-in-law, Anastasia, and talked to her about the camping trip she and my brother Corey had just gotten back from. They went to Pismo and camped near the beach! For those who need background on Pismo, it’s basically a second home for everyone in Clovis. I swear if anyone ever said “let’s go to the beach,” it was always Pismo. Granted, it is a great place to go. I remember buying candy cigarettes at a random candy shop by the pier there. I thought I was the coolest kid, pretending to smoke at 12. Isn’t that when the French kids start? Well, c’est la vie or whatever.
After saying my goodbyes, I hopped on my usual 4 p.m. flight back to Anchorage. People always hate on me for taking the late flight home, but I love it because I get to spend one last day with everyone I love and do any last-minute things before heading back. Plus, I hate wasting a whole day flying. After a short layover in Seattle where I spend $30 on pho… I get back to Anchorage around 11 p.m., and my roommates are amazing because they drop my car off before they go to bed, so once I grab my baggage, I can walk straight to it. It’s not the worst setup, and it costs a little less than an Uber to do it this way.
Halloween Party
Once I got back to Anchorage, all my responsibilities came rushing back and I realized… I had five days to plan a Halloween party that I randomly decided to have a month earlier. And YES, I did have a Halloween party on October 11. Halloween should be celebrated all month long, and I feel like it was the perfect kickoff to get people in the festive spirit. Plus, I didn’t have to compete with any other Halloween parties. The only downside was that a lot of people were out of town that weekend. Who knew so many people traveled at the beginning of October?
I had no costume and no supplies, so guess who had to figure all that out by Saturday… ME. I went to Walmart and stocked up on decorations, which definitely added up, then went to Costco for booze and snacks, and picked up a few pizzas the day of for people to snack on. The thing about those pizzas though is that I threw them in the back of my car, and I am not the best driver. Curbs fear me, and one-ways better watch out because I’m going the wrong direction half the time. I took some aggressive turns on the way home because I’m “just a girl,” and the pizzas came out looking like roadkill by the time I got back.
Side note: if you ever order pizzas from Costco, call ahead.
I didn’t, and I ended up waiting in an hour-long line with some guy behind me complaining the entire time. Thankfully, I had headphones and all the time in the world, but he clearly didn’t. Like, sir, go to Little Caesars… that stuff is hot and ready for a reason. Anyway, one thing about him was that he kept complaining about his granddaughter and how he banned her from texting him. His issue was that she sent multiple short messages instead of one long text, and he said he couldn’t keep up. I guess he never learned to read from top to bottom like a book. Now, if she wants to talk to him, she has to call because he refuses to read her messages. One thing about Gen Z though… they’re not going to call, LOL. Apparently, his granddaughter now has to send messages through her dad as a middleman because she refuses to pick up the phone. He was in such a weird predicament all because he couldn’t handle a few text bubbles. He also kept fake-tapping on an imaginary watch to signal his frustration at the staff, who were just doing their best. The funniest part was when he stepped out of line to complain right as I got my last pizza, and the guy behind him swooped in and got his order instead. If he’d waited ten more seconds, he would’ve been next, but instead he stormed off and ended up even more mad. It was so satisfying to overhear that moment after all his complaining. For the record, the wait was long because the group ahead of us ordered eleven pizzas… kind of wish I was invited to that party!
The last thing I needed for my party was a Halloween costume that would blow everyone away and I succeeded. Earlier that week, I was at a third space with my besties Austin and Ruth, and we were talking about costume ideas. I was originally going to go as a pink cowboy, but they convinced me to get crafty and go for something more chaotic: Hooker Spongebob. It took two days to make, but it was worth it.
The way everyone was gagged at the party… iconic of me I know. By the end of the night though, my costume was looking rough. A boob fell out, both earrings were gone, and my eyelashes were practically melted to my eyes. Granted, I was filming funny content in the rain (which you should definitely go watch on my Instagram if you haven’t already), but by the end, she was struggling. Still, it was such a fun night, and I’m so thankful to everyone who came out to kick off the month with some Halloween chaos.
Now that my Halloween party extravaganza was done, it was time to chill for a bit before heading out on a big trip. The next thing on my list was the Aurora Awards, a public relations award ceremony in Anchorage that highlights all the strong PR work done across Alaska. Blah blah blah, you get the gist. BUT YA BOY WON TWO AWARDS! Well, it was a team effort, but my name was on the certificates! I also wrote an award entry for one of my clients, and that one won too!
I’m never really one for award shows. The only one I actually care about is the MTV Music Video Awards. I’m someone who doesn’t need the validation of winning something to know I did a good job, but I can’t lie, it’s pretty fun walking up on stage to accept an award.
Also, mind you, I was the BEST DRESSED person there. Picture this: a full black suit tailored to hug all the right places (like my waist was missing), a crisp white shirt, and a forest green bow tie with a matching cummerbund. To top it all off, velvet green shoes that pulled the whole look together. No one could tell me I wasn’t “that girl” at the award show. All eyes were on me every time I went up on stage, which happened way more times than I expected.
Overall, it was such a fun night getting to see friends and clients. It might actually be changing my mind about award shows, but I still don’t need one to validate my work.
Mid October
So it’s October in Anchorage, which means snow is slowly making its way down the mountains. My desk looks right out at the Chugach Mountains, and every day I can see the snowline creeping closer to town. I’m excited for winter and the snow, don’t get me wrong, I just wish Mother Nature would stop teasing us because I already have my snow tires on and I’m ready to tackle whatever comes.
Last winter was pretty meh. Anchorage didn’t get nearly as much snow compared to the record-breaking year before. I’m hoping this winter is a good one because I have so many things I want to do, like cross-country skiing, snowmachining (for my lower 48 friends, that’s the same thing as snowmobiling, but don’t ever call it that up here), and snowshoeing! I’ve already started the season off with my first winter hike up to the saddle in Arctic Valley. There was SO much snow as we got higher that I forgot what it felt like to hike in it, but it was such a great starter hike to get my bearings again.
The issue I’m facing right now with winter approaching is the lack of sunlight. In the summer, I can go hiking around Anchorage until like 10 p.m., but now the sun sets around 6:30, which makes it tough to get out after work. So for now, I have to rely on the weekends to get my outdoor fix.
The good thing about the shorter days, though, is that the Northern Lights come back! I swear every time I leave town, Anchorage ends up having an insane aurora show where you don’t even have to leave your house to see them. The aurora is what makes Anchorage such a special place to live compared to anywhere in the lower 48.
For all my friends reading this who haven’t come to visit me yet, this is your sign. Let me put on my little tourism PR hat for a second. Anchorage is your basecamp for all winter adventures… whether you want to go skiing, ice climbing on glaciers, or just enjoy the snow, Anchorage literally has it all. And I would be more than happy to help plan your trip around ANY budget (kind of my job, lol).
Okay, thank you for letting me have that little tourism rant, but seriously, PLEASE come up and visit me. I am soooo lonely (besides all the amazing friends I have up here who keep me from being sad). You can stay with me and have your own room, probably the cheapest way you’ll ever get to stay in Alaska.
Besides all that, the middle of October I didn’t do much because I had a big trip planned to Colorado and knew I would be spending too much while there. I did go rock climbing a few times though. There is a cute guy who works at the front counter at the gym, so I enjoy seeing him when I am there.
Here is the tea with him and me. One of my posts with me in red heels went viral, and I always check who is liking it, especially if they are hot. One day I noticed he liked the video, and I was like, who is this cutie? Then I recognized him from the gym. I have zero clue if he is gay or not, but he never followed me or anything, so I doubt it. I also have no clue if he even recognizes me. He hasn’t said anything, but also why would he?
For those who have gotten this far in the newsletter, what should I do? I would rather not create an awkward “award moment” at the gym because I would drop my membership and find a new place if it all went south.
Also, while I was at the gym the night of my flight to Colorado, there was a guy who was kind of rude to me, which has never happened before. Here is the story: I was at the rock climbing gym by myself, trying to get out some energy so I could sleep on my flight. For some reason, I can never sleep on a plane, and because I was alone, I had to do the auto-belays.
He and his friend were standing in front of an auto-belay I hadn’t done yet. I walked over and asked if they were going to climb nearby and if I could squeeze in to use the auto-belay. He replied in a nasty tone, “I don’t care what you do.” The way my face changed made it obvious how I felt, and I could tell he knew he was being rude. I just said “thanks,” went up the wall, and left after that.
Like, why couldn’t he have just said, “Yeah man, go ahead,” or some variation of that? This younger generation is interesting when it comes to social cues and interpersonal communication.
Colorado
One thing about my trip to Colorado is that I didn’t have anything booked besides my plane ticket until like two hours before I boarded. I was visiting friends and had a place to stay, but I also wanted a little solo journey aspect where I had no clue what I was going to do. What I ended up doing felt like a life I wish I could live.
The moment I landed at the Denver airport, I booked an Uber to my rental car because I was not about to take the train into town. I also don’t know how to take the train and I am skeptical of it, even though everyone swears by it. My Uber driver was super cool though, from Austin, Texas, which I currently have beef with — yes, the entire city, and that is a story for another day.
Why did I Uber? One thing about car rentals around the airport is that they have the worst reviews you have ever seen. I am talking like 10,000 reviews at 2.5 stars. Talk about getting scammed. I scoured the internet for a car rental place with amazing reviews and found a spot right in the heart of downtown Denver. I hate driving in downtowns because it gives me so much anxiety, and I also don’t like driving in places I am not familiar with.
I got my car, which was different from what I ordered, but I was too tired to care. I hopped in and headed straight to my friends’ place to shower because I feel gross after being on planes. Once I got cleaned up, it was time to start my solo travel journey. First stop? Aspen.
If you haven’t been to Aspen, OMFG YOU NEED TO GO. I stayed in Snowmass, which is about 20 minutes away and totally worth it. I felt like I was on a journey to find my ski town in Colorado, and I think I just found it. One thing though: you will never feel poorer in your entire life. Driving past the airport, seeing private jets lined up and multi-million-dollar homes scattered across the hills, I was living my best broke life. I am paycheck to paycheck, but for that weekend I pretended to be at least upper middle class.
Downtown was one of my favorite parts, except they don’t have many coffee shops. It was hard to find an iced caramel latte anywhere, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me. I was walking around trying to explore and BOOM, what do I see? A Hermes store. Just randomly there. That is when I really knew how broke I was because I didn’t even go in. I would have smelled like desperation and brokenness, so I kept walking to maintain my dignity. Plus, I had just gotten back from hiking, so I was definitely not dressed for luxury, with mud all over my legs.
The hike I did was the Maroon Bells outside of Aspen, and I was gagged by its beauty. I literally live in Alaska and see some of the best mountains every day, but this was something else. When I was driving up, I noticed you needed a permit to hike in the area. I definitely did not have one, but the universe was on my side. There was a small check-in booth, and they hadn’t sold out of permits for the day. I snagged one for the low price of $12, which should have cost more because it was amazing.
The hike itself was a lot of fun. I live in Alaska and am used to icy terrain, so I was passing people left and right. I was way more prepared than most tourists, with sturdy hiking boots that had great grip. Everyone else had vans, Converse, or flat walking shoes trying to go up and down the mountain. I felt bad for this one girl I was behind who started slipping in an icy section and began to cry. Her boyfriend caught her, so nothing serious happened, but it was sad.
One thing I have learned about tourists on hikes is that they don’t know the rules of the trail. If someone is trying to pass from behind and the trail is narrow, you are supposed to step aside. Most didn’t know this. Also, wearing jeans on a hike is a pet peeve of mine. Why would you do that? Once I got up to the lake, I found a quiet spot and read a book.
The book was Find Me, the sequel to Call Me By Your Name. Since leaving the TV news industry, my reading comprehension has gone downhill thanks to social media, and with ADHD, it’s sometimes hard to concentrate. But I did it. I read about 40 pages while staring at some of the most gorgeous mountains. It was peaceful and perfect for focusing.
One thing I like about the trip so far is that it has taught me a lot about enjoying myself alone. I would take myself to breakfast each morning and go to the spas whenever I wanted. I had no schedule, just things I wanted to do, and I did them. Aspen is now one of my favorite places, and I had just started the trip.
One funny thing about where I stayed is that I kept forgetting my room key and had to get a new one twice. Each key costs $50, so when I got the bill, I had to smile through it and pretend that wasn’t my dinner money for the next week. I did feel like I was meant to be at that hotel though. My room number was 559, which is the area code where I grew up. I love when the universe gives me signs like this. When I am stressing about the future, a number like this grounds me and makes me feel like I am on the right track.
Alas, my time in Aspen came to an end, but I will be back during ski season. My next stop? A side quest to Breckenridge. I matched with a guy on Hinge there, and he offered to show me around when he got off work. I said, say less, because this trip was all about doing what I want and taking risks.
The issue with this risk is that I may have gotten myself stuck in Breckenridge. I started writing this blog while waiting for him to get off work, and I noticed some snow flurries outside. I was like, omg, this is so cute. The flurries turned into a full-on snowstorm, and I don’t know if I will be able to leave. I may have to book a hotel for the night and leave in the morning. I will keep y’all updated.
UPDATE: OMG, y’all will not believe what happened. I went on this date and it was amazing. The guy and I had so much in common, and it just sucks that I meet so many great guys anywhere but Alaska.
So, I finish the date and decide I’m just going to make the trek back to Denver. Mind you, it’s 8:30 p.m. and the main tunnel back to Denver is shut down. So what do I do? I drive over a mountain pass in the middle of a snowstorm, up and then down a huge mountain. I had no clue if my car even had snow tires, but I took the chance and did it anyway.
I wasn’t the only one trying to get back to Denver either. There were so many others taking the same route that I actually felt better about the decision because if something happened, at least there would be people around to help. My Volkswagen did amazing, and it was actually the other cars sliding down the mountain. Thankfully, living in Alaska and South Dakota for a few winters trained me for this moment because I was definitely nervous.
Three hours later, I made it back to Denver and was beyond happy to never see snow again. But let’s be real, once I get back to Anchorage, those fears are probably coming right back. I did get my snow tires on already so I won’t be too under prepared.
The rest of my time in Colorado was great! I mainly spent it around Denver. I finally got to see Red Rocks for the first time, went hiking around Boulder, did some shopping, and caught up with friends I hadn’t seen in a while, like my old reporter friends from South Dakota, Sunday and James. They just happened to be in town for her birthday, and we went out to eat at an aquarium, which was really awesome. After that, we went to a few gay bars, caught up on life, and talked about Pokémon for hours. It was definitely sad to say goodbye, but I know I’ll see them again soon.
By the end of the trip, I was closing it out on Halloween weekend. I obviously couldn’t bring my amazingly put-together SpongeBob outfit to Denver, so I went with a pink cowboy outfit instead. Everyone kept calling me “Pink Pony Club,” which I totally get, and I just went with it. Before I went out, I noticed a cold spot on my butt when I sat down and thought I sat in water. Turns out, it was a six-inch rip next to my back pocket (which ended up much bigger by the end of the night). I tried changing into khaki pants, but the outfit didn’t feel the same, so I just went out with the rip and showed off my yellow and pink boxers to anyone who wanted to look.
My favorite part of Halloween night was seeing my old coworker Hannah, who moved to LA to chase something new in life. I’m so happy for her, even though it was sad to see her go. She happened to be in town with her sorority sisters, so I got to meet them all and learn all of their messy lore. I was having a great time until we were all walking back from the bathroom and a girl spilled her entire drink all over my pants and then ran away. I didn’t get mad or anything—I think she was just embarrassed—so I looked at her friend in confusion and went on my merry way before calling a $50 Uber home.
Overall, I really enjoyed my trip to Colorado and I’m definitely booking a trip back sometime this winter to go skiing. This time, though, I’m not flying through Chicago again because (first-world problem, I’m sorry) they do not have an American Express lounge. Of all places. I was excited to land, relax, and get some food at the lounge, but instead, I was sitting on a squeaky stool at Gate E17. I also tried to hop on a direct flight back to Anchorage from Denver, but they quoted me more than $2,000, so I just kept my mouth shut.
Well, that was my October, and I really hope you enjoyed reading my first-ever newsletter that I think is pretty much a blog at this point.
