How a Quick Visit to Kodiak Recalibrated My Awe Antennae

One thing about getting older is that most things kind of stop feeling new. More rare are the instances of radical novelty when experiences land in the consciousness like a glittering bloom of incandescent fireworks. As I age, sometimes it feels like something truly epic is required in order to interrupt the slog of adulthood. But this summer, that something was Kodiak, Alaska, a perfect blast of verdant-meets-maritime newness that re-calibrated the epicness-appreciating center of my soul. As it happens, my husband Arron (WAC founder + CEO) had a handful of appointments in Kodiak to meet with suppliers and fishermen. But since we had the whole family in tow, we took advantage of the opportunity and explored the island with our kids.

Often referred to as the Emerald Isle, Kodiak comes across like a kingdom of living textures. The simple act of being a passenger in a car there felt like a full-blown conversation with photosynthetic phenomena. Hillsides and mountainscapes are so overgrown with green that every drive feels like a labyrinth of infinite lushness, the island’s contours sprouting with life as far as the eye can see. Spongy moss explodes through the cracks between things, giving the whole place the sense of being physically enveloped by time. 

During our short visit, we took our kids to the Alutiiq Museum in downtown Kodiak, where we were all collectively blown away by the creativity, wisdom and elaborate spiritual world of the native Alutiiq, who have inhabited Kodiak for more than 7,000 years. We also took them to the Kodiak Fisheries Research Center Aquarium, where our son and daughter had the opportunity to physically engage with living creatures like anemones, sea slugs and several varieties of starfish at the Touch Tank. On our way to the airport after a delicious lunch of some of the best cod tacos I’ve ever tasted, we saw a mama Kodiak brown bear — which we learned are different from grizzly bears! — strolling casually through a roadside pasture with three little sows.

And no matter where you go on the island, it’s impossible to ignore its fundamental essence: a vibrant fishing community with a generational legacy. A place where stacks of crab traps and buoys pop up along the harbors, their neon orange flashing like punctuation against the silver surface of the water and massive swath of thick green that coats the isle.

Even though I turned 51 a few weeks ago, getting to see this magical Alaskan island for the first time was a lovely reminder that new experiences come with the blessing of getting to be a human being on this planet. That age means nothing in the face of absolute awe, which is exactly what I felt in this extraordinary place.

Live wild!

Monica

Pictured above: a collection of moments, textures and experiences from our magical time on the Emerald Isle, where life seems to scream with absolute yes-ness at every single turn.