Times visited: 1 (1 month and 10 days in 2023)
Cities visited: Bethel and Anchorage
Towns and villages visited: Quinhagak and Seward
National parks visited: Kenai Fjords National Park

Alaska had long been a dream destination of mine, so when I got the opportunity to volunteer on an archaeological excavation in the tiny village of Quinhagak in Southwest Alaska in the summer of 2023, I didn’t hesitate! I spent a month in that small village and absolutely loved it there. The excavation was everything I’d dreamt of and more, the team was amazing and I loved getting to explore a corner of Alaska so remote that it’s two flights away from the road network!
After my month in Quinhagak, I flew to Anchorage, the largest city in the state, and spent five days there and another five in Seward. The latter is located in the middle of Kenai Fjords National Park, which was the place where all my Alaska nature dreams came true. I got to hike in the mountains, see a ton of wildlife and glaciers on a boat trip and get a little lost in the vast wilderness.
Before I left Alaska, I got a tattoo of the topographical map of the state along with the T-Swift lyrics, “a deep portal, time travel, all the love we unravel”, to always remember my amazing time at the excavation in Alaska!