Off Days and Odd Times in Anchorage (RMB1, 772 words)

A question family and friends have asked me multiple times since I made the move to Anchorage is, "What do you do when you're not playing hockey? It's so cold up there; you must just stay inside with the heat!" Well, not exactly. I love cold weather because it makes ice. And what do you need to play ice hockey? Ice. It's in the freaking name, for chrissake.

I do a lot of things in my free time when I'm not playing or practicing for hockey. Anchorage is actually a really cool town and reminds me a lot of Seattle. Most of the people that were working here in the summer are from Seattle. With that being said, Anchorage is very different because of all the wildlife and flora that surround it. I've been warned of the Kodiaks and moose that live outside the city. I have been adventurous and wanting to at least see one but to no avail. I've seen the Northern Lights a couple of times now, and it only gets more beautiful every time. I remember hearing a story from one of the locals that really moved me. They believed that the Northern Lights were torches held by the souls of the dead as they go to the beyond. The deceased had to be gone for three days, and on the third day, their soul would bear a torch as they went up into the clouds. When I lost my grandma, I camped out all night in a field, waiting for the lights to appear. And, they did. I could hear her jokes now, pranking my uncle with a false case of dementia.

Besides seeing the Northern Lights and local wildlife, there are a couple of really cool bars in Anchorage that my teammates have taken me to. My favorite so far is probably the most popular place in town, Darwin's Theory. They have free popcorn from a popcorn machine, which I barely saw at the bars my mom used to go to back in Denver. They have a free jukebox. Free! And, of course, Darwin is famous for its Cinnamon Schnapps. The bartenders are no-nonsense kind-of-guys, which I think is a good business model for a bar. And all the locals are fantastic. They see us and know we're part of the local hockey team, so they'll come chat us up and buy us shots, then everybody is buying everybody shots. It's an enjoyable time. If you're looking for a more...secretive type of place, I would recommend Clandestino. It's a little speak-easy taco place on 4th Street. Very secretive. This place doesn't exist — no social media. No website. It doesn't show up on Google. Doesn't show up in a top ten list, let alone any other list. Unclaimed Yelp page. No name on the building. No open sign. All word-of-mouth advertising. The red photos are not filters. That is the actual lighting. It's hidden behind the Mermaid Oyster bar in town. The menu changes up often, and it's always amazing. I always make sure to tip well there, because the cook and staff absolutely deserve it. I've gotten to be terrific friends with the manager Luis, and he's shown me the even more secretive dance bar in the back...

Matanuska might have been the most beautiful thing I have seen while I've been here. The only time I had seen a glacier before was when we visited St. Mary's Glacier back in Colorado. But Matanuska...there was just something different man. Hiking over thousands-of-years-old sheets of ice...it was breathtaking. And it's not because of the high altitude; I got used to that from living in Denver. Seeing the almost 200-year-old Russian Eastern Orthodox Church that near the base of the mountain, along with the Spirit Houses in the old Eklunta Village, it feels like every step you take, you observe another part of history. I'm so glad I've expanded my worldview in my off-time here in Anchorage. I try to have my experiences everywhere enrich me, and this is no different.