Airplane? What's That?

WOW... It's weird to be writing a travel blog again! A lot has happened since our last trip. My mom and I got back from Japan in January 2020, right before the world went on lockdown. While we were in Japan, we received paper notices under our door about COVID that said if we didn't feel well, alert the hotel staff. At that time, we didn't know exactly how serious the situation was. We shut ourselves off from the world for so long and now that we are vaccinated and slowly starting to go out again, we are slowly (I'm talking snail's pace) getting back to our rhythm of life pre-covid. As I'm sure you can imagine, we've had countless trips postponed. Our first international trip isn't even until July 2022. Isn't that crazy?! 

Well, this wildlife photographer is getting restless. I can only photograph local birds and plants for so long! On a whim, I decided to check out a photography company's website to see if they had any U.S. trips with availability. I've never traveled with this company, but their online photography webinars during lockdown gave me life. It was something to look forward to and, though virtual, I learned so much from their instructors. Their trips always sell out super quickly (regardless of the destination) so I was surprised to see that their Alaska workshop had availability. After getting some additional info on Covid protocols and the trip itself (all travelers will be vaccinated, yay!) I signed up with 19 days until the trip's departure. The following days were spent frantically using airline credits to book flights, getting medical evacuation insurance, checking all my camera gear (do I even know how to use this thing anymore???), trying to find waders (how do outdoor stores NOT know what waders are???), stocking up on bug spray and sunscreen, and making sure I had plenty of masks for the long journey to and from Kodiak...Which leads us to now. Tomorrow, I depart for Alaska.

Upon arrival in Kodiak, I will meet the group of less than 10 other photographers. We'll have a welcome dinner and the next morning, we'll fly by seaplane to meet our expedition ship (I don't know why it's called a ship and not a boat... The vessel holds 12 people max). We'll have 7 nights aboard the 95 foot long M/V Dream Catcher exploring Katmai National Park and Preserve. Katmai is most widely known for its population of bears (there are thought to be more than 2,000 in the area) but we hope to see other wildlife that inhabits the area as well. Katmai has at least 137 species of birds as well as harbor seals, sea lions, otters, wolves, and of course whales which frequent Katmai's coastline. 

Probably the least attractive clothing I now own!

I won't have any WiFi or cell service while exploring, but I promise there will be blogs upon my return! Until then, be safe. Stay tuned for what's to come and, as always, follow my instagram @elissatitle for more pics.