From DC to Anchorage

Cheechako: n. From the Chinook jargon: chee (“new, lately”) +‎ chako (“to come, to arrive”).  Someone new to Alaska or the Yukon. Originally a reference to the Gold Rush newcomers.

Thursday May 14, 2014:  Everything changed.
After 7 years in the DC area, I left behind my dear friends, my home, and overall a life I enjoyed very much to move to Anchorage, AK.

Goodbye time in DC. I am going to miss my Youts.

The several weeks I spent preparing my move (renting my place, finding a company to ship my belongings, selling my car...etc) were rather hectic and the D-Day arrived very fast.  I flew from DC to Denver where I visited friends in a 30-hour blitz trip before flying to Anchorage.

In DC, the difficult goodbyes had made very tangible the idea I was leaving "for good".  But at the Denver airport, reality hit me again.  Usually, leaving Denver meant flying back home.  But this time around, I was going to a completely unknown place.

 The five-hour flight was uneventful... strange.  Things usually do not go as planned... At 1 am, I pick up my rental car, drive to my hotel, only about 5-10 min from the airport and even find it easily. Hmm... this was way too normal.  I ring at the door... I ring again, and again... and again.  Finally someone picks up the intercom:
-- Yes?
--  I have a reserva...
-- No you don't!
Ah... complications... that is more like it. After a short dialogue over the intercom, the receptionist finally opens the door and surprisingly switches to "helpful-mode".  She starts calling other Mariotts in the area to make sure I am at the right place and finally we realize that the person who made my reservation 1) misspelled my name and 2) booked me for the next day.
I am told I cannot get a room and I am starting to picture myself spending the night in my fancy rental car, which would not be so bad as I am exhausted and ready to crash.  Finally, she decides that she can take me as a "guest in distress", which is not exactly true but close enough as I am on the verge of passing out in exhaustion. I gladly accept the excessive charge to my credit card and go up to my room.  Finally! Time to close my eyes and sleep! I sink in a sea of pillow, relax... I am going... sleep is coming... is it?  Soon... it will... maybe.... or not.  30 min go by, 1 hr goes by and here I am wide awake again.  It is now 3 am, which is 7 am DC time.  I am usually up and running at that time!  With bad TV in the background, I start reflecting on the past weeks, days and hours and finally drift in a heavy sleep.  What a ride! And it is only the beginning.