The author and publisher have provided this e-book to you for your personal use only. You may not make this e-book publicly available in any way. Copyright infringement is against the law. If you believe the copy of this e-book you are reading infringes on the author’s copyright, please notify the publisher at: us.macmillanusa.com/piracy. Contents Title Page Copyright Notice Dedication Acknowledgments Map 1. Dream in the Daylight 2. Ted 3. At Home with “The Police Log” 4. “Fly through That Hole” 5. Tina 6. Bears on Dora Way 7. Can a Glacier Cry? 8. No Road 9. The Largest Member of the Congregation 10. Termination Dust 11. Howls of Glee 12. Maximum Security 13. Bingo Anger 14. On the Way to Coldfoot 15. The Winter Trail 16. Life at the Homestead 17. On the Edge of the Land-Fast Ice 18. Anything but Cyber Trash 19. Hobo Night 20. XtraTuf 21. Unalakleet 22. Landing on a Roof 23. Leaving Alaska Epilogue: Jump Out of That Plane Also by Peter Jenkins Copyright To my six highly intelligent, extremely creative, hard-working, beautiful, and handsome, perfect children: Julianne, Luke, Jed, Rebekah, Brooke, and Aaron Acknowledgments Looking for Alaska would not have been possible without the caring and assistance and friendship of the following people: my great family, Fred and Coleen Jenkins and Molly, Sarah, Derick, Colin, and Evie. Winky and Randy Rice and Alex, Jesse, and Tyler. Scott and Bonnie Jenkins and their children. Elizabeth and Abigail, my little sisters. Mom and Dad Jorgensen. Kevin and Val Karikomi and Matt, Mike, Dave, and Dan. Mike and LeAnn Turner and John, Michael, and Scott. Eric and Michele Jorgensen and Tammi, Kari, Rachael, Derick, Cheyanne, Chris, Brandon, and Brittany. Aaron and Robin Jorgensen, Gena, Julie, Jerry, Cory, Taylor, and Page. Chris Jorgensen and Anna Stowell. Archie and Janice Buttrey. And a special thanks to Rhoda Jenkins, who inspired me very early to be an adventurer. There were many terrific people in Alaska who helped out and offered their assistance. Many of them are in the book. Those that are not I wish to thank here: Gale Vick and Richard Lowell. Mary Pignalberi. Linda Sylvester. Dawn Starke. Tina Lingren. Colonel Glenn Godfrey. Julie Guy. Linda Thompson. The following people at APRN: Dale Harrison, Ron Zastrow, Steve Franklin, Liz Fullerton, and Jessica Cochran. Cindy Matson. Ron Spatz. Scott Taylor. Lee Gorsuch. Ann Parrish. Kathy Newman. Mel Kalkowski. Terri Graham. Tom and Mary Tougas and family. Mavis Blazy and Ken Lancaster. Jim and Kathleen Barkley. Kenai Fjords Tour staff. Sharon Anderson. Lori Draper. Randy Becker. Mark and Betsy Bartholomew. Doug Lechner and Bay Vista B&B. Gail Phillips. John Torgerson. The University of Alaska, Anchorage. The University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Kodiak College. Maggie Wall. The brilliant staff at the Alaska State Library. Mike Hyde. Gerry, Margie, and Guy Riley. Brian Porter. Lisa Murkowski. Gary Wilken. Robbie Graham. Craig Matkin. Diane Kaplan. Richard Foster. Scott Henderson. Joyce Thomas. Steve Langdon. Alan and Ginnie Austerman. Peter Ecklund. Kyle Johansen. Karen Hofstad. Stan Hooley. Jim Tilly. Jennifer Foltz. David and Elizabeth Odell. Kerry Cline. Neal and Juanita O’Shea. Macen Kinne. Genie and Joe Smith. Pat and Lorali Carter. Drew Pierce. Kris Norcoz. Arne Fugloug. Harold Kalve. Don Young. Hertz of Seward and Rosie. Dale and Carol Ann Lindsey. Dennis and Jackie Wheeler. Bob Malone. The ALPINI’s. Artie at BJ’s. Jim Menard. And in general, the outstanding people of Alaska, so many who were so helpful. Speaking of Alaskans, a very special thanks to the supporters of The University of Alaska’s Writer in Residence Program, of which I was a part. Thank you so much, National Bank of Alaska (now Wells Fargo), Alaska Railroad, Alaska Heritage Tours (CIRI), NorthRim Bank, and Holland America Westours. Thanks especially to Al Parish, Ed Rasmuson, Gov. Bill Sheffield, Johne Binkley, Dennis Brandon, and Mark Langland. Thanks to my longtime great friends, Skip Yowell and Winnie Kingsberry and, of course, JanSport. And Bill and Mary Lucy Fuqua, great friends. Bill, thanks for all the doctoring and especially the friendship. And our terrific friends and neighbors, Ray and Cindy Williams. Thanks to Tammy and Tony Jamison and A.J., Sam, and Lucy, who took care of stuff while we were gone. Thanks to our great friends Tom, Belinda, and Tanner Long. Thanks to Christ Community Church, Scotty Smith, and congregation. To my friend and one of the few people who can read my handwriting, Glenda Andrews, who typed much of this book as I wrote it by hand. It has been great working together again. And to Paul and Anne Breeden. Paul has made the excellent maps in all my books since my first, published in 1979. And to Tom Smith, my mentor at National Geographic. And Harvey Arden. Thanks to Pat Golbitz, my first book editor and beloved friend who influenced me in so many ways. Thanks for inspiration and friendship to Luther and Kay Jones and family, and the Minnow Bucket Crowd. Thanks to my excellent agents, Michael Carlisle, Whitney Lee, Byrd Leavell, Michelle Tessler, and Christy Fletcher at Carlisle and Company. And to Neal Bascomb. Special thanks to my good friend and adviser, Barbara Morgan. I am especially pleased with my new publisher, St. Martin’s Press. First, to the voice of St. Martin’s, Helen Plog. In a world of sameness and the shunning of accents, Helen sets the tone for St. Martin’s! I love it. Thanks to Sally Richardson for her outspoken belief in this project. And thanks to the other talented folks at St. Martin’s I’ve had the pleasure to work with: John Sargent, John Cunningham, John Murphy, George Witte, Joe Rinaldi (Go get ’em, Joe), Alison Lazarus and her outstanding sales people, Ben Sevier, Steve Snider, Matthew Baldacci, and Matthew Shear. And especially to my talented, calm editor with the perfect personality for me, the outstanding driver Kelley Ragland. Thanks so much, Kelley. And thanks, Kent Ragland, for giving your little daughter a book you really liked, A Walk Across America, and suggesting that she read it. A fond tribute to that pivotal moment, known to but a few, now immortalized as “Three moons over the Kenai.” And especially to Rita, my loving wife.