The last two weeks have dragged on. Ever since our date when Mark and John invited me to Alaska, I’ve been waiting impatiently for this day to arrive.
Now, it’s finally here.
I spent a lot of the time between getting ahead on all of my homework for this week. My professors aren’t excusing me since it’s just a vacation, so I need to stay on track with my work. I have a bunch of assignments I need to bring with me as well. A week is plenty of time to fall behind, especially in my math class.
My suitcase and carry-on sit by my feet as I wait for John and Mark to pick me up. They hired a car to pick them up at John’s and then swing by campus for me. I offered to meet them at the apartment, but they insisted this would be easier. We haven’t even left yet, and I’m already being spoiled! Not that I’ll complain. I’m loving every second of this.
As I wait, I run through my packing checklist for the hundredth time. I hope I have everything. Alaska is still the U.S., but John said our hotel is in the middle of nowhere. I don’t want to forget something essential and not be able to buy it.
I have a winter coat because it’s cold in Alaska. Sure, it’s cold here, but it’s even worse there. A bathing suit because there’s a pool at our hotel. New lingerie for my quality time with Mark and John. Business clothes for the conference. And a few different shoe options.
I think I have everything. But knowing that doesn’t make me less nervous. My stomach is in knots. I’m terrified and excited at the same time.
I’ve slept with Mark and John a few times since they invited me, and we’ve gone on five more dates. I enjoy being with them so much. We have a ton of fun together. We usually go out to restaurants so we can talk, but we’ve also gone for walks in Central Park. We even took a trip to the beach on Long Island, despite the cold. John wanted to go visit his parents, so while he was with them, Mark and I enjoyed the Long Island Sound.
This trip, though, is completely different. We’ll be together twenty-four/seven. What if the guys get sick of me after our first day?
That won’t happen…I don’t think. Plus, we’ll be at the conference a lot, so we’ll be separated then. It should be fine.
My palms are sweating when the guys finally pull up in a sleek black car. John gets out of the back seat and helps carry my bags.
“Wow,” he says, shocked. “You pack normally. I’m glad you didn’t bring six suitcases.”
I laugh. “That’s not me. I like to keep things simple.”
“That’s one of the many things I like about you,” he whispers. “Are you ready to go?”
“Yeah. Let’s go. I can’t wait!”
We chat as we drive to the airport. After the driver drops us off, we check our bags before getting in the security line. It’s intimidating, but we get through it. I’m glad I have two experienced travelers with me to help me through the process. I’d be lost without them.
By the time our flight starts to board, I’m ready to go.
Until it takes off.
I’ve never flown in a plane before.
Every vacation I’ve taken has been a road trip. I like traveling by car. It feels a lot safer than careening through the sky in a giant metal tube.
Of course, the problem with driving is that I get car sick. I usually have to take medicine if I’m not the one driving. And since I’m a city girl with not much experience behind the wheel, I’m rarely driving.
I thought flying would be different since being in a plane isn’t like being in a car. I assumed my stomach would be fine.
Unfortunately, my stomach didn’t get the memo.
“Are you okay?” Mark asks, concerned.
I clench my clammy fists. They offered me the window seat, but I opted to sit in the middle between the two of them. I doubt being by the window would’ve helped my nausea, but I’m kind of wishing now that I had an aisle seat in case I need to run to the bathroom.
“I’m fine.”
Mark eyes me suspiciously. I don’t need a mirror to know my face is pale right now. There may be hints of green as well.
The plane hits a spot of turbulence, and my stomach turns. I cover my mouth with my fist, willing my breakfast to stay down.
“You’re not fine. You should’ve told us you get motion sickness!”
The man in front of us turns around in disgust. If I do throw up, I’m aiming for him. It’s not my fault my body doesn’t like moving this fast!
“I didn’t think it would be a problem.”
John puts his arm around my shoulders. “You poor thing. Tell me what you need, and I’ll make it happen.”
“Ginger ale and crackers might help. But I doubt they…”
Before I can finish my sentence, John is flagging down a flight attendant. He tells her my order, and she immediately goes to get it.
This must be one of the many perks of business class. I told the guys that coach would be fine for me, but they insisted on having me up here with them. I feel so out of place with the men in suits and the women in dresses I can’t afford to look at, let alone buy. However, right this second, I’m glad to be with the guys. If I were alone in coach, I’d be extra miserable right now.
“Here you are,” the flight attendant murmurs sympathetically when she returns. “I brought a motion sickness pill as well, just in case.”
“Thank you so much,” John replies. He hands me the soda, crackers, and tiny pill packet.
“How much is left of the flight?”
“Five hours. You should take that pill to settle your stomach.”
I bite my lip. “It’ll make me really tired, though, and I won’t be able to explore when we get there.”
“Oh, I see what you mean. But we can always explore tomorrow.”
“I don’t want to waste any of our time together sleeping off a pill. The ginger ale and crackers will help. I might try to sleep now, too. That’s what I sometimes do in the car, and it keeps me from getting sick.”
My stomach starts to settle immediately with the crackers and ginger. When I’ve finished both, I lean back in my seat to sleep.
“You can use my shoulder,” Mark offers. “That headrest hardly looks comfortable.”
I grin at him and lean my head against his shoulder. That’s definitely more comfortable than trying to balance myself sitting up. After a few minutes, my eyes flutter closed, and I slowly drift off to sleep.
“Mari, wake up. We’re about to land.”
My eyes open slowly at the sound of John’s voice. I feel groggy, but at least I’m not nauseous anymore. I should be good to explore Alaska.
Alaska! I can’t believe I’m on the opposite side of the country right now. This is insane!
My parents were on edge when I told them my plan. I didn’t mention I was going to Alaska with my boyfriends. I just said it was a huge conference and that it would be a great opportunity for me. I also told them I’d won a scholarship to attend. That’s what had solidified it for them. I feel bad for lying to my parents, but I didn’t want them to try and stop me from going!
Of course, Jessica knows the whole truth. She was ecstatic when I told her. She wants full details of everything that happens on this trip. I don’t know if I’ll go that far, but I’ll share enough to keep her satisfied.
The plane starts to descend. The change in motion makes my head feel weird, but at least I don’t feel sick anymore. I grip the armrests. Mark and John each take one of my hands so I can squeeze them.
“How was your sleep?” Mark asks.
“It was nice. Thanks for the pillow. I hope I didn’t drool on you.”
“I wouldn’t mind if you did.”
I laugh. “Good. What did I miss? Anything interesting?”
“I slept for a bit and then read; John watched a couple of movies. Nothing exciting happened.”
“Good. I’d hate to miss out on any fun.”
“We’d never let that happen,” Mark assures me. The easy banter between us keeps my mind off of the end of the flight. Before I know it, the wheels are bouncing on the runway, and we’re pulling into our gate.
My legs are jelly when I stand to get off of the plane. Another perk of business class is that we get off first. I’m eager to get this trip started.
Once we’ve gathered our carry-on bags and gotten off the plane, I follow Mark and John through the airport. Instead of going toward baggage claim, they head for the car rental place.
“What about our luggage?” I ask.
“I hired a service to grab it and deliver it to the hotel. I hate waiting at those conveyor belts for my suitcase.”
John isn’t the most patient person. In this case, though, I’m grateful. The less time we spend in the airport, the better. I want to be out in Alaska, exploring!
John rents a car and takes us to the hotel. My eyes are trained on the window during the drive. The landscape looks nothing like what I’m used to. The roads are lined with deep green trees. I even see a moose as we’re driving!
About an hour later, we arrive at our hotel. The place is huge! And this isn’t even where the conference is happening. John mentioned this hotel is about a forty-five-minute drive away from the convention center.
I wasn’t expecting such a luxurious place! I thought John would get a regular hotel. This building is huge! With its stone exterior, it looks more like a castle than a hotel! I have no idea how much a place like this costs, but it can’t be cheap. I feel guilty for letting John pay for everything. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t have been able to come if Mark and John hadn’t paid for me. I decide I’ll make it up to them, and I know exactly the way to do so.
All around us, there are trees as far as I can see. The scenery is beautiful – nothing like New York City, where you have to go to the park to even see any real trees, and even those don’t feel like nature because of the huge buildings all around. I love Central Park, but it feels so manufactured. Nothing about Alaska feels that way to me. It’s all natural and beautiful.
“Welcome to Creekside Hotel. What brings you to Alaska?”
The young man working behind the counter looks genuinely excited to see us. The parking lot outside was relatively empty. I suppose tourism in Alaska isn’t as major as it is in New York.
“We’re here for a conference,” John explains.
“Oh? Is it nearby?”
“No. We wanted to be more secluded.”
“Well, we’re glad you chose our hotel! Can I get your name?”
John gives his name while I take in the interior of the hotel. The exterior may resemble a castle, but the inside is more like a log cabin. There’s even a fire going in the lobby. All of the furniture and décor is made of wood. It feels like the outdoors have been brought inside.
“Excellent!” the concierge announces. “You’re in room 900. That’s on the top floor. Do you need help with your bags?”
“No, thank you. There will be a delivery service dropping off our luggage for us. Can you send them to our room?”
“Of course, sir. I’ll get that taken care of. Here are your room keys. Thank you again for choosing Creekside Hotel. If you need anything during your stay, don’t hesitate to call or stop by the desk.”
John takes the keys, thanks the concierge, and leads us to the elevator. When we arrive at our room, I’m even more in awe. It’s a massive suite with a full kitchen, a nice living room, and two bedrooms with California King-size beds. I’m tempted to flop down on one right now, but if I do that, I’ll definitely fall asleep. Traveling has exhausted me.
Just like the lobby, the room itself has a rustic feel. The bed frames are made of twisted wood. The kitchen table looks like it’s made from a huge tree, and the coffee table appears to be from a smaller tree. When I have a house of my own, I want to decorate just like this. I love the aesthetic.
Once I finish with my personal tour of the room, I sit down on the couch and take in my travel companions. Even after a long flight, Mark and John still look gorgeous. It’s unfair. I probably look ridiculous. My hair is definitely in a knot, and I can’t wait to shower off the traveling.
Something else occurs to me. I knew we’d be in the same hotel, but I didn’t think the guys would want us all in one suite.
“Won’t it be obvious if we’re all sharing a suite?” I ask. There are other NYU professors coming to this conference, so we have to be extra cautious.
“That’s why I booked us in a place so far from the main conference center. We should be safe here. Plus, the scenery here is much nicer.”
“I love it! Thank you so much for inviting me.”
John grins. “Thank you for coming. What do you guys say we take a little hike around the hotel? There’s a nice trail right outside that we can walk on.”
“I’d love to!”
We change into the hiking clothes that John insisted we bring along with us in our carry-ons. I’m glad he did because I can’t wait to see what Alaska has to offer. I pull on black workout pants and a long-sleeved shirt. I grab a sweatshirt as well, but I don’t think I’ll need it. It may be cold outside, but we’ll be walking, so I’ll probably get hot.
“You ready?” John asks when I emerge from the second bedroom. He and Mark changed in the other. It’s probably a good idea for us to make it look like we’re all sleeping separately, though I doubt that will actually be the case.
“I am. Let’s go!”
We find the start of the trail easily.
“What is the difficulty level here? I’m not exactly in great shape like the two of you.”
Mark chuckles. “Don’t worry. This one is just a nice walk, basically. Though we’ll start to go on harder hikes by the end of this trip.”
“I’m up for a challenge. Just maybe not after a five-hour flight.”
“That’s understandable. This one will be easy, I promise.”
“I believe you.”
We walk down the well-marked trail.
“It’s beautiful out here,” I remark. John and Mark nod in agreement. Birds chirp around us as the leaves rustle in the wind. It’s the perfect afternoon for a walk.
There’s a gurgling sound up ahead.
“What’s that?” I ask.
“Sounds like a stream. Let’s check it out.”
We leave the trail to follow the sound. Mark is right -- it is a stream, and there’s a bear standing on the other shore!
My heart races. “We need to leave!” I whisper frantically.
John squeezes my shoulder. “Don’t worry; we’re safe. She’s hunting.”
I look over at the bear again. Sure enough, she’s reaching out to catch the salmon jumping from the stream. I’ve never seen this in real life before. I watched a documentary about bears once, but that was nothing compared to the real thing.
“Oh my God! That’s so cool.”
“You won’t see that in New York City.”
“Definitely not.”
My heart is still pounding in my chest, but the bear isn’t paying us any attention. I suppose it’s true what they say. If you leave nature alone, it’ll leave you alone. As long as she doesn’t have babies nearby to defend.
I look around us. Tall pine trees grow majestically from the forest floor. The sky is clear and a shade of blue I’ve never seen before. Is this what the real world looks like? I’ve always known I lived a sheltered life in New York, but it didn’t really hit home until now just how sheltered I’ve been. There are people who see scenes like this every day.
A large bird flies overhead. I squint to try and identify it. It has a dark body and what looks like a white head.
“An eagle!” I cry out, pointing to the creature. Mark and John look up just in time to see it land in its nest.
This is real nature. It’s not some manmade block of land in the middle of a city. It’s the true outdoors, and I’m in love. I never want to leave.
I used to think I was a city girl. I grew up there, and I thought I’d live there my entire life. Now that I’ve seen something else, I’m not sure I can stay in New York.
My parents would be devastated if I left. They grew up in New York, too, but they belong there. My dad would be bored out of his mind in a place like this. Mom would be too afraid to leave the house. She definitely wouldn’t stand just across a stream from a bear.
But I’m not like them. Despite my upbringing, I’ve always been drawn to nature. Being here only solidifies my love for the outdoors. I don’t think I’ve ever been as happy as I am right now.
We continue to walk down the trail, silently taking in the scenery. The sun is still high in the sky. Our flight was early, and there’s a time difference, so although it’s closing in on five in New York, it’s only almost one here. That’ll take some getting used to. By the time I’m adjusted to the time difference, it’ll be time to leave.
The thought saddens me. I don’t want to think about leaving when I only just got here. Instead, I close my eyes and take a deep breath of Alaskan air. That’s much better. I need to focus on the here and now, not the future.
I can worry about that later.