Nome, Alaska

I was recently in Nome, Alaska for work and was humbled by the kindness of a small rural town. I was there during a VERY cold snap (-20ish), which causes me to have to walk with a cane so my leg doesn't collapse on me. (Old skateboarding injury - great story for a different time.)

When you arrive in a small rural town like Nome, the airplane doesn't roll up to the airport - you have to take stairs down to the tarmac and walk to the terminal... which is just a super small building with one TSA point. Managing this in extreme cold, snow, ice, walking with a cane with a backpack on your back and a carry-on suitcase is not easy, but everyone behind me was super patient. No one made a fuss about the pace I was walking. I really appreciated it.

There is so much rushing around in today's world - it often feels like if you aren't moving fast you aren't living. I like traveling to smaller communities, like Nome, to remind me that the hustle really doesn't have to be the default way of life. Many people in Nome live by the seasons through weather adaption, subsistence, and resilience when economies break (like when groceries don't come in on the barge in time). You can also feel the sense of community - if someone was struggling or needed something, the community finds a way to support them.

I think the world needs more of that. Life isn't meant to be lived alone.