Exploring with Peter Jenkins

I am excited to introduce to you the writing of Rebekah Jenkins, one of my daughters. She was 21 when she wrote this. She and I traveled together, and then alone, while exploring Alaska. She has written portions of `LOOKING FOR ALASKA'.

From `LOOKING FOR ALASKA' Chapter #8 `No Road': "Cordova has a certain "air" to it that I have not found in any other Alaskan town, or anywhere else, for that matter. This air seems to represent all things reflective and deep. The people carry this air, as does the view. It made me want to look as far into the water as I could and keep the feel of the breeze that blew on my forearms while I stood on Per's boat on my skin forever. It made me want to climb a nearby mountain despite my fear of encountering that one pesky bear that Neva and the boys kept reminding me about. The air of reflection made me want to sit in the Orca Cafe and drink endless cups of coffee and write, my color pencils at hand, and plunge into these new people I'd met. It made me want to never stop looking out the windows of Cordova, no matter whether they were the windows of the cafe, the windows of Per and Neva's home, or the windows to the world that are my come-with-me-everywhere eyes, windows that lead to the very essence of my soul."

Below `My mother, Mary and daughter, Rebekah, 3, at our farm. This picture will take on more meaning when you have read, `Can a Glacier Cry?' Chapter 7 in LOOKING FOR ALASKA.

My mother, Mary and daughter,
Rebekah, 3, at our farm.

Rebecca Jenkins could have seen her childhood and family life as either fortunate or unfortunate, since her father, Peter Jenkins, is an adventurous kind of guy. All 6 kids go where he goes, even when he goes to the ends of the earth. Some might remember Peter as the guy who walked across America after college, and wrote a bestseller about his experience.

In his new book, "Looking for Alaska," Peter's latest adventure was spending 18 months in the Alaskan bush. He took his family with him, even though it was hard to gauge how they would respond to the extremes of nature -- such as sub-zero temperatures and days of darkness.

It turns out, Peter's daughter Rebecca was fascinated with the rugged life there, and with the privacy and space the area had to offer. It brought Rebecca and her dad closer -- and became a trip that would leave a lasting impression on her young life.