Hi! Taylor, here. After a little over six years as a vegan, and a life-long Alaskan, I've decided I've garnered enough experience, in both, to comment effectively on how one of these aspects of life may affect the other.
I'm going to try posting once or twice a week, about my experiences finding certain products, the odd recipe, dining out, and dealing with people that have moved to Alaska "for the experience" (which usually means hunting, fishing, and 'subsistence'). Being as I'm fairly new at this, I am more than happy to take suggestions, answer questions, and try to be a resource for anyone traveling to Alaska, looking for vegan-friendly establishments, etc.
A bit about myself: I'm a 30-something, born-and-raised Alaskan "gay girl", who is emphatically anti-Pebble (but I did work four years in the mineral exploration and mining industries, oddly enough). I hold a Bachelor's in Russian Studies, and once had ambitions of working for the U.S. Department of State as a Foreign Service Officer, before I developed (very strong) opinions of my own. I've maintained a committed relationship for seven years, and my partner and I have two goats (pets, of course), a cat (reformed feral), and a dog (rescue), that we love and dote on, spoiled things that they are.
I have been involved with various lines of employment/service. These include, but are not limited to: blood collections (blood banking); food service/espresso; commercial truck driver; municipal harbor cleanup crew and patrol; janitorial staff; Public Assistance eligibility technician (think food stamps); remote site medic, and, most recently, telemetry technician (monitoring and interpreting cardiac rhythms and vital signs for as many as thirty patients) on an ICU here, in Anchorage. I have ambitions to become a trauma nurse, or a doctor of emergency medicine...not sure which, yet
I grew up in the great outdoors, and love kayaking, rock climbing, hiking, wildlife watching, and other such activities. I also have a goal to learn more about mountain biking, than just simple single-track, this year, and LOVE my bicycle commute to work and errands, every day. I try to drive as little as possible, all seasons, and finished my first successful winter of ice/snow biking, thanks to Nokian Hakka bike studs!
Enough about me - I'm interested in knowing more about what any vegans would like to know about life in Alaska. More than happy to address any and all of those topics, here, in addition to whatever subjects I might stumble upon, in my spare time. Please, feel free to ask questions, comment, and suggest topics. I look forward to meeting you, whoever "you" are, out there, in the ether of the Internet.
