Letters From Matt
are letters from my brother, Matt, from various of his domestic and
international travels. The letters span decades, and I share them on Living
Rootless at intervals, in no particular order.
23 May 1984
Eagle
River, Alaska
Dear family,
I have been driving now for a very, very long time. I feel
as if I’ve almost driven around the world. Right now I’m a few miles west of Haines Junction, Yukon
Territory. It’s very nice – right among the Kuane Mountain
range; snow is in the high spots and in the creek and river bottom; pine trees
abound.
The strangest experience is that of being alone for over a
week. I took a hiker from Columbia to Kansas City and another from Kansas
City to Denver.
I had a beer with a gas station attendant in Deer Creek, Alberta,
and the night before last I conversed all night with an Indian. So I’ve talked
to no more than 5 or 6 people all week. There are no words to make a good
description of what it’s like because it’s perfectly silent save bird songs and
the wind. When you don’t have anyone to talk to, the mind activity is
streamlined and accelerated. That doesn’t mean I’m getting any smarter, it just
means I’m getting a short dose (temporary, of course) of craziness.
I know it shouldn’t have happened and wouldn’t have happened
if I were keeping good records, but I’m not sure whether it’s Saturday or
Sunday. Luckily, I’ll be able to find out next time I buy some gas. But what
would happen if I were off the road and not near a gas station. It kind of
makes me wonder just how long I would last.
With four exceptions, most of my experiences have been
visual (I’ve got two rolls of film to prove that). I won’t bore you anymore
with any of it, but I did at least want to get a letter off so you could know
I’m still alive and that I’ll probably make it. I only have about 600 miles to
go. I should be in Anchorage
tomorrow evening (Sunday or Monday – maybe Tuesday, who knows).
Love,
Matt
P.S. Did you know that it doesn’t get dark here til after
11:00 p.m. and it gets light about 4:00 a.m.? It makes bedtime seem like an
afternoon nap.
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