Memories in the Drift
A few years ago I was combing the internet both bored and looking for inspiration when I stumbled across a documentary on a small town in Alaska. Whittier. A piece of land carved from the shores of Prince William Sound that had been a Cold War army base until the military withdrew. Sometime later, it transformed into a place that catered to cruise ships, fishing boats, recreation seekers and anyone interested in the forgotten history of a crumbling building on a hill. A town where nearly all of the two hundred or so residents live in a fourteen-story high-rise that overlooks a harbor abounding with seals and orcas and all manner of wildlife. I was immediately drawn to this town, not because of the unrelenting rain and snow and heavy clouds that cling to the mountains for much of the year. And not because of the two-and-a-half-mile single lane tunnel that closes every night and is the only way in and out of town, unless you come by boat. Not even because of the abandoned military ...
