Wow! I just knew this was going to be sweet. So I’ve made it to Anchorage and it turns out I’m staying in a charming B&B run by Bill, a delightful host, and his darling standard poodle, Maddie. I got in well past midnight last night, so I didn’t really get much of a sense of things yet, though Don, one of the fest coordinators who picked me up, is a doll. 
He’s from San Francisco and works with a number of prestigious film fests and we swapped stories about our gypsy festival lifestyle. It’s his first trip to Alaska as well and he seems equally enthused about the adventure before us. I knew I was in good hands when I discovered a cool beer mug and bottle of Sockeye Red (from the Midnight Sun Brewing Company, a local brewery) among other goodies in my swag bag – always a sign of a good fest
Admittedly, I felt fairly disoriented by the time I got into bed. It was probably ill-advised to stay up reading a book of Lovecraft-inspired short stories before dozing off which inevitably resulted in some super weird dreams. But to dream one must first sleep, which this insomniac is happy to announce occurred in spades last night – bless Alaska’s darkness – insomnia girl slept in until 7:45! Yay!
This morning everything looks different, though it’s still dark here for another few hours. Bill prepared an amazing salmon spinach omelet and veggie patties for breakfast and the coffee is so good I’m indulging in a second mugful, which is something I never do. I met James Harkness and Natalie Elefteriadias, 
2 other filmmakers staying across the hall, who are here with a feature called BIRTHDAY. They flew in from Australia yesterday and I can tell we’re already destined to be great fest buddies. How fun to have lively discussion about indie film and the loss of irony in society over a truly decadent breakfast. It never ceases to amaze me how festivals bring the coolest people together and never fail to inspire me.
I have several hours to conquer some writing before exploring downtown and then hitting the opening night gala. I’m already totally digging Anchorage and I’ve barely seen it. Snow is lovely and the Inn is toasty and inviting. I’m sure there’s some culture shock ahead, but I suspect it will mostly be of the fun variety (except maybe the temperatures – Brrrr!)
Now, work beckons…