Planes, trains, and automobiles or how I arrived at "Alaska Business".

• Author: Mackenzie, Kathryn
• Position: FROM THE EDITOR - Viewpoint essay

Spring in Alaska is like no other I've experienced. As the ice and last dregs of dirty snow disappear, surprising vistas emerge on a daily basis. What I once believed would become a field of flowers and deer when spring finally arrived has turned out to be a boggy swamp teeming with mosquitoes; the massive, pristine, seemingly uninhabited mountains surrounding Anchorage are actually dotted with beautiful clusters of deep green spruce trees surrounding dozens of homes. And the tree in front of my new office here at Alaska Business is not, in fact, dying a slow, winter death but is sprouting tiny green buds I hope will continue to evolve into something new and surprising.

When I arrived in Alaska last fall, I didn't know what the future held for me, but I knew it would bean adventure, and I couldn't be more pleased that my many travels have led me here--not just to Anchorage but to Alaska Business.

It's taken me many years and many (oh, so many moves to arrive home. I've been writing and editing for business-elated publications for longer than I care to admit publicly. I've written about healthcare and legislation from my hometown of San Francisco: finance and the worldwide commodities markets while living in the hustle and bustle of West Hollywood; pulp, paper, and newsprint while enjoying the absolute beauty of Montreal; and oil and energy while sizzling in the heat and humidity of Texas.

The single tnread that runs through each location I've lived, worked, and written about is commerce. It exists in every civilization in one form or another and the way people make thier living speaks volumes about a place and its people.

What I've already learned about business in Alaska is that it's inextricably linked to its exceptional people...