Interview with Barbara Peterson

Barbara Peterson is currently a contributing editor to Breaking the Barrier and regularly attends foreign language conferences across the country.

What were your first impressions of Alaska?

My welcome to the U.S.’s largest state began on the plane.  My two seatmates, discovering I was visiting Juneau for the first time, gave me tons of helpful information and tips. One of my new plane friends and her husband, who was picking her up, gave me a tour of the city and even took me to my hotel.  Talk about hospitality!  This was my first exposure to Alaskans, and needless to say, I was extremely impressed with their hospitality and friendliness.  This impression was reinforced in the next ten days as I traveled to and worked in Juneau, Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Soldotna.
                   

What did people think about the Breaking the Barrier materials?

Our books and other materials were really well-received, and I came away from Alaska feeling great enthusiasm from homeschoolers. They liked the clarity of our approach, the emphasis on grammar, vocabulary and culture, and they loved the stylish layout. Our Self-Learner Special was of particular interest at each place we exhibited. Our philosophy at Breaking the Barrier seems to appeal equally to adults, college-aged students, high school kids and also to those in middle school.  It was very satisfying to see the interest in the books I love.

Did you see any bears in Alaska?

Since my one free day of the ten days in Alaska was in Juneau, and I love to hike, the women on the plane had told me to be cautious if I climbed the mountain – there were black  and brown bears even close to town.  They explained that for one type of bear, you waved your arms, shouted, and otherwise tried to frighten it away.  For the other, the protective action was just the opposite – play dead!  Even if the furry thing tried to maul you, you should just quietly “take it” and hope he’d think you were dead. This information was sobering, to say the least.  Add to that the fact that by the next day, I couldn’t remember which bear was the scaredy-cat and which liked his dinner cold, and it’s easy to understand why I decided not to hike in the woods.  The city streets seemed oh, so much more interesting!

You traveled from Anchorage to Fairbanks by train. What was that like?

On the train ride, I’d planned on looking out the window the whole 10½ hours, but sleep quickly overtook me once we started.  Nothing like a bit of motion and gentle background engine noise to lull me to into oblivion!  After a good nap, I awoke refreshed, and the scenery held my rapt attention for the duration of the trip.  Alaska is truly beautiful!  Of course, to me, the mountains are always special, as I’ve never lived near them.  It was a real treat to see regal Denali – more than once – since a friend of mine has climbed it.

How about the food, Barbara?

I enjoyed the wonderful food!  I was surprised by the great number of different ways one can prepare salmon and halibut, and each seemed even better than the last.  I always hope people who live close to oceans or rivers appreciate the marvelous food source that we in the Midwest envy.

Any final thoughts?

I'm so glad to have had the chance to take Breaking the Barrier up to Alaska. It seems to me to have been a very successful trip for the company and a most memorable one for me personally.  It was a lifelong dream of mine to go to Alaska, and I can’t wait to go back again!