Alex Rose

The entire state of Alaska looks like one giant national park to me, and I'd like to explore it that way. From Denali and Wrangell-St. Elias to Katmai and Glacier Bay, Alaska's parks, public lands, and national forests cover a whopping 322 million acres. I've only been to Alaska once, and that was as a journalist aboard the RV Sikuliaq in the Gulf of Alaska. Taking in Alaska's wilderness from the sea made me dream about spending time there on land getting to know this place and its story.

My favorite adventure experience is ALWAYS the next one. Whether it's an hour drive from my house to Starved Rock to photograph waterfalls, a 40-hour commute to share epic dives with manta rays in Indonesia, or something in between, every new experience is a chance to see the world with wonder. To me, exploration is much more about how you choose to see a place than the place you choose to see. Everywhere has a story to tell, we just need the right lens to see it and mindset to hear it.

I would explore the heck out of Alaska! But I don't plan to do it alone. If I win, I will invite the next two runners up to join me and give both of them $1,500 each of that 10k to spend how they see fit. One of the best parts of exploration is sharing it. Each one of us could look at the same landscape but we'll all see it differently, and THAT is the beauty of diversity, especially in storytelling. Let's join forces and skillsets for the ultimate Alaska adventure! Drysuit snorkeling anyone?