--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was as if we'd only been gone the…" description: "\"“It was as if we'd only been gone the weekend. Or had we been gone a lifetime. Part of that was because when you've lived in Alaska, living in other pl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf2/peter-jenkins-37985_fellowship_it-was-as-if-we-d-only-been-gone-the-wee_1241347.jpg" --- # It was as if we'd only been gone the weekend. Or had we… ![“It was as if we'd only been gone the weekend. Or had we been gone a lifetime. Part of that was because when you've lived in Alaska, living in other places seems easier, less challenging, less threatening. Alaska had enlarged each of us. No one is ever the same after coming back from Alaska.” quote by Peter Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf2/peter-jenkins-37985_fellowship_it-was-as-if-we-d-only-been-gone-the-wee_1241347.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf2/peter-jenkins-37985_fellowship_it-was-as-if-we-d-only-been-gone-the-wee_1241347.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf2/peter-jenkins-37985_fellowship_it-was-as-if-we-d-only-been-gone-the-wee_1241347.jpg) > ““It was as if we'd only been gone the weekend. Or had we been gone a lifetime. Part of that was because when you've lived in Alaska, living in other places seems easier, less challenging, less threatening. Alaska had enlarged each of us. No one is ever the same after coming back from Alaska.”” [Peter Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jenkins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Living in Alaska profoundly changes perspective, making other places feel easier and less threatening, and people never return unchanged. **In simple terms:** Alaska changes people forever. Key Takeaway Embrace transformative experiences. Themes growth perspective change adventure Mood reflective nostalgic Type personal narrative travelogue When to use this quote - travel - relocation - post‑trip reflection - personal development Key Concepts psychology environmental impact identity cultural shock Questions to Reflect On - How did Alaska reshape your worldview? - What aspects of home feel different now? A Different Perspective Adjustment can be challenging after intense experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alaska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alaska/) [Fellowship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fellowship/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Travel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/travel/) ## Related quotes > [“Eating is an agricultural act," Wendell Berry famously wrote, by which he meant that we are not just passive consumers of food but cocreators…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/eating-is-an-agricultural-act-wendell-berry-famously-wrote-by-which/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“The canopy of trees overhead is so thick that only bits and pieces of blue sky can be seen overhead. Narrow rays of sunshine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-g-foster/the-canopy-of-trees-overhead-is-so-thick-that-only-bits-and-pieces-of/) Vanessa G. Foster > [On the lip of the Grand Canyon. I've always wanted to do that. My very first TV special out of the Olympics was on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-boitano/on-the-lip-of-the-grand-canyon-i-ve-always-wanted-to-do-that-my-very/) [Brian Boitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-boitano/) > [Why would even I say we can't stop drilling in the Gulf? Because we have no alternatives. Whether or not we drill in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-safina/why-would-even-i-say-we-can-t-stop-drilling-in-the-gulf-because-we/) [Carl Safina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-safina/) > [Mitt Romney understands the importance of Alaska as a leader in our country's energy production and I look forward to working with him on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-murkowski/mitt-romney-understands-the-importance-of-alaska-as-a-leader-in-our/) [Lisa Murkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-murkowski/) > [A changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location. I'm not one though who would attribute it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-palin/a-changing-environment-will-affect-alaska-more-than-any-other-state/) [Sarah Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-palin/) > [Like any traveler, I'm always looking for those experiences that are almost unique to any place, and watching films around Alaska of the skies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/like-any-traveler-i-m-always-looking-for-those-experiences-that-are/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [And I just got the ghost, and I'm calling it Casper but that is so cold, it belong in Alaska.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicki-minaj/and-i-just-got-the-ghost-and-i-m-calling-it-casper-but-that-is-so/) [Nicki Minaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicki-minaj/) > [If the world were an orange with 18 segments meeting at the top (the North Pole), roughly 8 of them would be in Russia,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-shoumatoff/if-the-world-were-an-orange-with-18-segments-meeting-at-the-top-the/) [Alex Shoumatoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-shoumatoff/) > [They're our next-door neighbors, and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-palin/they-re-our-next-door-neighbors-and-you-can-actually-see-russia-from/) [Sarah Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-palin/) > [What the hell is instant? Nothing is instant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/what-the-hell-is-instant-nothing-is-instant/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Kids in Alaska don't know they're growing up on the Last Frontier. It's just what they see on the license plates, and it's something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-bodett/kids-in-alaska-don-t-know-they-re-growing-up-on-the-last-frontier-it/) [Tom Bodett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-bodett/) > [There's no doubt 'normal' is changing - spring actually came a month early in Alaska, for example, and we had to stop filming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-rice/there-s-no-doubt-normal-is-changing-spring-actually-came-a-month/) [Travis Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-rice/) > [“Grief is like an ocean. It comes in waves - some waves are bigger than others and you cannot prepare for it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/summer-lane/grief-is-like-an-ocean-it-comes-in-waves-some-waves-are-bigger-than/) [Summer Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/summer-lane/) > [She smiled with all the delight of a kid on Christmas morning and said, "Y'all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die." -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/she-smiled-with-all-the-delight-of-a-kid-on-christmas-morning-and/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## More by Peter Jenkins > [“Still, as much as I had experienced, there was more waiting to be found. I had started out with a feeling of burning dullness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jenkins/still-as-much-as-i-had-experienced-there-was-more-waiting-to-be-found/) [Peter Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jenkins/) > [“The surrounding black night air rushed by me as my eyes began to adjust to the darkness and recognize shapes in the black on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jenkins/the-surrounding-black-night-air-rushed-by-me-as-my-eyes-began-to/) [Peter Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jenkins/) > [“Cooper's tremendous love and energy and unchained freedom had captured life itself. Now, as the last shovelful covered him forever, I knew I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jenkins/cooper-s-tremendous-love-and-energy-and-unchained-freedom-had/) [Peter Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jenkins/) > [“After living in Smokey Hollow these three months my bearded face was darkened to a tan, and for more than a moment, I couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jenkins/after-living-in-smokey-hollow-these-three-months-my-bearded-face-was/) [Peter Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jenkins/) > [“College students, couples, people covered with eagle tattoos, boat captains, white-haired folks—we were all singing, waiting especially for the chorus”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jenkins/college-students-couples-people-covered-with-eagle-tattoos-boat/) [Peter Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jenkins/) > [“Talk is cheap and easy; making dreams real takes hard, humble work. Dreams in the Midwest are acceptable, just keep them to yourself. Maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jenkins/talk-is-cheap-and-easy-making-dreams-real-takes-hard-humble-work/) [Peter Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jenkins/) > [“Mileage craziness is a serious condition that exists in many forms. It can hit unsuspecting travelers while driving cars, motorcycles, riding in planes, crossing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jenkins/mileage-craziness-is-a-serious-condition-that-exists-in-many-forms-it/) [Peter Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jenkins/) > [“It had happened again. I had met another American whose generosity, it began to seem to me, gushed out of the spirit of this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jenkins/it-had-happened-again-i-had-met-another-american-whose-generosity-it/) [Peter Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jenkins/) > [“Homer looked back at me. 'Pete, can I tell ya somethin' real important?' 'Sure, what is it?' I couldn't imagine what Homer was about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jenkins/homer-looked-back-at-me-pete-can-i-tell-ya-somethin-real-important/) [Peter Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jenkins/) > [“As the lifetime-long days passed I began to notice a profound cleansing taking place in myself as we were inmersed in the peaceful Pennsylvania…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jenkins/as-the-lifetime-long-days-passed-i-began-to-notice-a-profound/) [Peter Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jenkins/) > [“No more distractions. The elation of finally being alone was total. We walked straight west. I had everything I needed in the world resting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jenkins/no-more-distractions-the-elation-of-finally-being-alone-was-total-we/) [Peter Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jenkins/) [Explore all 12 Peter Jenkins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jenkins/) ## More Alaska quotes > [She smiled with all the delight of a kid on Christmas morning and said, "Y'all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die." -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/she-smiled-with-all-the-delight-of-a-kid-on-christmas-morning-and/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Grief is like an ocean. It comes in waves - some waves are bigger than others and you cannot prepare for it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/summer-lane/grief-is-like-an-ocean-it-comes-in-waves-some-waves-are-bigger-than/) [Summer Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/summer-lane/) > [There's no doubt 'normal' is changing - spring actually came a month early in Alaska, for example, and we had to stop filming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-rice/there-s-no-doubt-normal-is-changing-spring-actually-came-a-month/) [Travis Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-rice/) > [Kids in Alaska don't know they're growing up on the Last Frontier. It's just what they see on the license plates, and it's something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-bodett/kids-in-alaska-don-t-know-they-re-growing-up-on-the-last-frontier-it/) [Tom Bodett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-bodett/) > [What the hell is instant? Nothing is instant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/what-the-hell-is-instant-nothing-is-instant/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [They're our next-door neighbors, and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-palin/they-re-our-next-door-neighbors-and-you-can-actually-see-russia-from/) [Sarah Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-palin/) > [If the world were an orange with 18 segments meeting at the top (the North Pole), roughly 8 of them would be in Russia,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-shoumatoff/if-the-world-were-an-orange-with-18-segments-meeting-at-the-top-the/) [Alex Shoumatoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-shoumatoff/) > [And I just got the ghost, and I'm calling it Casper but that is so cold, it belong in Alaska.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicki-minaj/and-i-just-got-the-ghost-and-i-m-calling-it-casper-but-that-is-so/) [Nicki Minaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicki-minaj/) > [Like any traveler, I'm always looking for those experiences that are almost unique to any place, and watching films around Alaska of the skies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/like-any-traveler-i-m-always-looking-for-those-experiences-that-are/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [A changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location. I'm not one though who would attribute it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-palin/a-changing-environment-will-affect-alaska-more-than-any-other-state/) [Sarah Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-palin/) > [Mitt Romney understands the importance of Alaska as a leader in our country's energy production and I look forward to working with him on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-murkowski/mitt-romney-understands-the-importance-of-alaska-as-a-leader-in-our/) [Lisa Murkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-murkowski/) > [Why would even I say we can't stop drilling in the Gulf? Because we have no alternatives. Whether or not we drill in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-safina/why-would-even-i-say-we-can-t-stop-drilling-in-the-gulf-because-we/) [Carl Safina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-safina/) > [On the lip of the Grand Canyon. I've always wanted to do that. My very first TV special out of the Olympics was on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-boitano/on-the-lip-of-the-grand-canyon-i-ve-always-wanted-to-do-that-my-very/) [Brian Boitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-boitano/) > [“The canopy of trees overhead is so thick that only bits and pieces of blue sky can be seen overhead. Narrow rays of sunshine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-g-foster/the-canopy-of-trees-overhead-is-so-thick-that-only-bits-and-pieces-of/) Vanessa G. Foster > [Let's make a deal: You figure out what the labyrinth is and how to get out of it, and i'll get you laid. -Alaska…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/let-s-make-a-deal-you-figure-out-what-the-labyrinth-is-and-how-to-get/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) [Browse all 320 Alaska quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alaska/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It was as if we'd only been gone the weekend. Or had we been gone a lifetime. Part of that was because when you've lived in Alaska, living in other places seems easier, less challenging, less threatening. Alaska had enlarged each of us. 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