Faith, family, and friends, in that order. That is the credo by which my family thrives. As an ode to this motto, every year we gather in Devils Lake, ND for an annual men’s family fishing trip. We have made countless memories on the fishing boat and on the cabin deck laughing, telling stories, and enjoying each others company. This summer, a few of us decided to knock off a “once-in-a-lifetime” trip to Alaska to go salmon fishing. We have been dreaming of, and talking about, this trip for several years. Each year would come and go, with excuses made to postpone for some other time. However, we came to the realization that none of us are getting any younger and the elders in the group may not have many years left in which they can enjoy a trip like Alaska so we went ahead and booked it. After having some time to digest it, all I can come up with is: Wow, what an experience! As always, the time flew by with each other and the next thing we knew, it was time to head home. On the return flight, I sat and thought about how important the experience was that just took place. I was able to spend nearly one week surrounded by the ones I love and who are the most important to me (save my wife and kids, of course!). With the business of life, we often forget or postpone the most important part of living, which is enjoying the time you have with the ones you hold dearest to your heart. I, for one, will always remember this trip fondly. Not because of the fish we caught, but because of the people I caught them with. My words of advice, get rid of the excuses and make time for your own Alaska before it’s too late.