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WARNING: This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.
“My world is a kaleidoscope of screens and deadlines.” Those were the opening words of Josh Boyd’s winning Go For It Giveaway entry. Josh, a motion designer and 3D artist, spends most of his days sitting behind a computer screen trying to breathe life into digital landscapes. But Josh has always yearned for something more real.
However, Josh wasn’t just looking for a stroll in one of his local Houston parks; he had his mind set on one of the most remote and untamed landscapes the U.S. has to offer: Alaska.
Boasting more bald eagles than permanent residents, Juneau, Alaska, was precisely the sort of wilderness Josh dreamed of. Over six days and five nights, Josh and one of his closest friends explored old-growth temperate rainforests, hiked to the base of Mendenhall Glacier, and kayaked alongside humpback whales.
“At one point, I looked up from a pod of whales, and there was a glacier in the distance, and you could see another whale 500 yards away in the other direction, and it all just hit me, like, ‘Wow, this is Juneau. This is what you came here for.’”
During one of Josh’s kayak excursions, he found himself in the middle of a whale-feeding frenzy. “They called it ‘whale soup,’” Josh says. “There were about 10-15 whales all coming up near the surface and getting food. You would see them dive back down and see their tails, which are massive. I mean, they’re like 30-feet across! It was pretty magical.”
When jokingly asked if he had a ZYN in, Josh smiled. “The thing I love about ZYN is it never gets in the way, and it didn’t disrupt the nature at all. Like, if I was in the kayak blowing smoke around, or if I was using something like dip where I’m spitting on the ground, I would’ve just felt like that’s disrespectful to the natural beauty.”
In addition to kayaking, Josh and his friend also made the seven-mile trek along the rugged West Glacier Trail, known for its breathtaking views of the western edge of Mendenhall Glacier. But it was in the primordial forests that border and intersect the trail that Josh experienced some of his most profound moments.
"There’s almost an immediate sense of meditation that comes with just being able to focus on the world around me.” Josh continues, “When I was younger, I had more time to be outdoors and made time to go camping. But it’s something I’ve neglected for sure. Getting to go to Alaska and be surrounded by nature — it reinvigorated my passion for the outdoors and really put into perspective that I need to take time for these types of adventures.”
In addition to his personal epiphanies, Josh also had some advice for other ZYN fans who have been considering a similar trip. “I would say go for it,” Josh says. “We often times put ourselves second to work, but taking the time to experience new things should be a priority. This experience solidified that.”
Stay tuned for the next adventure in our Go For It Giveaway winners series.
