Before moving to the US, Black Friday was just something that I had heard about on the 6pm news because some lady got trampled in Walmart. In Canada, the day after American Thanksgiving was just a normal day - no holiday, no day off and definitely no sales. We have Boxing Day, also known as the day after Christmas, for that. Although Boxing Day's claim to fame is also a holiday, day off and sales, sadly, it falls [very] short of its American cousin. So, when we moved to the Alaska, experiencing my first Black Friday was a must.
The morning started out bright and early at 5am. Or dark and early, because it was Alaska in winter after all. We had mapped out our route the night before, and had grand plans to get to the stores early. That is until we opened the front door and were greeted by a hefty overnight dumping of snow. Fair enough, we were living in Alaska, and again, it was "winter". Black Friday rookie mistake #1 for not allotting time to dig out/warm up the car.
After pouring all of our energy into digging out the car, we didn't make it past store #2. And all I had to show from the adventure was a measly pair of snow pants for $25.
Despite the snowy, yet uneventful, first Black Friday experience, the view as the sun rose over the mountains was quite beautiful and made waking up that early all worth it.
So beautiful, we decided to abandon the remaining stores on our 'list', and take a scenic drive down the coast of Turnagain Arm, just south of Anchorage. Can you blame me for opting outside instead? It's a pretty spectacular view.
It's safe to say that my first Black Friday experience, was also my last. I think I'll stick to shopping from the comfort of my pjs and couch on Cyber Monday.
Do you battle the crowds on Black Friday? What is the best Black Friday deal you've scored?
