Every September, something changes in Alaska. The days get shorter, the temperature starts to drop, and the annual ritual of preparing for winter begins.

We winterize our homes, vehicles, and lives. We check the tires, stock up on firewood or fill the heating oil tank, find the snow gear, and make sure we're ready for the cold and dark ahead.

But what about the more internal aspect ?

In this solo episode, Manny reflects on the version of himself that seems to show up every winter and asks a bigger question: If we put so much effort into preparing everything else for an Alaska winter, how can we be just as intentional about winterizing our hearts and minds?

This episode also marks the beginning of a recurring conversation on The State I Am In about mental health, resilience, and navigating the darker months in Alaska. Throughout the winter, you'll hear from clinicians, coaches, and everyday Alaskans with experiences and lessons worth sharing.

And eventually, those conversations will lead into something new: the Polar Night 65 Challenge, a 65-day challenge through the darkest part of the Alaska winter focused on taking better care of our bodies, minds, and relationships.

Winter is coming. Let's prepare for more than just the weather.

Shoot me a text, what do you think?

Lee Post is known simply as "The Bone Man."

What started as a lifelong curiosity about the natural world eventually led Lee to the Pratt Museum in Homer, Alaska, where he was handed a challenge: figure out how to put a whale skeleton back together.

There was no manual. There was no YouTube tutorial. And as Lee discovered, there weren't many people in the world who could even tell him how to do it.

So he figured it out.

In this episode, Lee shares how that first whale skeleton launched a decades-long journey of articulating skeletons, teaching students, illustrating bones, writing books, and sharing his knowledge around Alaska and across the world.

We talk about recovering a 41-foot sperm whale, working with students to build skeletons, the strange science of cleaning bones, some of the unusual requests Lee has received over the years, and how a self-taught passion became an expertise few people possess.

More than anything, this is a conversation about curiosity, following the path in front of you, and what can happen when you find something you love doing and refuse to let it go.

This is the story of Lee Post, The Bone Man.

visit www.boneman.com to connect with Lee and learn more.

Shoot me a text, what do you think?

Chris Johnson has spent his adult life protecting what matters.

From a childhood dream of becoming a game warden to a career spanning more than three decades in wildlife law enforcement, Chris has dedicated his life to protecting Alaska’s people, wildlife, and wild places.

In this episode, Chris shares stories from a career that has taken him across Alaska and put him face-to-face with some of the realities and dangers of working in the Last Frontier. We talk about conservation, bear encounters, law enforcement, search and rescue, and the responsibility that comes with protecting the resources Alaskans are fortunate enough to call their own.

But for all the years Chris spent protecting others, some of his greatest tests would come far from the badge.

In previous episodes, we sat down with Chris’s son, Tyler, and heard his incredible story of surviving a brown bear attack deep in the Alaska backcountry. This time, we hear that story from the perspective of the father who was there with him.

Chris also takes us into another remote Alaska survival story involving Tyler, and we talk about preparation, fatherhood, raising kids by example, a lifetime of service, and what nearly four decades in Alaska have taught Chris about protecting the things that matter most.

Shoot me a text, what do you think?