Alaskan Travels

So I started a “good-bye first semester camfel post”, and never finished it and then I started some Alaskan posts and never finished them. But I want to share some of my Alaskan adventures so I’ll try to type something out completely. First of all it was freezing cold!! And I know you’re like “yeah, duh!, it’s ALASKA” but no, it’s Freezing! The first days weren’t bad, a little chilled when the wind blew but then the temperature dropped into the negatives and it was ‘don’t-even-bother-going-outside’. Generally I’m a cold person in normal cold temperatures, but the negatives made me never want to even try going outside. … ok some of that was the fact that I’m lazy and didn’t want to get dressed to leave the house but whatever :-P. And my feet were always cold. I’d try to get one of the kids or dogs to sit on them to warm them up, the dogs were usually willing space heaters … the kids not so much, they’d complain that I was making them cold.
Anyways, Alaska is beautiful. Even in the cold winter. The view from the sky was awesome; sadly I couldn’t take pictures because I had an aisle seat for most of it. Naturally everything is covered in snow and the air holds the bitter crisp of winter which settles a hazy fog over the limited hours of sunlight. I love going outside and playing in the snow and feeling the warm sun on my cold face and being blinded by the white glimmering world. But it’s impossible to enjoy the snow when it’s negative and the fog freezes on your glasses and the sun doesn’t warm your face. Although the dancing ice crystals are pretty. I did get to go ice skating – a lot. And bowling, and shopping, and a tour a glass making/ art gallery type deal. Mostly I just enjoyed my time with the Stimpful family. I loved playing games, watching shows, dancing (or what I like to call dancing), bothering each other, playing barbies and the wii, fighting over the front seat, baking yummy treats, chasing the northern lights, staying up late and sleeping in. It was awesome.
The only thing that I did not like about spending Christmas in Alaska was breaking down. We were on the way to pick up one of Kaytie’s friends and then hit up the ice rink when the battery volts quickly started going down. It was the alternator dying. At least this time I wasn’t stuck in the middle of nowhere, we weren’t too far from home, however it was –15 and the window wouldn’t roll up. It turned out ok, one of their friends towed us home and we pushed the truck into the garage.
Also I hated leaving. I hate saying goodbye … and packing. But the plane ride into anchorage was beautiful. The moon was bright and the air was clear so I was able to watch the town as we took off. I saw the endless territory of white bliss and the rivers that cut a path. I could see the lights of the coal train as it pulled through the terrain and headlights that guided the cars through the icy path. It was cool, but next time I visit it will be during the summer time!