From the moment you dive into the warm, clear water of the Florida Keys you know you're in a special place. Dunking my head underwater I'm immediately immersed in another world. The colors seem too incredible to be real. The water is seriously aqua blue and deep jade green. Then you realize the world down here is swimming with life! aubergine sea fans wave in the underwater "breeze" and bright orange coral dot the sand. 5 torpon that were at least as long as I was zoomed by at the periphery of my underwater world. Soon and entire school of fish the size of paperclips surrounded me. They pulsed brilliant turquoise, yellow, green, and blue in time with each other as they moved in unison. What an amazing world. I truly hope it's not the last time I see these wonders!
Matt and I enjoyed the heck out of having the sun right overhead (even though it was 95 degrees by 9 am). For six days we snorkeled in pristine, aqua-blue waters, sought the shelter of a palm tree, or enjoyed the incredible invention of air conditioning. It was a nice change up from Alaska, and an entire world away, to be sure!
I also enjoyed seeing my niece and nephew, as they now live 3,000 miles away. At the ages of one and two they are changing too fast to keep up with from so far away. It was really nice to see them learning how to walk and swim. I made the car sound for Hunter as he plowed his car through the sand, he thought that was the best thing ever and kept asking me to "do it again!"
We also ate at some fabulous restaurants. Matt and I are passionate about food if we're passionate about anything!
We had an incredible night at the Islamorada Fish Company overlooking the bay and watching the sunset while we ate wonderfully cooked mahi mahi, scallops, and ahi. Hunter sat right next to me and was a wonderful restaurant guest, even if he ate his spaghetti with his hands!
Kaiyo had the best sushi we've ever had--and we've had lots lately. We took my dad there for Father's Day, and we all felt lucky to share that meal with him.
Because of crazy flight times, Matt and I ended up spending some time exploring Miami on our own. We discovered another great restaurant (Michael's Genuine Food and Drink--OMG! That's a meal we'll relive for awhile to come), a cute little B&B on the river, and found the glorious and somewhat crowded beaches of South Beach.
I came away realizing that even though I live in a city it's nothing compared to a "real" city like Miami. Just looking at those towering apartment buildings with people living on top of each other made me glad my city is so small by comparison.
As we traveled back to Alaska, it might have been the jet lag or the 16 hours traveling, but I was so, so ready to come home. Anchorage was a welcome and familiar sight as we came in for our landing, and it got me thinking. An anchor can be a source of security and stability, a sign that you want to stay put for awhile. Anchorage has definitely become that for us.
Enjoy some pics of the trip!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
Updates coming soon!
Hello! I just wanted to drop a quick entry to say I've been busy adventuring! Matt and I went to Florida with my family, and then I went to Glacier Bay National Park with my next door neighbor and best friend, and am off again this week to tour Homer, Seward, Seldovia and the like with my best friend Ang. I am working on slide shows from the trips and promise to post updates soon!
Thanks for the support,
Jen
Thanks for the support,
Jen
Monday, June 14, 2010
Mom is co-pilot!
Sun sparkled from every corner of Kachemak Bay, its brilliant aqua blue surface stunning my mom and I as we drove into Homer. From its intense color life exploded: sea otters floated holding their new fuzzy babies to their chests, puffins torpedoed through the air, and kittiwakes swooped and called. What an magnificent place we live in! Earth never ceases to amaze me with her abundant beauty.
My mom came to visit me last week, and after she helped me dig a garden and plant we drove down to Homer, made our way across Kachemak Bay to Seldovia, and enjoyed a few days in this incredible part of the world.
On our way to Homer we stopped by the seaside town of Ninilchck. where we pulled of the Sterling highway to see the beach. We wound down through the tiny village of Ninilchick where wooden houses squated along a grassy "u" of land embraced by a bend in the river. An abandoned bright turquoise boat shell advertised for boats.
On a clear day you can see right across to the ever-snowy Alaska Range, home to a number of volcanoes. Today, as the gray sky dripped, it was just the sea ahead of us, heavy and gray.
As we drove the length of the village to the beach we realized we were looking out upon about 20 white-headed eagles gripping the dark sand along the mouth of the river. The looked skeptically our way, some pulling their wings just slightly away from their body as if ready to soar should we come any nearer. One soaking fellow dipped his head into the river over and over. Several others soared above the bluff behind the village chasing and picking at each other.
Looking down a noticed a kaleidoscope of seaweed covered stretches of the beach: peach, scarlet, bronze, scum-green, and brown. Some smooth, some frilled, it added texture to the pebbled beach.
We chanced the local seasonal restaurant and ordered the local specialty:Alaskan Razor Clams, fried with a side of fries. Those clams sank like, well, fried clams in our bellies, and we left feeling like bloated pieces of detritus. That was the last of the fried food we'd eat for awhile!
We stayed at a super cute B&B in homer and ate an excellent dinner at the Mermaid Cafe. The next day we caught a ferry to Seldovia, and enjoyed seeing the sea life on our trip over. We found a lovely hike through the temperate rain forest to a pebbled beach.
The next day we took my very first fishing charter, what a thrill! This wonderful guy, Fritz who runs Alaskan Grace charter, took us out to fish for halibut.
The boat ride out to the Gulf of Alaska was incredible, and then he put some chunks of octopus on some fishing lines for us, attached to a weight about the size of my fist. We lowered the lines, and as I set in to wait, as it always the case when you fish, I turned to look at the captain to see what I should be doing with my line while I waited, and he said, "If they're not biting immediately we'll have to move!" I thought I was hearing things, when sure enough my line started to jounce. About five minutes of arm ache later (I was sure I was reeling in at least a 70 pounder) I had my first halibut!
Mom followed soon after an in literally 15 minutes we both had our limit of 2 halibut each. Wow. I've never experienced fishing like that before!
As mom's visit drew to close I felt so lucky to have been able to spend such a lovely time with someone I love in an awe-inspiring place. Right now teaching in Alaska feels like the best job ever, because I have 3 months to explore this breathtaking place with the people I most love!
My mom came to visit me last week, and after she helped me dig a garden and plant we drove down to Homer, made our way across Kachemak Bay to Seldovia, and enjoyed a few days in this incredible part of the world.
On our way to Homer we stopped by the seaside town of Ninilchck. where we pulled of the Sterling highway to see the beach. We wound down through the tiny village of Ninilchick where wooden houses squated along a grassy "u" of land embraced by a bend in the river. An abandoned bright turquoise boat shell advertised for boats.
On a clear day you can see right across to the ever-snowy Alaska Range, home to a number of volcanoes. Today, as the gray sky dripped, it was just the sea ahead of us, heavy and gray.
As we drove the length of the village to the beach we realized we were looking out upon about 20 white-headed eagles gripping the dark sand along the mouth of the river. The looked skeptically our way, some pulling their wings just slightly away from their body as if ready to soar should we come any nearer. One soaking fellow dipped his head into the river over and over. Several others soared above the bluff behind the village chasing and picking at each other.
Looking down a noticed a kaleidoscope of seaweed covered stretches of the beach: peach, scarlet, bronze, scum-green, and brown. Some smooth, some frilled, it added texture to the pebbled beach.
We chanced the local seasonal restaurant and ordered the local specialty:Alaskan Razor Clams, fried with a side of fries. Those clams sank like, well, fried clams in our bellies, and we left feeling like bloated pieces of detritus. That was the last of the fried food we'd eat for awhile!
We stayed at a super cute B&B in homer and ate an excellent dinner at the Mermaid Cafe. The next day we caught a ferry to Seldovia, and enjoyed seeing the sea life on our trip over. We found a lovely hike through the temperate rain forest to a pebbled beach.
The next day we took my very first fishing charter, what a thrill! This wonderful guy, Fritz who runs Alaskan Grace charter, took us out to fish for halibut.
The boat ride out to the Gulf of Alaska was incredible, and then he put some chunks of octopus on some fishing lines for us, attached to a weight about the size of my fist. We lowered the lines, and as I set in to wait, as it always the case when you fish, I turned to look at the captain to see what I should be doing with my line while I waited, and he said, "If they're not biting immediately we'll have to move!" I thought I was hearing things, when sure enough my line started to jounce. About five minutes of arm ache later (I was sure I was reeling in at least a 70 pounder) I had my first halibut!
Mom followed soon after an in literally 15 minutes we both had our limit of 2 halibut each. Wow. I've never experienced fishing like that before!
As mom's visit drew to close I felt so lucky to have been able to spend such a lovely time with someone I love in an awe-inspiring place. Right now teaching in Alaska feels like the best job ever, because I have 3 months to explore this breathtaking place with the people I most love!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
We've got people!
It's 11:32 pm on Memorial Day, and there's still plenty of light left in the day to finish writing my blog! I am definitely finding it difficult to sleep, but since it's summer and I don't have a job to report to for the next two months I just stay up late and nap lots. I definitely feel like I am living to the fullest, it pretty much rocks!
This week marks my one-year anniversary as an Alaska resident, and it was just this week that I've really come to realize we really have made some great friends up here in that short time.
I'll give you something to be pissed about . . .
Hugo, our sweet and huge grey kitty has been super sick. He's got a serious bladder infection, and unfortunately we didn't realize it until he was pissing all over the house and being what I considered to be a big gigantic butt. I was so mad at him, and just sure he was doing it because he was pissed at me for something or other, and then I realized he was really, really sick and trying to tell me something. Poor guy. Now he really has something to be pissed at me about, literally!
We were referred to this great vet (Diamond Animal Hospital) who is open 24 hours and doesn't charge extra for late visits. They patiently saw Hugo two days in a row after 10 pm and made sure he was doing ok and had all the right meds. Apparently, if a cat can't pee it can be a life-threatening emergency, so they were very attentive and patient through the whole process and didn't mind my numerous calls and visits. Thank goodness we had such a good vet up here when we really, really needed one.
If you ever need a farmer's daughter . . .
In my life-long pursuit of organization I sought out some gorilla racks on craigslist (big sturdy metal shelves) to help organize our garage. In typical Jen fashion I arranged to pick them up before realizing they wouldn't fit into our Subaru. What's a girl to do? Call a farmer's daughter!
Marnie was my co-worker this past year, teaching right across the hall from me. This is her first year in Alaska too. She pet sat for Matt and I over Winter Break, and was simply the best pet sitter ever--Jack LOVED her, almost as much as he loves me.
Anyway, she had this big 'ol truck with "Farmer's Daughter" written right across the back window. It is always so hard for me to ask for help, but I I'm trying to acknowledge more and more we are all connected and need to help each other through this life. It only took a phone call and next thing I knew she was hauling my big 'ol shelf in her big 'ol truck clear from one end of town to the other, and on Memorial Day Weekend too!
As we unloaded the shelves into my stuffed-to-the-gills garage I realized I truly have a friend I can call on in a time of need.
Paddle no matter what!
On Saturday we had a HUGE treat: we got to go white water kayaking on the Eagle River. How did we get so lucky you might ask? Well, we've got people!
Matt's co-worker Dave invited us to Kayak with him, supplying us with all the gear from the kayaks to the dry suits to the paddles (even the ridiculous helmets).
We were in this neat-o inflatable kayak that was impervious to rocks and rapids alike. Freezing glacial-melt bursts over the sides of the kayak every time we broke through a rapid, making my blood pump a little faster. Then we'd reach a lazy, calm stretch where we could just float along and enjoy the stunning mountains and lush greenery, and we'd round a bend and be off again, paddling no matter what the river threw at us!
Dave taught us to surf the rapids, a crazy phenomena where you paddle like hell up the river towards a current until you find the quiet sweet spot and can kind-of just sit still in the middle of all that torrential glacial melt pouring downhill around you.
Towards the end we stopped to scout the "bigger" rapids ahead to see if we wanted to brave them. Matt and I decided that in the impervious kayak we'd definitely try it. What a rush! We actually went down a big set of rapids backwards, but the kayak that wouldn't tip just turned sideways, and then we just kept on going right through all those fun rapids!
A much anticipated arrival
My mom arrived late Sunday night, and we are so excited to have her! She is an amazing work horse of efficiency, and has already helped me double-dig my front flower garden. Tonight we ate Chipotle Orange BBQ Salmon Tacos (super yum!) with our neighbor Tracy and celebrated all our people, those who are no longer with us, and those we are lucky enough to still have filling our lives.
Well, the mosquitoes are swarming--even here indoors at my computer. I think I've killed at least 45 today, and 17 of those have been in the past 30 minutes. Maybe it's a sign that I should go to bed! Definitely a sign my posts are way too long. New goal: cut to the bone!
I almost forgot! I added some pages to this blog: a book review page of books by Alaskan authors or about Alaska, and a travel guide put together by Matt and yours truly. You can find links to them right at the top of the page under the the picture of Glacier Bay National Park.
Until next time,
Jen
This week marks my one-year anniversary as an Alaska resident, and it was just this week that I've really come to realize we really have made some great friends up here in that short time.
I'll give you something to be pissed about . . .
We were referred to this great vet (Diamond Animal Hospital) who is open 24 hours and doesn't charge extra for late visits. They patiently saw Hugo two days in a row after 10 pm and made sure he was doing ok and had all the right meds. Apparently, if a cat can't pee it can be a life-threatening emergency, so they were very attentive and patient through the whole process and didn't mind my numerous calls and visits. Thank goodness we had such a good vet up here when we really, really needed one.
If you ever need a farmer's daughter . . .
In my life-long pursuit of organization I sought out some gorilla racks on craigslist (big sturdy metal shelves) to help organize our garage. In typical Jen fashion I arranged to pick them up before realizing they wouldn't fit into our Subaru. What's a girl to do? Call a farmer's daughter!
Marnie was my co-worker this past year, teaching right across the hall from me. This is her first year in Alaska too. She pet sat for Matt and I over Winter Break, and was simply the best pet sitter ever--Jack LOVED her, almost as much as he loves me.
Anyway, she had this big 'ol truck with "Farmer's Daughter" written right across the back window. It is always so hard for me to ask for help, but I I'm trying to acknowledge more and more we are all connected and need to help each other through this life. It only took a phone call and next thing I knew she was hauling my big 'ol shelf in her big 'ol truck clear from one end of town to the other, and on Memorial Day Weekend too!
As we unloaded the shelves into my stuffed-to-the-gills garage I realized I truly have a friend I can call on in a time of need.
Paddle no matter what!
On Saturday we had a HUGE treat: we got to go white water kayaking on the Eagle River. How did we get so lucky you might ask? Well, we've got people!
Matt's co-worker Dave invited us to Kayak with him, supplying us with all the gear from the kayaks to the dry suits to the paddles (even the ridiculous helmets).
We were in this neat-o inflatable kayak that was impervious to rocks and rapids alike. Freezing glacial-melt bursts over the sides of the kayak every time we broke through a rapid, making my blood pump a little faster. Then we'd reach a lazy, calm stretch where we could just float along and enjoy the stunning mountains and lush greenery, and we'd round a bend and be off again, paddling no matter what the river threw at us!
Dave taught us to surf the rapids, a crazy phenomena where you paddle like hell up the river towards a current until you find the quiet sweet spot and can kind-of just sit still in the middle of all that torrential glacial melt pouring downhill around you.
Towards the end we stopped to scout the "bigger" rapids ahead to see if we wanted to brave them. Matt and I decided that in the impervious kayak we'd definitely try it. What a rush! We actually went down a big set of rapids backwards, but the kayak that wouldn't tip just turned sideways, and then we just kept on going right through all those fun rapids!
A much anticipated arrival
My mom arrived late Sunday night, and we are so excited to have her! She is an amazing work horse of efficiency, and has already helped me double-dig my front flower garden. Tonight we ate Chipotle Orange BBQ Salmon Tacos (super yum!) with our neighbor Tracy and celebrated all our people, those who are no longer with us, and those we are lucky enough to still have filling our lives.
Well, the mosquitoes are swarming--even here indoors at my computer. I think I've killed at least 45 today, and 17 of those have been in the past 30 minutes. Maybe it's a sign that I should go to bed! Definitely a sign my posts are way too long. New goal: cut to the bone!
I almost forgot! I added some pages to this blog: a book review page of books by Alaskan authors or about Alaska, and a travel guide put together by Matt and yours truly. You can find links to them right at the top of the page under the the picture of Glacier Bay National Park.
Until next time,
Jen
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Summer's here: hikes and flights and authors oh my!
The bell rang one last time for the school year and the students let out a celebratory whoop before flooding the halls to hug all of their friends goodbye.
We teachers herded and prodded them toward the exits. Waiting outside in the gentle Alaskan sun we watched them load the buses, and then waved farewell as the buses pulled away. "I won't miss you!" I called out as I did the parade wave for what seemed like forever. And as soon as all 10 buses were out of sight the staff of Mears Middle School let out a celebratory whoop too!
You guessed it, Jen has officially finished her last week of school this year. Now that summer feels like is has officially begun we've got plenty of adventures, large and small, underway.
On Thursday Matt took a trip out to Platinum, one of his communities, where he had a rare clear day for his flight. He said the views of anchorage and the surrounding mountains were stunning. As the plane descended toward Anchorage glaciers came into view, all three volcanoes along the Alaska Range, and he even could see all the way down the Kenai Peninsula into the Gulf of Alaska. It's pretty cool that he was on the clock AND earning airline miles while he got to see all this natural beauty.
While in Platinum he spoke with his contact there about goose hunting, which is happening big time right now. Black Brants and Emperor Geese are apparently flying (and being hunted) in in abundance.
As we learn more about subsistence food cultures (and the horrors of industrial factory farmed food) we are very intrigued by this way of life--envious even. But we are not yet hunting ourselves, just unsuccessfully fishing so far. Hopefully this summer we at least become mediocre anglers. Mom and Dad Paterson have recently purchased Matt a new fly rod that will certainly give a good start!
On Saturday Matt and I attended the grand opening of the new Alaska Writing Center called Raven Place. We have both been volunteering to help get the little house clean and ready to go for the summer season; it rents as a guest house in the summer and in the autumn and winter will house writing workshops and such. It's run by 49 writers, and it's very exciting to be a part of this project from the beginning.
The guest speaker was Heather Lende, author of If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name and her latest release, Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs.
She read from Take Good Care and I was awestruck by the honesty and raw emotion in her writing. She basically writes about life in small-town Haines, Alaska, where she lives. But it's fascinating and perceptive and very thought provoking.
In her first chapter she talks about the blessing of the ships in their harbor, a friend who lost her son in a shipping accident, literally being hit by a car, and losing her mom to cancer, and then ended it all with this incredible connection to the Aurora Borealis. I wish I could quote it all here, but that's what libraries are for, right?
I'm looking forward to reading the signed copy of this book in the next few months and promise to report back on it. I'm glad we are finding our way into little bits of communities like 49 Writers up here in this big city.
Matt and I also realized that we have seen more authors up here in the past year than ever before in our lives. We've seen Nikki Giovanni and Heather Lende, and I've seen Chris Crutcher. All three times we got signed books, which are the first books I've ever had signed by authors. I guess that's one of the perks of living in a city!
Today Matt, Jack, and I hiked the Powerline trail. Even though all snow has been melted for weeks down here in the city, and short 20 minute drive up into the Chuguach Mountains brought us to patches of snow, ice, and mud. We had a messy but beautiful hike, and even saw a moose. I think just a few more spotting of those huge beasts and we won't even be fazed by them any more.
Daytime highs are around 55, and at night it's been getting down to about 45. Plenty of light invades every corner of this place right now though, so growth of grass and trees is simply stunning. In some places literally overnight things grow more than you can imagine. I'm looking forward to putting in my garden this next week!
I cannot WAIT for my trip to Glacier Bay National Park in late June. The trip has been made even better by the addition of my best friend Angie. She has always wanted to come to Alaska, so I'm excited that we'll be able to explore this corner of the Last Frontier for the first time together. Check out the map below: can you just imagine what I'm in for? The "A" label is Blue Mouse Cove, where we're hoping to paddle around & camp for a few days. We start in Gustavus (lower right-hand corner) and take a park water taxi into the park (they'll drop us off and pick us up). I could go on and on, but I'll spare you my excited babble and leave off for another time.
View Larger Map
Until next week,
Jen (& Matt)
Book image from: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41bbMkVNoUL.jpg
We teachers herded and prodded them toward the exits. Waiting outside in the gentle Alaskan sun we watched them load the buses, and then waved farewell as the buses pulled away. "I won't miss you!" I called out as I did the parade wave for what seemed like forever. And as soon as all 10 buses were out of sight the staff of Mears Middle School let out a celebratory whoop too!
You guessed it, Jen has officially finished her last week of school this year. Now that summer feels like is has officially begun we've got plenty of adventures, large and small, underway.
On Thursday Matt took a trip out to Platinum, one of his communities, where he had a rare clear day for his flight. He said the views of anchorage and the surrounding mountains were stunning. As the plane descended toward Anchorage glaciers came into view, all three volcanoes along the Alaska Range, and he even could see all the way down the Kenai Peninsula into the Gulf of Alaska. It's pretty cool that he was on the clock AND earning airline miles while he got to see all this natural beauty.
While in Platinum he spoke with his contact there about goose hunting, which is happening big time right now. Black Brants and Emperor Geese are apparently flying (and being hunted) in in abundance.
As we learn more about subsistence food cultures (and the horrors of industrial factory farmed food) we are very intrigued by this way of life--envious even. But we are not yet hunting ourselves, just unsuccessfully fishing so far. Hopefully this summer we at least become mediocre anglers. Mom and Dad Paterson have recently purchased Matt a new fly rod that will certainly give a good start!
On Saturday Matt and I attended the grand opening of the new Alaska Writing Center called Raven Place. We have both been volunteering to help get the little house clean and ready to go for the summer season; it rents as a guest house in the summer and in the autumn and winter will house writing workshops and such. It's run by 49 writers, and it's very exciting to be a part of this project from the beginning.
The guest speaker was Heather Lende, author of If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name and her latest release, Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs.
In her first chapter she talks about the blessing of the ships in their harbor, a friend who lost her son in a shipping accident, literally being hit by a car, and losing her mom to cancer, and then ended it all with this incredible connection to the Aurora Borealis. I wish I could quote it all here, but that's what libraries are for, right?
I'm looking forward to reading the signed copy of this book in the next few months and promise to report back on it. I'm glad we are finding our way into little bits of communities like 49 Writers up here in this big city.
Matt and I also realized that we have seen more authors up here in the past year than ever before in our lives. We've seen Nikki Giovanni and Heather Lende, and I've seen Chris Crutcher. All three times we got signed books, which are the first books I've ever had signed by authors. I guess that's one of the perks of living in a city!
Today Matt, Jack, and I hiked the Powerline trail. Even though all snow has been melted for weeks down here in the city, and short 20 minute drive up into the Chuguach Mountains brought us to patches of snow, ice, and mud. We had a messy but beautiful hike, and even saw a moose. I think just a few more spotting of those huge beasts and we won't even be fazed by them any more.
Daytime highs are around 55, and at night it's been getting down to about 45. Plenty of light invades every corner of this place right now though, so growth of grass and trees is simply stunning. In some places literally overnight things grow more than you can imagine. I'm looking forward to putting in my garden this next week!
I cannot WAIT for my trip to Glacier Bay National Park in late June. The trip has been made even better by the addition of my best friend Angie. She has always wanted to come to Alaska, so I'm excited that we'll be able to explore this corner of the Last Frontier for the first time together. Check out the map below: can you just imagine what I'm in for? The "A" label is Blue Mouse Cove, where we're hoping to paddle around & camp for a few days. We start in Gustavus (lower right-hand corner) and take a park water taxi into the park (they'll drop us off and pick us up). I could go on and on, but I'll spare you my excited babble and leave off for another time.
View Larger Map
Until next week,
Jen (& Matt)
Book image from: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41bbMkVNoUL.jpg
Sunday, May 16, 2010
A change in how I'm posting: welcome to weekly updates! Also: what we'll be doing this summer.
Alright, alright, so I'm probably among the worst bloggers ever because I don't post enough! The problem is I'm always waiting for something noteworthy to write about, when really I feel like I'm just going along living my normal 'ol life. But I've decided that I can find Alaskan things to write about each week, they'll just be smaller, and perhaps a little more subtle.
I've also been inspired by one of my students who blogs now as a result of my evil homework requirement that students write for an hour outside of class each week. He blogs every Sunday, he just sits down and does it. And the result is a reliable post that reflects the ebb and flow of his life.
So that's my new goal: more reliable posts that reflect the ebb and flow of our Alaskan (and just regular ol' Matt and Jen) life. My hope is to give readers and family a more consistent idea of what the heck we're up to!
So . . . this past week I've been winding down the school year. My students and I have just four more days together. I am so, so excited for summer, as are my students. I'm pleased to report that I will be teaching next year at my same school, Mears Middle School, in the same teaching position. I work with a fabulous team of teachers and have really grown to love my working relationship with them.
This summer is going on record in my books already as the best summer ever. We've got some great adventures planned, and even better, we're going to get to spend some quality time with people we really love. One thing about living way up here: our loved ones are so far away, and it takes 5-18 hours to fly to see them depending on where we're headed. Luckily, our current location is enticing many of them to come visit this summer.
My mom comes to visit the first week of June to help me get my summer started off right. We'll be hiking and kayaking and yoga-ing as we hang out just like we used to when I lived in Co.
Our first big adventure will be a LONG trek down to the Florida Keys to vacation with my family. We are really looking forward to spending a week in the sun. Even though spring has technically arrived in Alaska we're still not seeing the sun more than a few days a week, and even then the highs have been only up to 50 degrees.
After that Jen is going to venture down to Glacier Bay National Park with our neighbor Tracy (in case you can't tell I am literally jumping up and down as I report this). It's actually a bit of a trek--we'll be flying down to Juneau, taking a hopper flight to Gustavus, and then taxiing (via boat) into the park to kayak and camp for three days. Tracy said odds are excellent that we'll see: gray whales, orcas, bears, moose, seal pups, tons of sea birds, lots of glaciers, and more! I can't wait to see it all and report back! I am especially thankful that Tracy is including me in this summer adventure. She's taken this trip 15-16 times and so I know I am in capable hands.
At the end of July Matt's entire family, including his aunt Jenifer, is coming to visit us!! We are going to hang out in Homer and Seward and plan to fish, hike, kayak, climb glaciers, and enjoy each other's company in the midnight sun.
Can you see why this will be the best summer ever? I can't wait! A few quick notes on life before summer: Matt's gotten another community to work with: Pelican. That will be his first Southeast Alaskan community. He is very much looking forward to his first visit to the SE this summer. You can see an updated map of his communities below. Jen has been volunteering for 49 Writers by helping them with their new writing center (she's responsible for planting and upkeep of the flower boxes out front). She's even been featured in their blog!
Until next week,
Jen.
Click on the blue markers in the map above to get the community names!
View Matt's Communities in a larger map
I've also been inspired by one of my students who blogs now as a result of my evil homework requirement that students write for an hour outside of class each week. He blogs every Sunday, he just sits down and does it. And the result is a reliable post that reflects the ebb and flow of his life.
So that's my new goal: more reliable posts that reflect the ebb and flow of our Alaskan (and just regular ol' Matt and Jen) life. My hope is to give readers and family a more consistent idea of what the heck we're up to!
So . . . this past week I've been winding down the school year. My students and I have just four more days together. I am so, so excited for summer, as are my students. I'm pleased to report that I will be teaching next year at my same school, Mears Middle School, in the same teaching position. I work with a fabulous team of teachers and have really grown to love my working relationship with them.
This summer is going on record in my books already as the best summer ever. We've got some great adventures planned, and even better, we're going to get to spend some quality time with people we really love. One thing about living way up here: our loved ones are so far away, and it takes 5-18 hours to fly to see them depending on where we're headed. Luckily, our current location is enticing many of them to come visit this summer.
My mom comes to visit the first week of June to help me get my summer started off right. We'll be hiking and kayaking and yoga-ing as we hang out just like we used to when I lived in Co.
Our first big adventure will be a LONG trek down to the Florida Keys to vacation with my family. We are really looking forward to spending a week in the sun. Even though spring has technically arrived in Alaska we're still not seeing the sun more than a few days a week, and even then the highs have been only up to 50 degrees.
After that Jen is going to venture down to Glacier Bay National Park with our neighbor Tracy (in case you can't tell I am literally jumping up and down as I report this). It's actually a bit of a trek--we'll be flying down to Juneau, taking a hopper flight to Gustavus, and then taxiing (via boat) into the park to kayak and camp for three days. Tracy said odds are excellent that we'll see: gray whales, orcas, bears, moose, seal pups, tons of sea birds, lots of glaciers, and more! I can't wait to see it all and report back! I am especially thankful that Tracy is including me in this summer adventure. She's taken this trip 15-16 times and so I know I am in capable hands.
At the end of July Matt's entire family, including his aunt Jenifer, is coming to visit us!! We are going to hang out in Homer and Seward and plan to fish, hike, kayak, climb glaciers, and enjoy each other's company in the midnight sun.
Can you see why this will be the best summer ever? I can't wait! A few quick notes on life before summer: Matt's gotten another community to work with: Pelican. That will be his first Southeast Alaskan community. He is very much looking forward to his first visit to the SE this summer. You can see an updated map of his communities below. Jen has been volunteering for 49 Writers by helping them with their new writing center (she's responsible for planting and upkeep of the flower boxes out front). She's even been featured in their blog!
Until next week,
Jen.
Click on the blue markers in the map above to get the community names!
View Matt's Communities in a larger map
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Did I tell you I live in a stunningly beautiful place?
Not every day, but when that sun comes out it's incredible up here! We're at over 12 hours of light up here (the equinox is this weekend), and boy has that sun been showing it's face.
Here's a shot of sunset (8:30 pm) tonight right across the street from my house. That's the Alaska Range rising up out of a honey-gold and ice-chunked Cook Inlet. Those are lovely oil tanks in the foreground.
This time of year is what they call "breakup" up here--I'm thinking 'cause it's so messy! Really it's just because all that ice and snow is breaking up. Today it got up to 42 in the afternoon, it's melty and puddley and muddy, but then it'll all freeze back up at night, so we've got one toe in winter and one toe in spring.
A solid brown scum coats all the cars, making us feels the tug of the car wash, only to be deterred by enormous lines snaking out from their cavernous entrances. I just want to be wearing muck boots every day (can I wear those to work? do you think that's "professional dress"?). I know they can get away with this in some of the smaller, more practical towns, but Anchorage thinks it's some big fashion stop and I know I'd be on the outs immediately (especially with 120 fashion savvy 8th graders). Maybe next year I'll have the guts to do it anyway.
Anyway--I want you all to come visit. This is truly a remarkable place, and it's not always going to be this pristine and lovely (population growth, climate change, and the rapid and careless destruction of the natural resources are happening, I promise).
As summer approaches I am dreaming of salmon and misty forests and berry-laden bushes. Of the sheer, snow-capped mountains pushing their way right up out of the water where orcas and sea otters glide. I want to kayak and hike and explore my way right back to peaceful, contemplative wintertime. I hope you join me!
Here's a shot of sunset (8:30 pm) tonight right across the street from my house. That's the Alaska Range rising up out of a honey-gold and ice-chunked Cook Inlet. Those are lovely oil tanks in the foreground.
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| From Blogger Pictures |
This time of year is what they call "breakup" up here--I'm thinking 'cause it's so messy! Really it's just because all that ice and snow is breaking up. Today it got up to 42 in the afternoon, it's melty and puddley and muddy, but then it'll all freeze back up at night, so we've got one toe in winter and one toe in spring.
A solid brown scum coats all the cars, making us feels the tug of the car wash, only to be deterred by enormous lines snaking out from their cavernous entrances. I just want to be wearing muck boots every day (can I wear those to work? do you think that's "professional dress"?). I know they can get away with this in some of the smaller, more practical towns, but Anchorage thinks it's some big fashion stop and I know I'd be on the outs immediately (especially with 120 fashion savvy 8th graders). Maybe next year I'll have the guts to do it anyway.
Anyway--I want you all to come visit. This is truly a remarkable place, and it's not always going to be this pristine and lovely (population growth, climate change, and the rapid and careless destruction of the natural resources are happening, I promise).
As summer approaches I am dreaming of salmon and misty forests and berry-laden bushes. Of the sheer, snow-capped mountains pushing their way right up out of the water where orcas and sea otters glide. I want to kayak and hike and explore my way right back to peaceful, contemplative wintertime. I hope you join me!
Friday, February 19, 2010
Not so Typical
So it's February, and it's raining here in Anchorage! The snow has turned to dirty slush and everything is dripping and soggy. I now officially know what it feels like to live on top of a slushy.
It feels a little crazy, and it's definitely not what I expected for an "Alaskan" winter. I'm quickly learning, as in most things, there is not a typical "Alaskan" anything.
For one thing, the state is so damn big! From one end to the other the temperatures typically vary at least 40 degrees.
For another thing, Anchorage and many of the coastal areas have just incredibly variable climates. My science teacher co-worker informed me that there is no "typical" season in Anchorage. Rainy all one summer, sunny the next, there were two straight weeks of -15 temperatures last January, and for the past 3 or so weeks the highs have been above freezing. Go figure.
As I was slogging through the crazy snow mush on my way home today, I felt like I could use a good dose of summer about now. Here's a slide show of the highlights of our summer adventures (most of which didn't get blogged--bad blogger!). Enjoy!
Here's a re-cap:
Matt's brother, Chris, came to visit and we went down to Whittier where we hiked and kayaked.
My parents came up and we went salmon fishing on the beautiful Kenai river, dad caught a silver!
Matt and I found a very cool hiking trail in our new favorite town, Girdwood, that crosses the Winner Creek on an hand cart. Yes, we made Jack ride across, he was none too happy about it too, but as always, a good sport!
Matt and I hiked up Flat Top Mountain, a local hike STRAIGHT up to stupendous views.
It feels a little crazy, and it's definitely not what I expected for an "Alaskan" winter. I'm quickly learning, as in most things, there is not a typical "Alaskan" anything.
For one thing, the state is so damn big! From one end to the other the temperatures typically vary at least 40 degrees.
For another thing, Anchorage and many of the coastal areas have just incredibly variable climates. My science teacher co-worker informed me that there is no "typical" season in Anchorage. Rainy all one summer, sunny the next, there were two straight weeks of -15 temperatures last January, and for the past 3 or so weeks the highs have been above freezing. Go figure.
As I was slogging through the crazy snow mush on my way home today, I felt like I could use a good dose of summer about now. Here's a slide show of the highlights of our summer adventures (most of which didn't get blogged--bad blogger!). Enjoy!
Here's a re-cap:
Matt's brother, Chris, came to visit and we went down to Whittier where we hiked and kayaked.
My parents came up and we went salmon fishing on the beautiful Kenai river, dad caught a silver!
Matt and I found a very cool hiking trail in our new favorite town, Girdwood, that crosses the Winner Creek on an hand cart. Yes, we made Jack ride across, he was none too happy about it too, but as always, a good sport!
Matt and I hiked up Flat Top Mountain, a local hike STRAIGHT up to stupendous views.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Wines List Added
One thing that is great about Anchorage is there are a few phenomenal restaurants. We've been lucky enough to enjoy some fabulous meals from them on occasion, and we've been able to sample some great wine as well.
I've added a list on the left-hand side of the blog of the wines we've sampled since coming to Anchorage that we really love. I also included the restaurant and approximate date we sampled it at. It's more of a way to remember and keep track of them than anything else, but I thought a few other readers might find it interesting.
Here are the restaurants that we capital "L" Love so far in Anchorage:
I've added a list on the left-hand side of the blog of the wines we've sampled since coming to Anchorage that we really love. I also included the restaurant and approximate date we sampled it at. It's more of a way to remember and keep track of them than anything else, but I thought a few other readers might find it interesting.
Here are the restaurants that we capital "L" Love so far in Anchorage:
- Crush: a fabulous wine and tapas bar. The menu and wines ALWAYS delight. Great atmosphere. Jen's very favorite (see picture @ left).
- Glacier Brew House: Good selection of AK seafood, pretty good brews made in house. Consistently an enjoyable experience.
- Orso: a contemporary Italian restaurant specializing in local ingredients (see review below). We've had some incredible meals here, and a few that bombed.
- Sacks Cafe: a little spendy for a normal outing, but the food is always excellent. I had a calamari salad here for lunch when my mom and dad were here that was amazing. We particularly enjoy the more affordable brunch (served weekends only) where my favorite dish is crab & scallop cakes topped with poached eggs drizzled with chipotle hollandaise sauce. Yes, it's as incredible as it sounds.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Best "Local" Meal Yet!
So, we went down to a restaurant in our downtown area (only about 2 miles away) called Orso. They had this special tonight (ok, "tonight" was around 2/5/10):
Fresh Fare continues its travels this winter by visiting the wild, diverse and beautiful countries of Spain and Portugal. The location lends itself to a rich history with a natural bounty. The diverse regions produce phenomenal wines which complement the wide array of flavorful profiles. It’s a resilient and sophisticated cuisine, yet simple in execution as nothing but the best will do.
Prix Fix Menu 65.00 with wine
So, since we've been to Spain, and we've recently vowed to do our very best to eat local, this was VERY exciting for us. Even better, the meal was fabulous.
The lamb was exceptionally tender, and this was my first time tasting figs with meat, but it was very nice. I particularly enjoyed the stew with chick peas and kale--very much my style.
The Alaskan sausages and shrimp skewers were juicy and a wonderfully tasty combo. My favorite wine was the Grenache Syrah--incredible wine! Great depth of flavor, very smooth (which is my favorite when I find it in wine, I don't know how else to explain it, it's just not too bitter or alchol-ly).
The olive oil cake is simply the best cake we've ever had. Incredibly moist, but not rich, it was simply a delight to eat. Matt likened it to a tres leches cake, without the leches.
The low-point of the meal was the cream sherry, but that might just be because Matt and I are not sherry drinkers. After sampling all the fabulous wines with the meal it was a big, sweet let down.
We split the meal, so it was a little more affordable, and the wine parings were excellent. I left the prices just so you can get a feel for what prices are like in Anchorage, this is NOT the most expensive restaurant. But, YUM! (or, to use Jen's new word: YUMB!)
Orso is an modern Italian restaurant that tries really hard to use local ingredients (this is more of a challenge then you might realize in AK!) The cozy, rustic/contemporary interior is always a pleasant complement to the food. They consistently have excellent wines, and we've found some incredible (and not so incredible) meals there. The local fare are the wine keep me coming back.
Fresh Fare Travels to Spain and Portugal
Fresh Fare continues its travels this winter by visiting the wild, diverse and beautiful countries of Spain and Portugal. The location lends itself to a rich history with a natural bounty. The diverse regions produce phenomenal wines which complement the wide array of flavorful profiles. It’s a resilient and sophisticated cuisine, yet simple in execution as nothing but the best will do.
Prix Fix Menu 65.00 with wine
Shrimp and Reindeer sausage skewer
Dusted with star anise and grilled. Served over a shaved fennel, orange and olive salad. 9.95
Dusted with star anise and grilled. Served over a shaved fennel, orange and olive salad. 9.95
Albariño, Legado del Conde ‘08, Rías Baixas 8.95
Alaskan Pork Belly
Apple braised, complimented with an Alaskan razor clam topped with shaved apples and fennel. 9.95
Apple braised, complimented with an Alaskan razor clam topped with shaved apples and fennel. 9.95
Grenache Syrah, Almira “Old Vines” ‘08, Campo de Borja 8.95
Umpquah Valley Lamb Chop and house made Linguica
Simply seasoned and grilled. Served with a stew of pearl onions, chic peas, figs, kale and linguica. Finished with a Pedro Ximenez-fig glaze. 31.95
Simply seasoned and grilled. Served with a stew of pearl onions, chic peas, figs, kale and linguica. Finished with a Pedro Ximenez-fig glaze. 31.95
Rioja, Martin Códax ‘06 6.95
Bizcocho Borracho (Olive Oil Lemon Cake)
A light moist cake made with olive oil, lemons and yoghurt. Soaked with our ORSO ‘09 Roof Honey, cinnamon, and brandy. 5.95
Cream Sherry, Solera 1847 6.95A light moist cake made with olive oil, lemons and yoghurt. Soaked with our ORSO ‘09 Roof Honey, cinnamon, and brandy. 5.95
So, since we've been to Spain, and we've recently vowed to do our very best to eat local, this was VERY exciting for us. Even better, the meal was fabulous.
The lamb was exceptionally tender, and this was my first time tasting figs with meat, but it was very nice. I particularly enjoyed the stew with chick peas and kale--very much my style.
The Alaskan sausages and shrimp skewers were juicy and a wonderfully tasty combo. My favorite wine was the Grenache Syrah--incredible wine! Great depth of flavor, very smooth (which is my favorite when I find it in wine, I don't know how else to explain it, it's just not too bitter or alchol-ly).
The olive oil cake is simply the best cake we've ever had. Incredibly moist, but not rich, it was simply a delight to eat. Matt likened it to a tres leches cake, without the leches.
The low-point of the meal was the cream sherry, but that might just be because Matt and I are not sherry drinkers. After sampling all the fabulous wines with the meal it was a big, sweet let down.
We split the meal, so it was a little more affordable, and the wine parings were excellent. I left the prices just so you can get a feel for what prices are like in Anchorage, this is NOT the most expensive restaurant. But, YUM! (or, to use Jen's new word: YUMB!)
Orso is an modern Italian restaurant that tries really hard to use local ingredients (this is more of a challenge then you might realize in AK!) The cozy, rustic/contemporary interior is always a pleasant complement to the food. They consistently have excellent wines, and we've found some incredible (and not so incredible) meals there. The local fare are the wine keep me coming back.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Writing in Alaska
So, we just got to see a world-famous and personal hero of a writer up here for free (Nikki Giovanni), and now I'm finding out that Alaska is quite the hot-bed for writing! I've been aspiring to be a writer for some time, and the more I dedicate myself to that end t the more I am finding things in synchronicity of that goal. Anyway, here are some of the things I'm finding out! I know most people won't be that interested, so I'll try to keep it brief.
Great blog for/by Alaskans writers: 49 Writers, which is actually where I've found most of this information! I'm going to join their online discussion of Rock, Water, Wild: An Alaskan Life by Alaskan author Nancy Lord.
There are quite a few writing workshops up here. The two I'm most excited about are the Kachemak Bay Writer's Confrence, this year featuring none other than my writer super-hero Michael Cunningham, and the Wrangell Mountains Writing Workshop. Both occur annually and are in AMAZINGLY spectacular settings. Kachemak Bay is my favorite place in Alaska so far--Homer is there with this awesome little spit and great little shops and restaurants, and you look out over this pristine bay to towering mountains and volcanoes. The Wrangell mountains, on the other hand, are part of one of the largest national parks (I hope I'm getting that right, writing from memory and my relatively new acquisition of the gigantic Alaskan geography) that is supposed to be pristine and lovely. The town it's in, McCarthy, is a top pick in my AK Lonely Planet, and supposed to be this quirky off-the-beaten-path little place.
Then, I found out UAA has this low-residency MFA in "Creative Writing and Literary Arts". Never heard of low-residency programs, but the gist is you only have to be on campus for a very few weeks each year, allowing for some serious flexibility in location for the rest of the year. How cool. Plus, they emphasize the connection of landscape to art and writing, which is a personal passion of mine.
Just thought I'd share, I don't really know any other writers (OK, I know one other writer, and I already barraged her with some of this information), but I just thought this was all so neat. Who knows what I'll be able to take advantage of--from my vantage point even applying for an MFA program is just not even on the map--but I found it all exciting just the same. I AM off to a local writing conference tomorrow on voice, which I am very much looking forward to.
Here's hoping you are all nurturing the creative spirit with-in you, and finding some synchronicity of your own!
Great blog for/by Alaskans writers: 49 Writers, which is actually where I've found most of this information! I'm going to join their online discussion of Rock, Water, Wild: An Alaskan Life by Alaskan author Nancy Lord.
There are quite a few writing workshops up here. The two I'm most excited about are the Kachemak Bay Writer's Confrence, this year featuring none other than my writer super-hero Michael Cunningham, and the Wrangell Mountains Writing Workshop. Both occur annually and are in AMAZINGLY spectacular settings. Kachemak Bay is my favorite place in Alaska so far--Homer is there with this awesome little spit and great little shops and restaurants, and you look out over this pristine bay to towering mountains and volcanoes. The Wrangell mountains, on the other hand, are part of one of the largest national parks (I hope I'm getting that right, writing from memory and my relatively new acquisition of the gigantic Alaskan geography) that is supposed to be pristine and lovely. The town it's in, McCarthy, is a top pick in my AK Lonely Planet, and supposed to be this quirky off-the-beaten-path little place.
Then, I found out UAA has this low-residency MFA in "Creative Writing and Literary Arts". Never heard of low-residency programs, but the gist is you only have to be on campus for a very few weeks each year, allowing for some serious flexibility in location for the rest of the year. How cool. Plus, they emphasize the connection of landscape to art and writing, which is a personal passion of mine.
Just thought I'd share, I don't really know any other writers (OK, I know one other writer, and I already barraged her with some of this information), but I just thought this was all so neat. Who knows what I'll be able to take advantage of--from my vantage point even applying for an MFA program is just not even on the map--but I found it all exciting just the same. I AM off to a local writing conference tomorrow on voice, which I am very much looking forward to.
Here's hoping you are all nurturing the creative spirit with-in you, and finding some synchronicity of your own!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Nikki G rocks this house!
She talked about the need to live WITH the things we feared, and that really was a theme the whole evening, but she started this topic with a rant against Palin and the aerial wolf shooting that Palin supported and allowed up here. That flowed into racial and cultural differences, which really was at the heart of what she spoke of tonight, as she was a guest speaker for Civil Rights Month.
She spoke of the importance of finding love and joy, and surrounding yourself with people you love and lift you. She spoke of the power of education and narrative to heal and change. You shouldn't seek an education for money, she said, but to change as a person. She spoke of the courage of MLK and Rosa Parks, and detailed Park's life and ultimate courageous act on that bus, and I learned more about the civil rights movement in an hour than I have in my whole educated life. She spoke of the heinous death of Emmett Till, which I knew nothing of before tonight, but basically was the spark (oh, there was plenty of tinder, but this was really the flash of light that started the burn) for the movement. I am changed for the knowledge I gained tonight.
I left thinking, "I have so much to show my students, they need to know these things!" I am inspired and thankful to have had the opportunity to bask in the heat of this incredible woman. As a bonus, I got my Nikki Giovanni poetry book Matt had given me for Christmas many years ago signed by her, and he got her to sign her poem "We Will Prevail"; which she wrote on the eve of the Virgina Tech massacre. Every time I hear or read this masterpiece I tear up and stand in awe of the power of words. . . to heal things we should never have to experience . . . to move us to fully embody our best . . to help us see the light. Thank you Nikki, for bringing a spark to this cold, Alaskan night.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Happy New Year! FAQ from "up there"
It's a little after 11 am, and the sun has just peaked over the Chugach Mountains and is dappling our winter wonderland with it's lovely light. I felt the sudden need to write and update you all, even thought it's been ages (and is might also have something to do with the fact that I'm supposed to be cleaning now . . .) I think it's no coincidence that I haven't written since I began teaching in August. But I remain determined that I can keep writing AND teaching, and I've resolved to be better about keeping my blog updated this year.
Let's start with an FAQ. Every time we run into old friends and family from the lower 48, here's what they ask, so I'm thinking it's safe to bet you'll wonder too . . .
Is it cold up there?
Yes. and not really, all at the same time. As soon as autumn hit it started getting into the 20's at night, and the mountains would get snow at the top (know as "termination dust" up here) but not down here in the Anchorage bowl. I'm told it's been unseasonably warm up here this year, but we finally got snow in November up here, well after Colorado's first big snow storm! Lately it's been pretty warm: 20's at night and up to 30-35 in the day. Once you adjust and expect it's going to always be cold outside it's just not that big of a deal. Anything above 30 makes you feel like you don't need your hat, so it "feels" warm. It's been down to 8 for a couple of days, but we've been told February is typically the coldest month, so we'll see!!
A couple strange things I've noticed since I've never had a winter that stayed basically always below freezing the whole time:
Is it dark up there right now?
yes. Sun's up (over the mountains) around 11, setting about 3:30. We've passed the equinox, so we're slowing getting more light now. But you really can't even tell when the sun sets or rises each day, becuase it's ALWAYS cloudy. A nice sunny day like today has been incredibly rare. I feel like we live in a giant white cloudy dome. Even at night it doesn't feel that dark because there are so many city lights and they just reflect of the clouds or fog of whatever the overcast of the day is. I've seen perhaps 4 or 5 sunsets since September. Also, it's not as big a deal (the dark) as you'd think. Life goes on. It's pitch black when you drive to work, big whoop, you know? The one weird thing is I wake up and sometimes panic because I think I've overslept and it might be 9 or 10 am, or maybe just 3 am, and I have to go find a clock. I will say when we went to visit Matt's family for Christmas we both sat in their sun room for hours at a stretch just doing nothing other than soaking up the sun. I almost got offended every time they would come and close the blinds because it was getting hot.
Do you like it?
I'd tell you, "yes." and Matt would say, "it's alright." We don't like Anchorage. It's not the best city ever. The pollution is really bothering my lungs, and neither of us like the traffic or crazy drivers (it's truly an entirely different breed of crazy driver up here, I promise. I've not ever seen anything like it). There are great trails in the city, for walking or skiing, and they keep them groomed and lit during the winter. So that's a neat thing about our city. But we haven't really explored them like we should. The rest of the city leaves a lot to be desired. But Alaska, well it's a truly neat place and incredibly beautiful (just not the city). It's also it's own little place with some crazy quirks. It's the state with the highest rate of rape. yuck. Alcoholism is a huge problem, as is vagrancy in the city. Corruption is nearly an expected part of the government, and it feel a little like corporations are always trying to take advantage of the fact that this place is unbelievably rich in resources, and yet there's comparatively a tiny population to fight any sort of environmental damage that would come from maximizing profits of those resources. The government approved mine tailing dumping in a pond knowing it would kill all pond-life in it for the next 100 years. "It will create jobs," they said. On the other hand the native tribes are much stronger than anything I've ever experienced. Many have created corporations and in some cases really fight to make sure businesses don't just strip the land. So it's a mixed bag up here. But we are enjoying the adventure while we have the chance to.
That's it for now, more later I promise!
Let's start with an FAQ. Every time we run into old friends and family from the lower 48, here's what they ask, so I'm thinking it's safe to bet you'll wonder too . . .
Is it cold up there?
Yes. and not really, all at the same time. As soon as autumn hit it started getting into the 20's at night, and the mountains would get snow at the top (know as "termination dust" up here) but not down here in the Anchorage bowl. I'm told it's been unseasonably warm up here this year, but we finally got snow in November up here, well after Colorado's first big snow storm! Lately it's been pretty warm: 20's at night and up to 30-35 in the day. Once you adjust and expect it's going to always be cold outside it's just not that big of a deal. Anything above 30 makes you feel like you don't need your hat, so it "feels" warm. It's been down to 8 for a couple of days, but we've been told February is typically the coldest month, so we'll see!!
A couple strange things I've noticed since I've never had a winter that stayed basically always below freezing the whole time:
- you should really take the time to clean your car off each time it snows. If you don't it's just going to keep building up! I actually couldn't open the back of our Subaru for a few days because I'd be negligent about removing the ice buildup from the bumper, it was iced in!!
- yes, it can get cold enough to ice up the inside of the windshield too.
- the road plowing crews up here are a sight to see! The plows are HUGE (I think the tires are literally taller than me) and they work in groups. They know exactly what they're doing, so the roads are almost always plowed and graveled in all the right places.
- I'm told the last snow day we had here in Anchorage was a long, long, time about (I think I recall) 15 years or so ago. It actually snowed about three feel in 24 hours. THAT is how much snow it takes to slow this city down.
Is it dark up there right now?
yes. Sun's up (over the mountains) around 11, setting about 3:30. We've passed the equinox, so we're slowing getting more light now. But you really can't even tell when the sun sets or rises each day, becuase it's ALWAYS cloudy. A nice sunny day like today has been incredibly rare. I feel like we live in a giant white cloudy dome. Even at night it doesn't feel that dark because there are so many city lights and they just reflect of the clouds or fog of whatever the overcast of the day is. I've seen perhaps 4 or 5 sunsets since September. Also, it's not as big a deal (the dark) as you'd think. Life goes on. It's pitch black when you drive to work, big whoop, you know? The one weird thing is I wake up and sometimes panic because I think I've overslept and it might be 9 or 10 am, or maybe just 3 am, and I have to go find a clock. I will say when we went to visit Matt's family for Christmas we both sat in their sun room for hours at a stretch just doing nothing other than soaking up the sun. I almost got offended every time they would come and close the blinds because it was getting hot.
Do you like it?
I'd tell you, "yes." and Matt would say, "it's alright." We don't like Anchorage. It's not the best city ever. The pollution is really bothering my lungs, and neither of us like the traffic or crazy drivers (it's truly an entirely different breed of crazy driver up here, I promise. I've not ever seen anything like it). There are great trails in the city, for walking or skiing, and they keep them groomed and lit during the winter. So that's a neat thing about our city. But we haven't really explored them like we should. The rest of the city leaves a lot to be desired. But Alaska, well it's a truly neat place and incredibly beautiful (just not the city). It's also it's own little place with some crazy quirks. It's the state with the highest rate of rape. yuck. Alcoholism is a huge problem, as is vagrancy in the city. Corruption is nearly an expected part of the government, and it feel a little like corporations are always trying to take advantage of the fact that this place is unbelievably rich in resources, and yet there's comparatively a tiny population to fight any sort of environmental damage that would come from maximizing profits of those resources. The government approved mine tailing dumping in a pond knowing it would kill all pond-life in it for the next 100 years. "It will create jobs," they said. On the other hand the native tribes are much stronger than anything I've ever experienced. Many have created corporations and in some cases really fight to make sure businesses don't just strip the land. So it's a mixed bag up here. But we are enjoying the adventure while we have the chance to.
That's it for now, more later I promise!
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