Winter is Here

Winter has officially arrived on the Alaska Peninsula. The snow arrived about two weeks ago, and it seems set on sticking around for awhile. With the snow, comes the cold - and temperatures in the -20's have been making regular appearances. Despite the cold, winter has always been one of my favorite seasons. I love celebrating the holidays with my family, watching fresh snow quietly settle over the landscape, spending the afternoons ice skating on frozen lakes, and snowshoeing through the hills.

With winter in Alaska also comes the darkness. Sunrise is now at nearly 10am and sunset is at 4:45pm.  The shortened days make me feel like a hibernating bear, sleepy and ready for a long rest. I'll admit that winter always makes me sleep more, which I don't mind at all.  I also spend a lot more time indoors doing little projects, watching movies, cooking, and reading.

When the sun does show its face, I try my best to find my way out into it for awhile.  After school, I rush out the door to make some time for dog walks out on the frozen tundra.  The weekends are no different, except for the fact that we load the car and drive the dogs to different, farther locations to add some variety to our explorations.

While winter is beautiful and relaxing, it can also be a season for cabin fever and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).  It's really important, especially in such isolated places, to find ways to keep yourself entertained.  SAD is an especially big issue in Alaska's far northern climates.

Last weekend, Cody and I were feeling particularly cabin-fever-y and just couldn't stay inside and watch one more movie.  The temperatures were in the single digits and the sun had been set for hours, but we didn't care.  We called our neighbors (the other teacher and her husband) and asked if they'd like to go explore the frozen lake. They agreed, so we all bundled up and walked the short distance to Loon Lake. The next hour was spent with all of us laughing, slipping, and sliding our way across the extremely frozen surface.  Within ten minutes of being out there, a Honda (4-wheeler) burst to life and a posse of our students showed up.  They'd apparently seen our headlamps and wanted to come out to play too.

Winter is a beautiful time in Alaska, but it's a harsh time too.  Finding hobbies, staying busy, and maintaining relationships with those around you are all important aspects to staying happy in the bush, especially this time of the year. As winter continues to settle itself fully in the area, and we spend our days locked in hours of shrinking sunlight, life continues to be an unforgettable adventure.

Your turn...Has winter begun yet where you live? 
Currently listening to...Paint the Silence - South

Fighting the Winter Blues

It's been awhile since I last blogged and it's definitely got something to do with the fact that this winter hasn't been one of my favorites.  It's been a weirdly warm temperature for most of the season, fluctuating between the upper twenties and low thirties.  The sun has rarely made an appearance. Everything is ice covered and the snow, which is always my favorite part, has been ridiculously lacking. On top of that, I'm enrolled in two graduate courses this semester and work has been overly stressful. To be quite frank, this winter has given me a case of the winter blues.

On Sunday, I hit a wall and decided that I needed to suck it up, throw on my ice cleats, and deal. Complaining was only taking me so far, and the dogs were feeling my stress too.  Cody, Specks, Luna, and I headed out to one of our favorite hikes.  The weather wasn't fantastic, and it was difficult to traverse the ice in places, but we did it and I felt much better afterwards.

Somehow, I always feel better after being outside. The dunes and frozen Lake Michigan served as a bit of a reminder of this truth.  By the end of our walk I found myself feeling lighter than I'd felt in weeks.  The heavy burden that I'd been feeling over the last weeks was lessened, as I should have known it would.  I suppose I just needed to feel overwhelmed to remind myself that self-care is an important part of fighting the winter blues.

Your turn...How do you fight the winter blues? 
Currently listening to...Sentimental Heart - She & Him

Feeling Like Fall

I really love the feeling that goes along with fall on the island.  The colors are vibrant and beautiful, making the world seem bright for a time...and then everything quiets.  The tourists who scuttle to the island for our very short summer season have all cleared out for the year, their houses empty and buttoned down tight to survive the winter.  Those of us who brave the island year round begin to settle into our regular routines.

As the colors change, so do many small things on the island.  The one grocery store has cut back to winter hours, which means on Sunday it is only open for two hours. The grocery store has also closed-up some of the shelves.  During the winter, a small fraction of the store disappears under plastic wrap and we won't see it again until May. Winter hours also cause new inconveniences in banking because the bank is only open two days a week for a small handful of hours (all while I am working). There are also adjustments to be made by the boat company, and all of the other small businesses around the island. It takes a lot of work to transition into winter in this little remote corner of Michigan.

Fall also means lots of work for islanders.  The summer-only crowd hires like crazy to have locals close their houses for the season, or to fix last minute things that can't wait the winter.  Roadwork is at an all time high because any little, leftover projects have to be finished quickly. The school is buzzing with end of the quarter insanity and the beginning of basketball season.  And, for many of us, the firewood can no longer be put off and we must cut and stack in all of our free time.

Like all good things it must come to an end though.  The trees shed their last leaves and ice has been coating everything the last few mornings.  Snow is in the forecast, which is unavoidable this late in the year.  I am always (secretly) a bit excited for the first big snow though.  I don't think it'll be too far off now.

Your turn...What has fall been like for you this year?
Currently listening to...Summertime Sadness - Lana Del Rey

Quality Time

Cody is going to be leaving for Alaska sooner than I am.  We've been trying to make the most of our time together before he leaves.  This means that all of our free time is being spent trying to squeeze in a little quality time.  We've been cooking meals (breakfast, lunch, AND dinner), hiking, snowshoeing, snuggling on the couch.  All of our time is spent together these days.

It's been bittersweet.  I love spending so much time together.  I don't love that it means we will be spending the next several months apart.  I know that it is a means to an end.  Cody going to Juneau early means that we have the financial stability to move back to Alaska.  It means we will have a house secured.  It means that we will be settled.  It means things will be easier in the long run.

Until he leaves we will continue to pack in as much fun as possible together.  Enjoy the pictures while they last.  I have a feeling that Netflix binges will rule my life once he leaves…and nobody needs to see a picture of that.  Hah.

Your turn…Have you ever spent any significant time away from your spouse?

Currently listening to…Midnight City- M83

Unseasonably Warm Alaska

We've been experiencing some downright unseasonably warm weather this month.  It's been in the 40's for weeks! And, we finally saw the sun for two days this weekend, which had been hiding from us for the better part of a month.  I was doubting it would ever return.  Thankfully, I was mistaken!

Cody and I spent this beautiful weekend outside as much as possible.  We actually grilled on Friday, Saturday, AND Sunday.  We have gone grill crazy.  It's one of my favorites though.  Cody usually grills meat for himself but I usually do potatoes, zucchini, asparagus, and a mishmash of other goodies. Serve with chips and salsa.  Voila! Perfect snack-y meal!

This weekend really improved my mood and outlook.  I am one of those people who tends to get the winter blues.  And, after a miserable December (we had 60ish inches of snow), a beautiful visit home to see my family, and then an entire month of monsoon-like rain I was feeling pretty blue and nostalgic for home.  This weekend was just what the doctor ordered! It was sunny so I made the most of it every day.  I spent Friday night grilling outside, all day Saturday with friends hiking/cooking outside, and I have a lunch date downtown with a teacher friend today.  Thank goodness for the sun!!

Questions:
What is the weather like in your neighborhood?
Does the sun/crummy weather affect your mood?
How do you fight the winter blues? 

Midwestern Holidays: Part Two

The second part of my holiday break was spent in wonderful southern Michigan.  My dad and stepmother recently (within the last year) upgraded from a summers-only place on Lake Michigan to a year-round place on a private lake about five miles from the big lake.  This was the first time I had visited them at the new house. Here's a view of their neighborhood from the middle of their frozen lake!

I had a really fun holiday with my dad and his side of the family too! We spent lots of time visiting people, exploring the new city they are living in, freezing our buns off, drinking LOADS of amazing coffee from this coffee shop, and shooting guns…a Red Rider BB Gun to be exact.

I also spent New Years Eve in Michigan and we went out to a local bar.  It was lots of fun and we randomly ended up sitting next to a few members from a popular Vegas show (think nearly naked men).  Apparently, one of their members was originally from the area and it ended up being pretty hilarious for all of us to witness.

It was super fun to visit my family at their new place.  I was pretty sad to see my childhood house get sold this summer, but the new house totally made up for it.  This area in southern Michigan is a place that Cody and I have debated moving to at some point in time (probably when we decide to "settle down.")  There's a decent job market, progressive communities, close proximity to the lake, lots of colleges/schools, and we've just always enjoyed the area.  Getting a chance to experience the area in the winter months was a great opportunity for me in terms of future moving plans.

Overall, it was an amazing trip! I couldn't have asked for a better trip to Illinois and Michigan.  It definitely made me feel a little nostalgic for my Midwestern life.  But, I did miss Juneau and it was nice to be back in my own (tiny) corner of SE Alaska.

Questions:
Teachers: How did you spend those glorious weeks off? 
Non-teachers: Did you get to take any holiday time? What did you do? 
What is everyones favorite New Years Eve memory? 

Life Lately: November Wrap-Up

November was a wonderful month in Juneau.  We started the month with some downright amazing weather (sunny, warm, etc).  We couldn't escape the snow forever though.  By mid-month we were buried.  And, because this is Alaska, we will stay that way until April.

Oh well, we didn't move to Alaska to enjoy a tropical vacation!  The month was gorgeous though and I took a TON of pictures.  This post is essentially a photo-dump of all of my cool pictures from the month that I never shared.  So, here's a little peek into what a typical November in Southeast Alaska looks like…

This month we ate delicious food…

enjoyed amazing views from the house…

wandered around this beautiful state...

spent a ton of time with friends…

snuggled the puppy…

spent too much time prepping the classroom…

and enjoyed this kooky-crazy life we are living in the 49th state! 

Questions:

What did you do this month?

What was you favorite part of November? 

Thanksgiving in Alaska (Year Two)

Cody and I had only been living in Alaska for three weeks at this time last year.  Thanksgiving was a VERY different affair.  This was the first year that either of us had ever been away from our families for the holidays.  Admittedly, we both had a tough time with the holidays last year.  We still had a blast exploring and making new traditions, but we were homesick.  We spent most of Thanksgiving 2012 at our apartment, just the two of us.  We cooked, and ate, and watched football.  But, we also drove up to Eaglecrest Ski Area and did a little hiking before we tucked into our big meal.  It was just the two of us, we made the most of it, and we had a wonderful time.

This year was a much more social affair.  Cody and I were invited to multiple Thanksgivings! We spent the earlier part of the day with two of our good friends (parents of one of my students) and their families.  It was such a nice time and very family-oriented.  We ate food, played games (hide-and-seek with the little ones), talked, laughed, and generally had a beautiful time.  Then in the evening we headed to another friends home.  This event was dubbed "Friendsgiving" and it was a bunch of our other child-less friends.  There was more food, more laughter, and adult beverages.  Friendsgiving was much more informal and imitated what I am sure lots of twenty-somethings do for Thanksgiving…drink with friends (haha).  Both parties were great! I wish I had pictures from the day but I was too consumed with having an amazing time.  Someone else did manage to snap a picture of Cody and I at Friendsgiving.  It's a silly picture, but I still like it :) 

Holidays can be tough without family.  But, by creating a loving and close-knit group of friends we have been able to make the most of it.  Besides, this is what our twenties are about, right? Adventure, friends, over-induldging, seeing the world, and learning about ourselves :) Happy Thanksgiving! 

Questions:

What did you do for Thanksgiving?

What is your favorite Thanksgiving memory?

Alaskan Snow Day!

Juneau was blanketed with 13inches of snow on Thursday.  I looked out my front door and immediately thought, "uh-oh."  The snow was DEEP and very wet.  Me, being a midwesterner, figured this would mean the closure of JSD (Juneau School District) but I was sadly mistaken.  Schools in Alaska don't close unless they absolutely have to.  Their answer to the snow…chain-up your tires, slap some spikes on your boots, and enjoy the weather!

Snow falling on the driveway. 

Sadly, the following day it warmed up to a toasty 40° and most of the snow melted (yuck).  This also meant that I didn't manage to get a single picture of our deep, wet snowfall.  The temperatures cooled back off over the weekend though and we found ourselves with a couple fresh inches of powder.  I did manage to take a few pictures of our lesser snowfall, which is much less impressive but still pretty.

Slippery roads outside of the school. 

Frozen waters in "the valley." 

On another snowy note, Juneau's own Eaglecrest Ski Area is competing for a top spot in Powder Magazine's Ski Town Throwdown.  If you're interested in learning more about Eaglecrest you can read this post or this post, both written by me.  You can also check out their website.  I've been voting for them to help support my local ski town/business.  If you have a second, stop over and do the same! You can vote by following this link and liking Powder Magazine on Facebook.  

Questions:

Do you ski or snowboard?

What's your favorite winter activity?

Snow Is Coming...

That's right folks, snow is officially headed our way! Autumn was unusually long and warm for SE Alaska.  I didn't even break out my winter coat until last week.  But, now we are in for it.  Temperatures are supposed to get down into the single digits this week and snow is predicted almost every day.

Thankfully, Cody and I got the snow tires put back on the cars this weekend (woo-hoo for studs).  Here in Juneau we run studded tires during the winter.  Legally, you can run them from September-April (typical times of the year when it is snowing).  We were lucky to keep them off of the cars until November this year! Lots of other "winter prep" is happening at our house this weekend.  We have to winterize the windows and doors, find our snow shovel (I am hoping its buried in the shed), and do any last minute outdoor cleaning.  Busy, busy!

I'll leave you all with this pretty picture I snapped on Friday night.  Cody and I were outside walking the dog when the moon popped up over the mountains.  Beautiful :) I hope everyone is keeping warm!

Questions:
Has it snowed yet where you live?
What do you do to prepare for winter?