It's been a long road out of this sleepy Alaskan slumber of a winter. You don't understand the meaning of hibernation until you've survived, and I do mean survived, an Alaskan winter. I moved here in probably the most challenging of times. Right when the days are super long, when you feel as though the sun is nothing shy of a myth and that snow is forever a part of your landscape. Note to future jump off the cliffers..come to Alaska in May...I hear it's fabulous. I've heard nothing but taunting remarks about the fabulousness of the summers here. Yet here we stand not a month away from that glorious reckoning.
I'm so pale I could be a cousin of Barnabus Collins. I caught sight of myself in the mirror and the shocking image of a ghost staring back at me nearly knocked me off of my feet.
You didn't think this was really going to be a post about a massive duking out with some fictitious and/or well hidden non existent boy friend did you? Unless you count the moose because he has (fingers crossed) left our premises and has left us very messy piles of...well you know...little brown turdlets.
We, my dear friend, are in what they call in these here parts, in the midst of "break up" season. I honestly must have had a dumb founded look on my face when I first heard this expression and it needed a short explanation. Away goes clunky snow boots and pants and out comes rain gear. Puddles are not an accurate enough description of the lakes that have formed around town. Gooey sticky piles of sludgy brown mud are every where. Little feet are splashing in every possible pool of water within reach. Hence my nanny brain has to remember to stick puddle jumpers of their feet.
Much like the snow melting and revealing sights previously undiscovered, so too am I finding parts of me that were either buried deep under emotional scars or never allowed to soar due to invisible constraints. I'm the most self confident I can ever remember feeling. I have more gumption and will power bubbling inside me than I know what to do with. Now, yes my Alaskan gut will disagree and point to the innumerable boxes of cookies and the piles of chocolate wrappers. However, my point still stands.
I'm seeing buildings and sidewalks I never knew existed yet, obviously, have been there the whole time. I even managed to fashion a harness out of a car tie down and take the dog for a walk along the path by the movie theater. We can go on the beach and hop over just one ice berg instead of the land mine that used to exist. I'm itching to go hiking like it's no-ones business.
It's been a pretty mundane/routine couple of weeks since I last wrote you. Oh on that note. Update-I've heard from most everyone on my list of good mojo and it seems like everyone is on the road to recovery. So a HUGE merci for all of your beams of kindness.
I've been up in Anchorage, "moon lighting", even though I hate that term. I've been getting out of dodge for a while and helping out with my other family. It's a nice change of scenery and enjoyable company to spend time with. The fast internet also doesn't hurt. Uhm, what else...oh birthdays! Couple of friends back home turned older, Bean turned 5 this past week and my little brother is now officially an adult...wow that's odd and the week before that was my momacita's birthday.
Bethany has been helping me to work off this hibernation I've accumulated in stacks of laziness and chocolate. We even managed to do a yoga class in the morning and Zumba in the evening. Not bad for a Monday. There's a song that goes something like "I love salsa" and it makes me crave salsa so we went out for Mexican food.. :) Yes, I conquered my fear of group aerobics and it turned out to be fabulously fun. I look like the clumsiest white chick around but hey you know what it's fun flailing about all in the name of exercise.
So yes, life has been pretty status quo and that's OK. The weeks are passing by in an incomprehensible blur and life is full of surprises and laughs. It's all about taking it in stride.
Well I'll close by telling you that it's rather disconcerting when you look out of your room at 9:30 p.m. and this is what you see:
It makes getting into bed at a reasonable hour a really difficult task to accomplish. I keep thinking I have more time than I actually do. Although having this longer period of sunshine is simply fabulous. It's in the 40's here and I couldn't be happier. I'm skipping around town in a t-shirt and vest and am glistening (aka girly sweating). I really understand the concept now of Alaskan 70's being flip flop, passing out from heat weather.
On a final note...this cracks me up each and every time I come home:
(P.S-only 6 more days until the supposed grad school decision comes in! EEEK!)
(P.P.S- I LOVE and MISS you all so terribly much and can't wait to see you in a few short months!!!!)
LOVE AND PEACE!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment