I'm an Alaskan girl.
I can't help it. I was born in Alaska, raised there, and then...I moved.
I won't lie. Sometimes I miss the mountains and the ocean. I miss how warm the people are and the close-knit community I used to live in. (I will admit that Beloit is probably both those things, but I'm still too new to know.) I miss traveling on an airplane and greeting someone I know. I miss having a house and the excitement of painting or tiling a bathroom.
I readily admit that there are some fun things about Wisconsin. We built a real snowman with soft, sticky snow that actually rolled into a ball. Folks, it actually rolled into a ball! Who knew? I seriously thought that was just something that happened in books or movies.
I love the antiques I find but can't afford. (They are ubiquitous here...like cheese and other dairy products.) The other day, the boys and I went to an estate sale and there were so many beautiful pieces of furniture...chests, bed frames, dressers, vanities...it was a dream to look at everything. Old furniture has such a unique, beautiful quality to it. I always feel like touching it. It's always been a dream of mine to have a beautiful home that I'd fill with as many interesting pieces as possible. Living in the Midwest gives me that opportunity. I bought a plant stand and a fun sewing box from that estate sale. Maybe dad will take me to an auction this summer.
Food is so cheap here. We haven't gone over our $100/week budget once. It's a heady feeling to be able to throw extra food into the cart...because I can!
I'm excited to have another (jungle) garden this year and to spend more time at the farm. It will be nice to see the whole family. They'll be coming down to visit in May and June.
I'm thrilled to be able to travel more. Alaska is beautiful, but it is so isolated. Once you start a family it is practically impossible to leave without spending a few thousand dollars in airfare, hotels, and meals. This summer alone, we're planning trips to Niagara Falls, Kansas, and Minnesota...and there will probably be a few spontaneous trips beyond that...but it's so much easier to get around. There are options. My aunt, sisters, and mom have been talking about a Girl's Weekend in Seattle...I would not be able to do that living in Fairbanks.
Speaking of which, I'm going to Kansas for my birthday. Yet another thing I couldn't do living in Alaska.
Arthur has full-day kindergarten, which is so very, very nice. My afternoons are so much more relaxed and I feel as though I accomplish so much more. (Hmmm...maybe that's why I haven't written anything on my blog for a while. I'm so busy finishing projects! Yes, that's it!)
Wisconsin is just so...different. When the Polar Vortex came through, everyone panicked. I just laughed and threw on another quilt. Our heat isn't turned on in our apartment. It's at a comfortable 65 degrees (and sometimes much, much warmer. I have no idea what temperature our neighbors keep their heat, but thank you for keeping us warm through residual heat!).
Maybe the day will come that I'll be cold at 30 degrees (above) and that I'll shrug off the humidity.
But not today.
Still that Alaskan girl.
Blessed be.
I can't help it. I was born in Alaska, raised there, and then...I moved.
I won't lie. Sometimes I miss the mountains and the ocean. I miss how warm the people are and the close-knit community I used to live in. (I will admit that Beloit is probably both those things, but I'm still too new to know.) I miss traveling on an airplane and greeting someone I know. I miss having a house and the excitement of painting or tiling a bathroom.
I readily admit that there are some fun things about Wisconsin. We built a real snowman with soft, sticky snow that actually rolled into a ball. Folks, it actually rolled into a ball! Who knew? I seriously thought that was just something that happened in books or movies. I love the antiques I find but can't afford. (They are ubiquitous here...like cheese and other dairy products.) The other day, the boys and I went to an estate sale and there were so many beautiful pieces of furniture...chests, bed frames, dressers, vanities...it was a dream to look at everything. Old furniture has such a unique, beautiful quality to it. I always feel like touching it. It's always been a dream of mine to have a beautiful home that I'd fill with as many interesting pieces as possible. Living in the Midwest gives me that opportunity. I bought a plant stand and a fun sewing box from that estate sale. Maybe dad will take me to an auction this summer.
Food is so cheap here. We haven't gone over our $100/week budget once. It's a heady feeling to be able to throw extra food into the cart...because I can!
I'm excited to have another (jungle) garden this year and to spend more time at the farm. It will be nice to see the whole family. They'll be coming down to visit in May and June.
I'm thrilled to be able to travel more. Alaska is beautiful, but it is so isolated. Once you start a family it is practically impossible to leave without spending a few thousand dollars in airfare, hotels, and meals. This summer alone, we're planning trips to Niagara Falls, Kansas, and Minnesota...and there will probably be a few spontaneous trips beyond that...but it's so much easier to get around. There are options. My aunt, sisters, and mom have been talking about a Girl's Weekend in Seattle...I would not be able to do that living in Fairbanks.
Speaking of which, I'm going to Kansas for my birthday. Yet another thing I couldn't do living in Alaska.
Arthur has full-day kindergarten, which is so very, very nice. My afternoons are so much more relaxed and I feel as though I accomplish so much more. (Hmmm...maybe that's why I haven't written anything on my blog for a while. I'm so busy finishing projects! Yes, that's it!)
Wisconsin is just so...different. When the Polar Vortex came through, everyone panicked. I just laughed and threw on another quilt. Our heat isn't turned on in our apartment. It's at a comfortable 65 degrees (and sometimes much, much warmer. I have no idea what temperature our neighbors keep their heat, but thank you for keeping us warm through residual heat!).
Maybe the day will come that I'll be cold at 30 degrees (above) and that I'll shrug off the humidity.
But not today.
Still that Alaskan girl.
Blessed be.
