Hey, who turned out the lights?

People always talk about December 21st being the shortest day of the year and I've honestly never really noticed.  This year I'm pretty darn sure I'll notice.  The days have definitely been getting shorter and a few minutes off of each day does make a difference.  It's weird, but so far it's not all that bad.  Although I do have to drink more coffee these days!  I leave the house and it's totally dark, the sun rises around 11am and sets around 1, there's decent light before and after, but when I leave for work it's dark again.  You know how sometimes in the winter you go to work in the dark and come home in the dark?  Well, it's like that here, just also on the weekends, hehe.
It's also interesting that when the sun rises, it doesn't rise too high.  It just travels a little over the horizon and then sets.  This also means that it doesn't heat anything up while it's out.  So weird.  Yes, sometimes I miss the always-out Colorado sun!

This was around 12 noon

Another problem is the pollution, uggghhhh... With that whole inversion thing (remember?) it keeps in the gases.  It also makes it really foggy- they call it Ice Fog!  So even when the sun is out, it's hard to see that far.  However, I live up on a hill and above the inversion area so it's a little warmer and less foggy!

The good news is that after tomorrow the days only get longer!

Up in Barrow, the most northern city in Alaska, they announce when the sun "sets" in November and doesn't rise until February- now that would be a little too much for me!

I live in a freakin' CABIN!

I wanted to start off the “describing of my life in Fairbanks” with something easy and small (hehe)... my house!  I’ll be honest, it’s just about the cutest thing you’ve ever seen, seriously. 

I like to think of it as Alasksa's version of an Alamosa "casita."

It’s really just a smaller kitchen, a small living space, and a bathroom downstairs with a lofted bed area.  However, it has wood paneling, cute wood cabinets, huge windows that face south looking at woods, and PLUMBING (yes, there are many “dry” cabins without water... I’m not that hardcore... yet).  It really feels like I’ve moved to Alaska and live in a cabin, but with the convinces of not living in a cabin.  Yes, it’s small (although I prefer the term cozy), but my parents and I spent 10 days together just fine.  They slept in the bed upstairs and I was a twin air mattress in the kitchen (that easily fit under the "bar" area).  The air mattress was easily pushed up under bar in the morning.  All that to say, a max of two good friends can come visit me and stay here!  Please come visit!  

I was a little nervous about renting a place I’ve never seen and felt might be a little small, but there were just so many things going for it that I had to trust it would work out.    It’s a cabin on the landlords’ property (I have to drive by their house) which is nice to know that someone will look after the place as I’ll be gone often (and cause I don’t really know anyone even when I am here).  I was looking at one bedroom apartments on craigslist and kept thinking “oh, all the stuff I’ll have to buy to fill that place,” well this place came semi-furnished with a small couch, bed, tv stand, and stools at the kitchen bar.  It's a great space for me.

Can't wait to be able to sit out on this porch in the summer!

That's my kitchen table and workspace

I love the little built in shelves

My closet and dresser

This is where you'll find me most of this winter (ps, this is covering my front door) 

I was really lucky to have work help with some of the cost of moving up here, so I was able to bring most of my "things."  It's so funny because I kept buying STUFF when I had my own place in Chicago, then I got rid of about half it when I moved to Colorado.  While in Colorado, I kept my household things at my grandparents, parents, and one cousin's house as I lived in "community housing."  I've been reunited with everything now and it's been nice to use them again- also helps to feel like this is my place and familiar.  I have had to buy a few more things, but that's thoughts for another blogpost.

This is going to be my life??

I had my first real day of work today- meaning I took my first village trip and experienced some of the work I'll actually be doing (not just reading and hearing about it).  It was good, I'm not leaving, ha!

I went with another itinerant nurse who has been doing this for 9 years.  Things have been pretty crazy for the itinerant nurses because while there should be 4 nurses for 30 villages, for many months now there have only been 2 and they've just been trying to keep things moving.  So, today our goal was just flu shots, which is easy enough.  We took a flight into the village of Circle and 2 hours later got back on the plane to Chalkyitsik for a few more hours.  Most of our time was spent in the school (with adults coming in as well) and did some home visits all for flu shots and a few other immunizations.  

While the work today wasn't all that interesting, it was a nice introduction to village visits and really cold weather.  It was -25 when I left Fairbanks at 7:30am and about -40 when we arrived in Circle (and had to walk to the school!), then it was about -25 when we left Chalkyitsik.  That means I also put on pretty much all my winter clothes, then took off most of my clothes when we got to the schools.... and repeat!  

I got a lot of questions and concerns about all these flights, but I'm happy to say that it was totally fine and actually pretty fun!  We were in a 5 seater (including the pilot) and it's actually calmer in the winter because the warm air mixing with cold causes turbulence (or something... I'm not an expert... yet).

We landed on snow and ice

Gotta go, my ride's here!

Just us

I still get a nice commute to work!

Sun setting... don't ask what time!

OMG, I moved to ALASKA

... in the winter... by myself (with help thanks to mom and dad!)... but really, would you expect anything less than crazy from me??  

The marketing for this job worked for me!  “Experienced Public Health Nurses- Want an adventure?  Move to Alaska!”  Um, adventure? Alaska?  Public health?  Yes please!

These past few weeks have been cray-cray (“crazy”... I’ll try to keep up with translations as needed).  Well, really, these past few months have been kinda weird.

I “moved” back to Seattle in August after two wonderful, hard, beautiful, and challenging years as a Mennonite Volunteer in San Luis Valley (AKA, Alamosa), Colorado.  There was talk at our volunteer retreat back in May about the culture shock you’ll feel even going back to your “hometowns,” but I didn’t pay much attention because that was for “other people.”  Not me, I’m resilient and awesome, right?!  I also thought “I’m a city girl, it’ll be good to be back.”  Well, there are a lot more people in Seattle than small town SLV and life is just so different.  Ok, I’ll be honest- I pretty much broke down crying every time I had to drive in the city.  

I was really excited to move back to a city and reconnect with family and friends, but jobs weren’t really working out for me in Seattle.  This was the second opportunity that has come up in Alaska, so I thought I’d see where it took me.  I had a few interviews in Seattle and the phone interview for Alaska was my last one.  It was supposed to work out perfectly- I was sure I’d hear from the other ones first and then take the Alaska job if nothing else panned out.  Well, of course, life is rarely that clear and I got the offer from the Alaska job first.  I told the manager I needed a few days to think about it and tried to reach the one job in Seattle I really wanted.  After not getting that Seattle job (needed more experience), I had the question of whether I should trust I’d get something else in Seattle or trust that Alaska would work out.  I decided to give Alaska a shot.  The job was just too much to pass up- every other week I’ll spend 3-4 days in little villages to be their public health nurse!

Through a bit of “social networking” (ugh, really?), I found out I had connections in Fairbanks through my good friend, Mari. One of her friends, Julia, seems well connected here and gave me tons of info!  She also got me in touch with her pastor who was looking for someone to rent their cabin and I decided to take it.  She was quite the cheerleader for this town!  

I got out here on Nov 13, my parents got here on the 14th, and I started work on 16th.  It’s been pretty busy and I’m super thankful my parents have been out here to help me with everything- picking up my things that I shipped, buying a car, getting settled into my little cabin, and figuring out some of life out here in FBKS!

I don’t want to make light of the decision to come up here- it was hard and I’m getting nervous about just how challenging this might be, but I can’t wait to see where God will take me through this experience and I look forward to sharing it with you!

View from the plane

I loooove my cabin!

We had a moose in the backyard!

We had fresh lettuce and tomatoes at the Chena Hot Springs when it was -20 outside, so cool

University of Alaska at Fairbanks hockey game!

The drive home from the Hot Springs

Thanksgiving dinner!