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.