Our first summer in a single family home with a yard has been fairly spectacular so far. Is this what we've been missing all of our years in duplexes and condos, living in our concrete jungle? I have to say condo living in Alaska has to be even more magnified, as your already indoors 9 months of the year. But waking up each morning to the birds and a surrounding of greenery does wonders for my spirit. I love summer, and I love having outdoor space to enjoy it. Alaska summers can be O so amazing. With more than 20 hours of daylight it seems the greenery springs up overnight and before long your yard looks like a jungle!
By the time summer here arrives I am so desperate for green and warmth I rejoice with every bud on every tree! Of course I have to wait till mid May. But by golly come mid May, my sweaters are packed and my flip flops waiting by the door! The children the other day ask "What is spring? Why isnt it just winter and summer?" , because the in between seasons are so short it seems they hardly exist. I remember long falls that linger and springs that start at the end of February and carry on till May. Growing up in Arkansas I experienced each season in its glory. Fall in the Ozarks is astounding. Spring and Fall are so short here, you have to be careful not to blink. But if you love watching the snow fall and frost cover the trees, if you enjoy roasting fires in winter and cool summers, this may be the place for you. However, after 8 years I am not so sure it is the place for me.
I am not a very outdoorsy kinda gal. Even growing up in Arkansas with my Dad ( who is an outdoor fanatic and believes camping isnt REALLY camping unless you sleep on the ground under the stars) and spending countless summers camping and "exploring", I still would never camp in a tent willingly unless it was World War Three. In an RV maybe, possibly even a pop up camper or cabin. Really it depends on the bathroom situation. I want a toilet not located on a tree. And a sink. Preferably a stove ( I mean really.. I can only cook hot dogs and s'mores over a campfire people, and Im pretty sure Ill be sick of that fare after day 1) and most importantly the Bug Factor. I need a homebase that is basically guaranteed bug free. So I can sleep knowing no bug is secretly creeping on me. Otherwise I am just anxious, and as my Dad always said "Taylor is NEVER a happy camper". I once read that statistically everyone has eaten like 5 spiders in their sleep. This really means that there are people who have eaten 10 and people who have eaten 0, then they average it out see? So. I am one of those that have eaten 0. And I plan on being ever vigilant to keep it that way.
Living in Alaska has been an adventure, I have had 3 children up here and bought two homes. My husband has had several career changes and I have built deep loving friendships. I am part of a church that I love and am so involved with homeschooling families I am now surprised when someone says they are in public school! BUT. Deep down in my heart.... I long for change.
Its like a quiet whisper. Well, in the summer its a whisper, in the winter its a resounding YELL. Part of me loves our life here, I wish I could just change the climate! But although alot of things may come and go here in Alaska... the climate (contrary to a popular global warming theory) isnt going anywhere. There will be more snow and more darkness next winter and the following one. More than even climate change, I long for change from our pace of life and the focus thereof.
Its like a quiet whisper. Well, in the summer its a whisper, in the winter its a resounding YELL. Part of me loves our life here, I wish I could just change the climate! But although alot of things may come and go here in Alaska... the climate (contrary to a popular global warming theory) isnt going anywhere. There will be more snow and more darkness next winter and the following one. More than even climate change, I long for change from our pace of life and the focus thereof.
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