Biking in snow is SOOO much harder than it looks. I don’t know how people do it in -40 weather. Good thing it’s break up season. Nils and I were too eager to bring our bikes out since summer is just right around the corner.
Another good day boarding with Andrea at Birch Hill.
Snuck in and went skinny dipping at Chena Hot Springs with three sausages. We swam at 3:00am at ten degrees last night. I bolted from the hot springs to the car barefoot and butt naked after we got out.
Most ridiculous thing I’ve done this whole week.
I’ve been preparing myself for China. There’s still a long way to go and another level of applications to finish, but I’m determined to go to Chengdu next year.
Why China? I honestly have no idea. Maybe because it’s so remote. Chengdu is the one of the largest cities in Sichuan and in Western China. I want to go to Tibet and Xianjing this year, hop on over to Thailand for winter break and do some volunteer work in Chiang Rai like I hoped for this last summer (alas) or head to stay at the house in the Philippines. I’ll go back to school and finish up my second semester. My plan is to head to Beijing afterwards and take the Trans-Siberian Railway all the way to Moscow and St. Petersburg then fly back home to Alaska.
This will be amazing. I’m so excited. The possibilities are endless.
I’ve been thinking about this day in and day out. I love Alaska. Moving to Fairbanks this last year has been the greatest idea ever, even though it was so last minute. Living it up in -45 degree weather is something I never thought I would do. I guess you can just call me crazy. And I’ll be called crazy again for going to live with Uyghurs of the Flaming Desert in China.
Love this.
Okay, it’s been a while since I’ve gotten on my Tumblr. School life has pretty much taken over.
Here are some interesting points to my week:
-I got a 100% on our first quiz for my Glaciers, Volcanoes, Earthquakes class.
-I’ve discovered a use for the kitchen downstairs.
-Some girls wear heels to get everywhere on campus. And I thought I was impractical.
-Our window faces south to the city and the parking lot, which means we hear EVERYTHING that goes on. Privacy isn’t bothered. Which has its funny moments.
-My roommate has gotten me addicted to watching Bones.
-I joined a music ensemble group so now I have a way to play violin and use the practice rooms without having to take a music class. YES!
-I’m making friends with people on exchange from Switzerland and Sweden. I’m definitely liking the abroad kids. They’re just more interesting.
Ahhhh, nevertheless, life is slow here. I feel like time doesn’t pass by fast enough. I’m already bored with school, and miss people and life back home, even if it was crazy at times. It’s only been two weeks. How am I going to last the winter? I feel like I need a job or add more activities, but I’ve already signed myself up for several things and I have to have my ducks in a row this semester grade-wise.
I miss home. But college will have to do.
(via cartoonshowroom)
We were traveling through Montana and Wyoming one blistering summer. This was when I fell in love with prairie dogs. These animals are the most adorable creatures in the world. And they actually go up to each other with a kiss like this! Too bad prairie dogs can never be domesticated. One colony in the United States was wiped out by monkeypox and after that, they banned trading of these animals. Darn monkeypox. I would have my own prairie dog if it wasn’t for it being so dangerously contagious and all disease-like.
Why does it cost so much to fly and travel outside of the country? $1300 for a plane ticket is outrageous. That’s nearly half of my meager savings I’ve managed for the last couple of months from working at ConocoPhillips. But I need to be in the clouds right now.
Speaking of travel, I must get my passport renewed. It expires in February, but you really should have them done at least six months out.
I left yesterday to head down to Seward, Alaska with my good friend Mariel for some sea kayaking excitement. We get there in there right in time to register for a trip and prepared ourselves to get on Resurrection Bay for the next four-five hours. The trip was great. We got some sunlight less choppy water on the way back. By the time we were finished kayaking, it was nearly 11:00PM. It wasn’t the kayaking the made this trip memorable, but the silly blunders we made after. I was exhausted and all I wanted was sleep. The problem was we couldn’t find anywhere to camp. The lady at the gas station told us of a place, but it was only an RV park. We drove 25 miles out of town, nearly killed a porcupine crossing the road, unintentionally drove halfway up to Alaska’s only maximum security prison, and got caught in dense fog in the middle of nowhere. After wasting almost an hour and a half, we headed back to Seward. We found a spot (which was near where the lady had described it would be) when it was 1:30AM and completely dark. It took us another 45 minutes to pitch our tent because we couldn’t see two inches in front of us. The frustration was well over our heads by now. After one hour and a quarter of my UAF registration book burned, we finally got a decent fire going. I was hungry, tired, and cold. My arms ached and my contacts were driving my eyes batty. By 3:00AM I was passed out in our two man tent. No chance with s’mores that night. The next morning, I woke up with arms and back so sore, I almost regretted going. But this is how life goes: unexpectedly. Like the porcupine on the road. And tent pitching in utter darkness. Sometimes you just have to suck it up and deal with it. 
Lake Atitlan , Guatemala
I love Alaska so much, but there’s so many places in the world I haven’t been to yet!I’m bummed I wasn’t able to get out of the country this summer. Summer hasn’t even ended yet but I’m already researching for a trip to do in December and January. Solo trippin’ for a couple weeks if all goes well during break. Guatemala, Belize, Costa Rica anyone?
