April 23, 2013

What will I miss?


So you know I won't miss those moose that I showed you yesterday.  What will I miss about Alaska?  The list is short, yet strangely comprehensive.  

1.  My gym.
This might be listed as #1 for a reason.  This gym got me through a 10 1/2 month deployment.  It gave me a place to go.  It gave me something outside of work to hang around Alaska for. I know this seems silly.  But I read on a blog a few weeks ago about how working out allows you to move your body and give it purpose.  Bodies were, in fact, designed to move and not just sit behind a desk all day.  I completely agree and I'm thankful I've discovered this.

2.  My identity as a teacher.
Our lives often seem geared toward our professions.  I'm not sure what to call myself now. Obviously I'm still a teacher, and writing my resume a few weeks ago made me think, "I still want to be a teacher".  But there's other stuff I want to do too.  I'd love to work from home in some way.  I'd love to work at a gym as an instructor.  I'd love to go get my Masters and become a college professor.  Essentially, everything I've known for the last 3 years is changing.  Exciting? Yes!  Confusing? Kind of.

3.  These wraps from Vagabond Blues. They can probably be made pretty easily, if I'm willing to go out and buy all of the ingredients.  Which, I will have to be willing to go out and buy all of the ingredients now that I can't drive a few miles and pay $8 for the most delicious lunch in the entire world.
Spinach, pesto, tomato, red pepper, roasted red pepper, red onion, black olives, and feta. Mmmmm.




4.  Snow City Cafe The best sourdough toast with jam you'll ever have. And their Milky Way Latte is to-die-for.

5.  Our current church.  We've been to 4 churches in 3 1/2 years.  And that included a pretty big stint (like 8 months) of not going to church at all.  We've tried CMA, Bible, Non-denominational, and Southern Baptist.  I could probably write an entire book on our church experiences in Alaska.  In fact, if you know me in real life, chances are I've told you all about it and we've had a good chuckle.
We're enjoying the Baptist church the most and, while we're not involved in it very much, I look forward to that sermon every week. 

6.  The daylight.
I think this will be what I miss the most.  There's nothing better than 21 hours of daylight in the summer.. I know, it seems weird.  But once you get used to it, you probably wouldn't want it any other way.  You have time to do SO much everyday.  The days seem to double in length and everything is a little happier, and much more cheerful than those dark depressing days of winter (I think that goes without saying).  I never did find a way to be cheerful during November and December. Living in Alaska by myself during the months of December and January (whcih I've done twice) was likely the most difficult thing I've had to do yet.  It's not for the faint of heart.

7. The bulk bins at Fred Meyer.  It's where I buy oats, nuts, dried fruit, etc.  Essentially it's all so much cheaper than the packaged brands.

What will Scott miss the most?

I don't even want to ask him.  He'll start talking about his desire to "own a piece of Alaska".  Also, he went bear hunting over the weekend.  You can draw your own conclusions.

17 comments:

  1. We don't even have any bulk bins at any of the grocery stores around here anymore. I don't know if they passed a law against it or store policies changes, but you must now buy everything boxed, It's kind of annoying.
    At least there are some things you'll miss!

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  2. Many of the things I miss in Alaska have to do with food! Ha ;) I miss that church we went to as well, but we found one here we LOVE!

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  3. I think I most miss food from all the places we've lived (Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, even here!)

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  4. Living with that much sunlight does seem amazing. I know it's not as much, but I was in Amsterdam for the summer solstice while I was in college, and the sun going down at midnight was really cool. I can't wait to see where your employment journey takes you as well!

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  5. I always miss the food places haha! There is a little place in NC that I literally would fly there for 1 day to eat at haha.

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  6. Not gonna lie, that picture and description of that wrap made me drool a little bit. ((embarrassing))

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  7. That wrap looks delicious! I think I need to find one for lunch...

    I can agree with you and the whole job identity thing. I graduated with a teaching degree and while I couldn't get a job, I was a sub until I found my current job as a nanny. I keep debating whether or not I'll go back and teach full-time or whether I'll find something else that I really want to do.

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  8. I think I would definitely miss the daylight. But on the bright side, at least it'll still be warm at 10pm. ;)

    I really should just move back to Oklahoma. Where it's warm 10 months of the year instead of cold 12 months of the year.

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  9. The real question is, when Scott went bear hunting did you manage any Dwight Schrute bear-related quotes at him? Because I would have been tempted to make a "Bears, beets, Battlestar Galactica" themed day of it.

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  10. Well, see, there was no sarcasm there! :) Those sound like perfectly reasonable things to miss.

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  11. Oh that wrap looks amazing! And I totally understand the gym thing. I just switched gyms and it's like a whole new world...

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  12. i'm not positive about going back next year but am probably not and have been thinking a lot lately about not being "a teacher" and feel this slight identity crisis!

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  13. Ah! I don't want to think about when we have to leave Hawaii. I mean I know you've been ready to leave Alaska, and I'm ready to finally start working in Texas, but, like you said, there are things to be missed.
    I'm excited for you, though, to hear what your next steps are. (I think a trip to Hawaii should be on that list, though.)
    And it's funny, because J was always ready to leave here, but now he's already talking about all the things he's going to miss here. And he, too, wants to eventually buy a home here, to vacation at.
    Can't wait to hear more about your travels!

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  14. I'm telling you, until you find a new gym, Blogilates at home. I feel like you would find the person in the videos annoying, but you can just turn the volume down. SO fun!
    I wish we had 21 hours of daylight a day! But then I won't be able to do anything in the winder there is no daylight whatsoever.
    I'm sure you'll be able to find bulk bins in Missouri. There are three stores with bulk bins (Um hello? Chocolate covered almonds?) within three miles of where I live. But then again, it's CA. Gluck!

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  15. Hopefully you will find a grocery store with bulk bins near you. I do so much shopping in our bulk section. I think it would be so hard to not be a teacher. Obviously, you do what you have to do, but like you said, it becomes part of your identity. Probably more than other professions.

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  16. I do miss those 21 hour days. I'd get a great bike ride in around 10pm or 11pm. Sigh. I miss Fred Meyers. That was my first job, gotta love retail! We have a great church now but finding a new church in a new place is tough. I'll chuckle with you about it sometime. Esther Norine Designs estherdavison@gmail.com

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  17. I shouldn't have seen that photo of that wrap. Because it's only 9am. And now I want one. Ugh... Thanks!

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