Winter Solstice...the shortest twenty-four hr menses of the year. I had never given Dec 21st much thought, but living inwards Alaska has given novel pregnant to this phenomenon. Time to celebrate!
In Anchorage, on Winter Solstice, nosotros conduct maintain a footling over 5 hours of sunlight. In Northern Alaska, they truly conduct maintain 67 days of no Sun at all! Just the idea of that makes me desire to cry. I gauge 5 hours isn't thence bad. I'll accept it!
We do our schoolwork basking inwards the low-cal of our "happy light", which is supposed to assist amongst Vitamin D production together with improved mood. Maybe I'll endeavor playing to a greater extent than or less Hawaiian music inwards the background to growth the effect? Some beach, somewhere.....
We spent Winter Solstice doing to a greater extent than or less pond skating amongst friends. I conduct maintain done a lot of skating, but this was a first!
Westchester Lagoon is a yr circular recreational spot, amongst line-fishing together with hiking trails inwards the summertime, together with skating together with cross province skiing inwards the winter. The pond was HUGE!
Below is a non bad aerial thought of the lagoon, there is a large speed skating oval, full general skating area, together with a hockey rink. And it's free! Just exhibit up, lace upwards together with enjoy! (Owning your ain H2O ice skates inwards Alaska is a given.)
We skated the speed skating oval several times, together with it was non bad exercise! And yous truly can't trounce the scenery. This moving-picture exhibit was taken at nigh 1:00 inwards the afternoon, together with yous tin run into how depression the Sun was. Even when the Sun is up, it is at a really depression angle inwards the sky. It's never correct higher upwards you. Strange.
I gauge I am variety of a "skating snob" together with conduct maintain never liked outdoor rinks because the H2O ice character is commonly non the greatest, thence I was expecting fifty-fifty less from a pond. But, I was pleasantly surprised amongst the smoothness of the ice. They truly do groom the ice, non yesteryear Zamboni, but yesteryear a truck amongst to a greater extent than or less type of hose system. It was fun to watch.
So far, thence good, the entirely occupation was the unmarried digit weather, but that was cypher a footling hot chocolate couldn't cure. (Even when yous are exercising, it is difficult to breathe inwards the extreme conditions. You tin truly experience your nasal cavity freezing when yous inhale. It's a foreign sensation.)
Later that evening, nosotros attended a Winter Solstice political party inwards downtown Anchorage.
There was burn dancing,
sleigh rides together with hot chocolate,
together with H2O ice skating, of course! We didn't skate this fourth dimension but volition conduct maintain to return. The Cuddy Park Oval is ane of entirely a few outdoor, 400 meter speed skating tracks inwards United States!
I truly enjoyed fourth dimension yesteryear the fire, too!
Overall, a fun event! But the best part? The days forthwith teach longer. Minute yesteryear infinitesimal nosotros volition climb out of this hole, until nosotros conduct maintain 22 hours of daylight yesteryear June 21st. I don't know how I experience nigh that one, either! I'll proceed yous posted.
Confession time: It is slow to grin for the photographic tv set camera together with pretend that everything is wonderful, but the truth is, Alaska has been TOUGH! I came hither kicking together with screaming, actually. I did non desire to motility to Alaska together with was bitter at God for sending us here, via the military. I prayed for Europe or closer to home. But, Alaska? Alaska is neither!
So far, I conduct maintain constitute Alaska to live on cold, nighttime together with lonely. Maybe it didn't assist that I only had my life's greatest adventure, amongst 3 years inwards Asia, together with conduct maintain all the same been mourning that loss. I know I audio similar a large baby, because I conduct maintain had to a greater extent than blessings than I fifty-fifty deserve inwards a lifetime.
But, thence I felt the gentle vocalization of the Lord say, "Maybe your life's greatest run a jeopardy is yet to come." So now, I conduct to comprehend what is, together with conduct maintain a ameliorate attitude. I may never honey Alaska, but amongst the Lord's help, I volition notice contentment here. God won't ever hand me what I want, but he volition ALWAYS hand me what I need. And similar the good, expert Father that he is, it volition ever live on for my good. This hope is where I residue my hope.
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