Living in Alaska - Life in the Last Frontier

I’ve been home for three days now, and I’m still recuperating. In fact, I haven’t even unpacked my bag yet - although I plan to get to it today.

The trip home was long, but uneventful. I left for the airport at 6:15am (CT) and discovered my flight out of Madison was delayed an hour due to ‘maintenance issues’. I was glad to have a long layover in Minneapolis so I wouldn’t miss my connecting flight. Quite a few people had to be re-booked or re-routed.

Brandon drove with me to the airport in the rental car. The original plan was for me to take myself to the airport, but the night before he worked it out that he could drive with me and then have his friend John pick him up later.  I’m so glad he went, as I would have certainly missed the last turn for the airport! We shared a bagel and coffee, before I had to say goodbye to him and make my way to my gate. It’s so hard to say goodbye to my kids, knowing it could be a year or more before I see them again.

My flight out of Seattle was also a little late, so I didn’t get into Fairbanks until 9:30pm. It was so good to see Steve waiting for me when I came down the stairs. It was also snowing - big, fat, fluffy flakes.  It was quite beautiful as the flakes slowly drifted downward; much different than the sideways-blowing snow of Madison. While it was only 1F above zero, it felt much warmer than WI because there was no wind.  I wish my kids lived in Alaska with me.

Here are a few photos I took from the plane:

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When I arrived in Madison, Chris and Brandon were waiting at the bottom of the stairs for me. Their friend John had driven them to the airport, which we were all so thankful for - considering it was after midnight when I finally arrived. I picked up my rental car - a tiny red Chevy Aveo which was quite small, but also comfortable - and we drove back to the kids’ place.

When we got home, Becky was still up and waiting for us, even though she had to get up for work a few hours later.  We all stayed up for another hour chatting before heading to bed.

The next day, while Becky was at work, I took the boys to the grocery store and filled their fridge and cupboards with food. I planned out meals for them while I was in town, and looked forward to cooking for them. (This is not something I want Steve to know about - as I rarely do the cooking at home! *laughs*) The funny thing is that the kids told me they usually graze and aren’t usually very hungry, but everytime I prepared a meal, they sure enjoyed it! I think the issue is that they don’t like to cook, and therefore grab the easiest thing to prepare.

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Tomorrow, I fly home to Alaska. I can’t believe my time here in Wisconsin has come to an end. It has flown by, but we have had the most awesome time with each other. Every time I see my kids, it makes me a little more sad that they don’t live near me - or vice versa.  I hope another 16 months doesn’t have to pass until our next visit.

Today, the snow is coming down sideways. The winter storm warnings started two days ago, and it’s finally arrived. Yesterday I drove out to Waunakee - a small town northwest of Madison - to meet up with an online friend named Kerry. Kerry and I met five years ago via blogging, and this was our first face to face. We had a lovely time, but couldn’t do what we had originally planned (visiting Mt Horeb to see the trolls), because the back roads weren’t in the greatest shape.

Kerry and I went out to lunch, and when we left the restaurant, the sidewalk, trees, and car were encased in ice. What I thought was rain, was sleet, and what a mess it made! I had to chip the ice off of the windshield, and after dropping Kerry back at her house, I made my way back to the kids’ place very slowly and cautiously.  I had forgotten what it was like to drive on ice, but soon my “Philly driving skills” kicked in and I did OK. Most importantly, I got back to the kids in one piece.

The landscape around Madison is absolutely stunning. There are farms and barns and silos dotting the surrounding area. The reds of the barns against the snow are striking. I took a few photos, but not as many as I hoped to get - there aren’t many shoulders along the roads to pull off onto.

Today, we might go sledding - if the snow and wind slows down a little bit. Right now it’s too cold out there. I also hope to make a dry run to the airport, so I can find my way out of here tomorrow.  I’m driving myself as I rented a car at the AP and need to return it there.

I’ll make a more detailed post with photos after I get home.

Happy Birthday (yesterday) to my wonderful and loving husband, Steve! I’m sorry I missed his special day, but we’ll celebrate both our birthdays when I get home.  I’m ready to go home. While I hate the thought of leaving my kids, I’m missing my husband and can’t wait to see him again.