mountains, ocean, wales, eagles, smoked salmon...
outdoor hottubs surrounded by sweet smelling wildflowers, homemade rosehip tea, fields of tiny little luscious raspberries and thimbleberries, hikes up mountains with icy lakes to plunge into at the top, walks on rocky beaches where pebbles worn smooth as silk call to your pockets, identifying shockingly orange fungi growing from ancient trees, knowing the name of everyone you pass in the street and being known...all of this is Alaska to me.
I am from a small town on the Southeastern panhandle where the tourships don't often dock so it's still relatively unspoilt. There are no fast food restaurants, in fact there are only five restaurants total in town. Things have changed a little bit since I left to go to college. Now there is a brewery that caters to locals. My father keeps his "growlers" of beer in the basement, and when one runs out he gets it refilled. I'm not a big beer drinker but names like "Spruce Tip Ale" are enticing. Now there is a local health food/grocery store where the motto is "Beware of the Crows" because if a small child takes a muffin outside, they are apt to have it snatched away by the ubiquitous black fowl. Also there is now a sushi delivery service. Yes that's right, artful sushi trays utilizing the abundant local seafood delivered right to your door for very little money.
Did you ever watch that show Northern Exposure? I only saw about two episodes, but my boyfriend and his mother were chuckling away as we met all the "characters" in my town. They said it was just like the show. There was the elderly gentleman with flowing white beard who gave us a free demonstration of the ancient art of making lively "mousies" out of handkerchiefs. There was my uncle Roy who operates a tiny little store called "Roy's Ramblings" where he is happy to live surrounded by bits of old bones and tusks, musty smelling books and pretty bottles he unearths around town. And then, of course, there are my parents. My mother is the local music teacher. Our little living room is stuffed with two pianos, a didgeridoo, a sheng I had made in China and all different types of percussion, string and wind instruments from around the world. Anyone who enters our house is made to join in the general cacophony of constant music. I got out some of my old art song books and sang in Italian and French. I haven't been practising lately and I couldn't even hit a high B. I must have too much sheetrock dust in my throat from all the renovations. My father was in fine form as well, regaling us with stories of his upbringing on a dairy farm in Juneau and catching and smoking fresh sockeye salmon, much to our delight.
Even though Alaska is beautiful, I will never forget the horror of the interminable winters. I could never live there year round. Maybe some day I'll have a summer cabin there. No, it's not Alaska that is calling me, but China! Last night, my sweetie and I had a long discussion about going back to China. For the first time, he seemed just as enthusiastic as me about returning. Now we just have to finish the house, save some money and then we will be on our way. We'll probably travel around for awhile looking for a part of China to call home. The only problem is my cat. But I'll worry about that when the time comes.
I'm supposed to be editing a boring PowerPoint Presentation about the number of organ donors we've had this year. I would rather be doing just about anything else. So the result is a journal entry. Thanks for reading.
I am from a small town on the Southeastern panhandle where the tourships don't often dock so it's still relatively unspoilt. There are no fast food restaurants, in fact there are only five restaurants total in town. Things have changed a little bit since I left to go to college. Now there is a brewery that caters to locals. My father keeps his "growlers" of beer in the basement, and when one runs out he gets it refilled. I'm not a big beer drinker but names like "Spruce Tip Ale" are enticing. Now there is a local health food/grocery store where the motto is "Beware of the Crows" because if a small child takes a muffin outside, they are apt to have it snatched away by the ubiquitous black fowl. Also there is now a sushi delivery service. Yes that's right, artful sushi trays utilizing the abundant local seafood delivered right to your door for very little money.
Did you ever watch that show Northern Exposure? I only saw about two episodes, but my boyfriend and his mother were chuckling away as we met all the "characters" in my town. They said it was just like the show. There was the elderly gentleman with flowing white beard who gave us a free demonstration of the ancient art of making lively "mousies" out of handkerchiefs. There was my uncle Roy who operates a tiny little store called "Roy's Ramblings" where he is happy to live surrounded by bits of old bones and tusks, musty smelling books and pretty bottles he unearths around town. And then, of course, there are my parents. My mother is the local music teacher. Our little living room is stuffed with two pianos, a didgeridoo, a sheng I had made in China and all different types of percussion, string and wind instruments from around the world. Anyone who enters our house is made to join in the general cacophony of constant music. I got out some of my old art song books and sang in Italian and French. I haven't been practising lately and I couldn't even hit a high B. I must have too much sheetrock dust in my throat from all the renovations. My father was in fine form as well, regaling us with stories of his upbringing on a dairy farm in Juneau and catching and smoking fresh sockeye salmon, much to our delight.
Even though Alaska is beautiful, I will never forget the horror of the interminable winters. I could never live there year round. Maybe some day I'll have a summer cabin there. No, it's not Alaska that is calling me, but China! Last night, my sweetie and I had a long discussion about going back to China. For the first time, he seemed just as enthusiastic as me about returning. Now we just have to finish the house, save some money and then we will be on our way. We'll probably travel around for awhile looking for a part of China to call home. The only problem is my cat. But I'll worry about that when the time comes.
I'm supposed to be editing a boring PowerPoint Presentation about the number of organ donors we've had this year. I would rather be doing just about anything else. So the result is a journal entry. Thanks for reading.