Bethany's Fairbanks Adventure

Archive for December, 2010

So I turn my iPhone on for the first time in weeks to receive a text from BA basically saying “just to let you know we have cancelled your flight”. WICKED love to hear this news. So according to expedia I had to get onto my Fairbanks flight otherwise I wouldn’t get a refund. This would mean me being stranded in Seattle eating brussle sprouts by myslef in a hotel. Fantastic. My super duperly wonderful uncle however bought me a flight to Boston where I can spend christmas with him and BA were actually super friendly after waiting almost 2 hours in a queue and got me a flight home on boxing day. I’m excited to spend christmas with my Uncle Buck and Jessie.

I was so grumpy, having to say emotional good byes to Brent that morning and then to be told I was’t going home, I was a depressive mess. I had such a fantastic time words can not describe, it all feels very strange to be leaving. It went so fast yet feels like home. I’m still super duper confused.  Landing in Seattle was WEIRD, the sun was shining hard and there was not a spot of white snow, I still have my thermals on and I’ve got to admit I’m feeling pretty toasty! Infact tropical. I flew over sears tower and saw a stadium full of people which was pretty cool!

I had some bloody strange people sat next to me, first woman looked a bit on the crazy side she was sat on the aisle and myself the window, now I was just not in the mood. She would NOT move to let me in, having not slept for about 24hours i looked at her and said “are you joking?” As I said I was pretty grumpy. She gave me a nasty look and pulled her knees in as far as possible whilst i had to squeeze through the cm gap she had left me. WHO DOES THAT!!!! WHO. Anc to Seattle I sat next to a boy playing a crazy arse game on his computer he was getting so into it he was practically dancing in his seat. To be honest I was so tired I just slept and slept and slept! I feel so so much better now, still sad to be leaving all my fantastic Fairbanks friends but happy that I can getnsomewhere to go for christmas!

So I am currently at Seattle waiting for BA to print my ticket and then I’ve got to wait a few hours to check into my Boston flight and then I will be safe and sound in NH with my uncle, and then bring on the christmas spirit!!

Thought I would share with everybody that it is -33C and I left my water bottle in Brent’s car for 1.5 hours to return to almost a litre of water frozen. That is faster than my ice pops freeze in my freezer at home!

The item that the water in was my dear and best friend nalgene. Sadly Nalgy I (R.I.P. Nalgy no. 1 always my favourite, forever) got lost down south, now anything could have happened to it, either I just abandoned it at a public location, dropped it in fear of moose, or accidently disposed of it with out concious decision so I could treat myself to a new Nalgy II with trees on. I did replace Nalgy I with a Nalgy replicar. They are the best things since sliced bread, and it goes absolutely everywhere with me. It does mean I;ve bee drinking about 3 ltr of water aday, and many toilet visits.

Brent’s car is always cold and I think this is a perfect time to share a story of how my boyfriend likes to cause me pain. On the way down south:

Me: “Brent can you please turn the heat on?”

Brent responded in action not words, swizzling it all the way round to the cold side.

Funny? I do not think so. that day too was below 30.

Today we went dog mushing and it was FANTASTIC. Genuinly going to quit university, buy a dog team, and build a cabin to live in with Vicky. It was surreal riding along in the snow being pulled by dogs. Downhill you go super fast, not so much uphill. It’s crazy that these little dogs are pulling along your massive sleds. It was possibly one of the best things I have done here, and I have done a lot of fun stuff. You only got one go though and I could have done it all day despite how cold I was.

It has been WEEKS once again. I can not believe I am four days into my advent calendar, i’s December and I’ve been here for almost 4 months and away from England even longer.

Last Thursday was Thanksgiving, we would usually only get the Thursday and Friday off uni, but because we got freezing rain, the roads were crazy slippy and so they shut off uni for the week. It was so good I think we all definitel needed the rest. How weird though! As you english kids were getting snow days we were getting rain days.

I left for Soldotna on the Wednesday to stay with Brent’s family for thanksgiving. I had a such a lovely time I was sad for it to come to an end so quickly. It was so nice to stay in a real house aswell. We stayed at his step brothers, but his mums house was so Alaska. All wood, and snowy with christmas lights outside. We played cards, ate good turkey, drank egg nog and watched good fireworks. I got taught how to play Texas Pokem or whatever it is. The first night I got Brent’s step dad out and I don’t think he was too pleased. Then the second night I won $40 ending with a head-head with his stepdad once again, it was fantastic I had no idea what I was doing, AND he had bought in twice definitely had some beginners luck ha ha! One night his mum was shouting to us to tell us there was a moose on their porch, in my head I thought like a way a way in the front garden, I ran up to window and the moose’s face was THERE.It had walked onto the wood porch entrance to the house. I have never been so excited in my life, here is a diagram to help picture this moment:

I ran to the front door, and it was right there but its mummy was telling it to get off and I saw them walk away. On the way home we stopped to look at some moose on the side of the road. I have fallen in love with these animals they are so pretty, I ran to get a photo and we were pretty close. I took a couple but ra away as it bega walking towards me, I didn’t fancy being charged and more people die a year from Moose’s than bears so I got back in the car.

We also visited Spencer in Kenai who had all the rest of the international kids to sta, we played beer pong and the brits RULED Tamaralara got six cups in a row! I had a fantastic time meeting Brent’s family and seeing the south.

The weather got down to almost 40 below the following week, and I didn’t really notice it so much, it makes you cough as you breath in, and my hair froze to my face aswell as my eye lashes freezing! I don’t even care it was cold I jsut thought it was really exciting! I walked to upper campus on thursday though and it was the first time I actually thought my legs were going to fall off, they were tingling with cold it was so good to get into a building! My face also felt the brunt of it and felt almost sun burnt but obviosuly cold burnt.

I’m really struggling to remember what to blog about, they happen and I think oh yes one to add to the blog. I went to another hockey game which was fun, I absolutely love the fights this one guys shirt got ripped off. hilarious. the tickets were meant to be $15 but dawson works at the ice rink so we slipped in form the back door, three security kids were there and looked at us as we walked past. (we definitely were meant to have tickets still). a whole 10 minutes later one comes over and goes “errr can we see some tickets?” “oh I work here! look I have a key” “oh er can we er see you er open a door?” HA literally dawson just had to open the door and they let us in. It was oh so funny.