Bethany's Fairbanks Adventure

Archive for the ‘Blog’ Category

So I have decided to try and keep up my blogging, after failing pretty miserably during the end of my stay in Alaska. I will give a quick update of my life,

I spent a lovely christmas with my Uncle Buck in New Hampshire, we ate a yummy scrummy christmas dinner of perfectly cooked chicken, the best roasties, and of course sprouts (which we failed to eat and gave reluctantly to Jessie). I stayed in a cool hotel room in Boston the night before my flight with a super view of the city at nightline. I  couldn’t sleep all night but at least I had the view! The next morning my uncle took me to the airport and cheekily said to the check-in lady “so with Beth having been stuck in Alaska any chance she can get an upgrade?” The lady laughed and said there wasn’t much she could do. I thought never mind and went on my way after saying my good byes. I got to the gate and I heard my name “If Bethany King could please make her way to the gate” So off I trotted to be told I had been upgraded to BUSINESS! I can see why people spend out all that money for better seats, it was amazing, after playing with the button to make the chair move flat and upright, I slept for FIVE hours straight on an aeroplane!I was there in my red alaska jumper, jeans, and walking boots. I defintiely got some “what the hell are doing in here” looks but I didn’t care.

When I finally got home it was lovely to see my Mutti, Murphy, and siblings. It sped through to NYE where I went to Landon to visit Lisar and Schteve, I haven’t mentioned my jet lag yet but I GOT IT BAD, I’m not a massive sleeper but boy was I sleeping all day. I fell asleep till about half 8 on NYE until we both managed to generate the energy to get ourselves dressed and out to a bar. We did shots for midnight went home and slept. New Years Day we headed to the museums which…were shut. Gutting, it’s our favourite thing to do. But we of course made the day fun eating our salads (new year = healthy start, right) on some church steps.  It was a fun time. Time then sped by into moving back to Brighton.

I was welcomed back by my housemates, I’ve been cycling to university everyday, and my classes are going well. I have lost all want to club, but am being dragged out on Thursday, I’m a little nervous to hit the town after over 5 months. I continue to wear jeans everyday and as often as possible my Alaskan jumpers. Oh how I have changed. Sadly my organisation and tidyness hasn’t. Today at a house meeting I was told off for taking up too much room in the kitchen, and not putitng my shoes away. WHAT is that about. Maybe I’m not so welcomed back, ha ha. It’s good to be back but a whole world different to Alaska. I’ve been meeting up with the other Alaskan brits and it’s good to have them to chat too.

That’s pretty much the story so far, except a few bits in the middle like going to the Anarchist club, my second christmas dinner, and inviting people to sold out events. Maybe I’ll tell them another day.

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.

So the snow is falling HARD, and we are just getting ready to go skiing. We’re going on an army bass and apparently they only like americans, so we are going to try our sweet talking and eye fluttering.

I’m so so excited but SUPER excited, if you don’t hear from me, I’m probably injured.

Wish me luck!!

A quick Fairbanks update:
Temperature is currently -9C/15F
Snow falling ALL DAY. nice and thick.
Definitely need coat, tested through laziness of not going upstairs to get coat before going to library = very very cold hands infect body.

Still having a fantastic tine. Tuesday it’s going to be up to 29 below. I’m excited, make sure I’ve washed my thermals by then and found my misplaced clovers.

Four exams next week, one involving an 8 page essay. Hoping I will be able to bash it out the night before. Not going to lie I regret not doing any work on Saturday. Ahhhhhhhhhhh I just want to have fun. We reckon exchange kids should get a week of fun time off.

Right well Bethany bedtime now. Promise to write again soon.

Lots of love.

Bullying was never an issue at school, but HERE I am an easy target. John face planted me into the snow, Tamara punched me in the nose with a block of “snow” i.e. ICE and David threw a bloody massive block of ice into my face so it was bright red, stingy AND cold. Somehow my rucksack got open and snow went all into my computer it was a bit slow starting this morning but is doing ok, my iPhone also got snowy and keeps telling me that “this accessory doesn’t work with this system” but still seems to work just about…well just not the typing pad. I’m sure it’ll be alright once its dried off a bit. It was a lot of fun but it was chilly on the willy.

Polar bear paper back today and I did a hell of alot better than I had thought whoop whoop! AND it’s snowing I can tell today is going to be a good good day.

I’m listening to Radio1 you notice the accents so much more now! In lecture the other day we watched a YouTube video and the narrator was british, it was the strangest thing, and we sounded like toffs.

People say we sound more intelligent with our accents, if only they knew!

I’ve refound stumble.com and sit on it all day. If I did as much work as I stumbled I’d have solved all worlds problems.  Where else could you find “Quantum physics made relatively easy“?

Alaska is looking paticularily beautiful today, I woke up to find it snowing and it’s still going now. This is what I imagined Alaska to be like and I am feeling continually happy when I go outside. The trees are frosted white and everything looks like it’s been sprayed with a mahusive can of glitter spray. I really wish you could all see it! Brent and I went for breakfast at a nice little log house type thing called The Cookie Jar and it was there looking out the window when I really felt like I was in Alaska lands.

On my way to a 9:45 class on tuesday I saw the best sunrise also, it was turquoise, orange, pink and red and so so pretty. Sadly I didn’t have my camera on me, but i am definitely carrying it around with me at all times now. It really was the best sunrise I have ever seen. Again it makes me so very happy.

This week has been more chilled and yet I still feel tired, I am struggling with the dark mornings. I woke up yesterday and it was pitch pitch black I told myself it was 5am. I looked at my phone and it was half 9. I was so confused!! It’s not even that I mind the dark, just complete confusion! I also forgot about the hour change so that was a nice wake up this morning!!

We went sledding last night and it was FANTASTIC. I have been sledding back home on a hill, and to be honest this is pretty much all I had invisaged in my head. Then we arrived at a bloody steep and icy road. Jordan assured us that it was so icy hardly anyone would be driving up there. We got on our sleds and boy did we go fast. I did not want to go alone so I paired with Kay first and then T. Kay and I managed a full on 360 turn. With T I managed to get flung off and head first into a rock. MY POOR HEAD. However, T managed to trap her leg on the side and now has a fankle and nice bruise to accompany it. Erica removed her thermals to find she’d ripped off half her leg skin, Kay whacked her knee and couldn’t move for a good 10 minutes, Vicky has no severe injuries but now walks like an old woman. We met 2 or 3 cars, so if we didn’t die flying into trees we would die being run over. Even so I had so so so much fun.

Beer pong was played for the first time in a while, Brent and I sucked BIG time, Vicky and Kay though have become a POWER team and went unbeaten!!! I’m going to start my own secret beer pong club to practice.

I’m unsure of what this week brings but I’m pretty sure it will be yet more work, BUT I don’t care as it’s likely to be coupled with lots of snow!