December 9, 2009
Today I start a new chapter in my life. Gabe and I are moving to North Pole, Alaska for at least three years. Yes, I said North Pole. I decided to blog about it because I want my family and friends to experience this adventure with me. Let me give you a little background info. I have lived all of my 28 years in the South, mostly Mississippi. I have probably seen snow and ice less that ten times during those years. Now I am moving to a place where it snows all but three months a year. I am going to freeze.
When we first got his orders to Alaska we were scared because they said to winterize our vehicle to 70 BELOW ZERO. 70 BELOW ZERO!!!! I didn’t know a person could survive in that temp much less drive a car. How am I supposed to survive that kind of cold when I have never even felt 0 degrees. How do you winterize your vehicle? First you need a remote start put on so you don’t have to go out in the cold and start you car. Next you put something that looks like an electric blanket on your battery and you plug it in an outlet in the parking space to keep you battery warm and working. My first thought was; I am going to live in a place where my battery on my car has to have an electric blanket!?!?!? How is this possible? Then you have to get special oils and other liquids that won’t freeze when it gets that cold. We also have to get studded tires so we can drive on the snow and ice because salting the roads does not work when it is that cold. We do that tomorrow because no Subaru dealership in the lower 48 can winterize your car to Alaska standards.
I keep telling myself it will be fine. We both enjoy the outdoors and always wanted to visit Alaska, but I never really thought we would end up living there. Sometimes I am scared out of my mind. I’m going to get eaten by a bear during the summer when we go for walks. A bald eagle is going to eat Buddy, my dachshund. There are so many things about living in Alaska I don’t know. Right now they get 4, yes 4, hours of daylight a day. I lived the past two years in Texas where there was maybe 4 days of clouds. I need my sun! During the summer we get almost 20 hours of daylight a day. That will be nice because I can have a wonderful garden, if the moose don’t eat it!
I’m going in to this with a positive attitude. It’s going to be an adventure of a lifetime. Don’t you want to come?
I think it's great that you are going to blog about this. Now I won't have to bug your mom or sister for updates. :) I cannot imagine living somewhere that cold, and like you, I think I would freeze. I have subscribed so I can follow along on your Alaskan adventure.
ReplyDeleteI was in Alaska a couple of months ago. It was probably the most beautiful place I've ever been, but that was in the end of the Green Phase. The locals said the weather was very atypical. It was sunny 6 out of 7 days. My favorite day there was the rainy day, but I'm probably the only on that would say that. I think you'll probably get the worst part of the year out of the way first being that it is December. I'm sure though once it is 70 below it won't matter but when it is in the 30s there it feels like the 60s in the south. The cold just doesn't hurt as much up there. I don't know how the food is for the military but otherwise I hope you like salmon. There is no shortage of it there. I hope you fare well in the great white north.
ReplyDeleteWeldon