Currently living/working: Our season came to an abrupt end on Sept. 5, when Justin ended up in the hospital! Life went from warp speed to a snail’s pace. But in general, we had a very fulfilling summer and y’all know how I love stats, so here they are! Justin led 61 trips for Traverse Alaska (would have had 5 more trips, but … hospital. And not for nothing, but he accounted for 25% of Traverse’s trips this summer!!). I led 17 Traverse hikes (plus 2 training trips), cleaned 95 dry cabins and 39 houses with plumbing. Out of a possible 127 nights the yurt could be booked for the summer months, we rented it 106 nights, WAAAAAAY more than we ever expected. A handful of friends/family occupied the yurt for 8 nights. We collectively shared the cleaning of the yurt, 37 times. So yes, a very full summer. (There were a few writing projects squeezed in here and there, and that source of income will take back over for winter).
Current mood: I measure time in seasons, especially in Alaska, as I feel my body & mind respond to the shift in the Earth’s rhythms. After leaving the hospital, we returned to Healy and the only 2 stoplights for 100 miles were dark, signaling no more tourists and a ghost town of restaurants and businesses. I act like a bear during winter—not truly hibernating, just laying low, abandoning plans, and conserving energy. At the same time, the freedom can be a double-edge sword, creating a funk and restlessness. It is easy to let the whole day pass, so I’ve learned I need to set daily goals—albeit small—and create my own definition of success. I am still adjusting to this free time without expectations, the catharsis of making without the pressures of performance.
Currently excited for: Hygge mode after months of a high level of output routine from wake to sleep. The winter season is the time to do those unsexy tasks, like organizing paperwork and cleaning out inboxes, but it is also perfect for letting spare time expand, reading more, reflecting more, recharging my social battery and replenishing sleep of course. I am ready to embrace the season of pausing!
Currently amazed by: Takeaways I learned this summer while cleaning:
People bring S&M paraphernalia on vacation, and “accidentally” leave it behind.
Human hair is just as gross as human poop, especially when there is lice involved.
It takes a full week to get the smell of baby diapers out of a 300-square-foot cabin.
People can use 50GB of data in one day, even while on vacation when they should be outside.
The Alaska rite of passage might be cleaning up moose skin/blood left behind by guests and trapping a live squirrel.
Currently proud of: I am ALMOST to 100 reviews on Amazon for my book, Between Each Step. Something magical happens on when you hit 100 reviews. Help a girl out as I approach the book’s 2-year anniversary! Plus, someone needs to bury Harry Middleton’s 3-star review …
Currently not excited for: Hospital bills. I still don’t fully understand our marketplace insurance plan, but so far this year it hasn’t seemed so bad (unless bills are that slow to catch up). I believe we hit our deductible, and there may be an out-of-pocket maximum that we also hit? Maybe Justin’s hospitalization had good timing, if there is such a thing. If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we’d be golden. But I always say expect the worst. Justin is overly worried about potential hospital bills, although I tell him this is why we have savings. In Justin’s opinion, we have a savings account to buy another camper van …
Current confession: We’ve always known health care in Alaska was not awesome compared with other states, but of all the hospitals we’ve been in, Fairbanks Memorial left a lot to be desired … The surgeon was ah-mazing (thankfully!). But the nurses seemed dangerously overworked and inattentive. Many nurses were also just filling in on the floor, which I think created an atmosphere of confusion and inconsistency. I don’t know if it is just a post-Covid atmosphere, or just a general Alaska vibe. Everything was relatively fine, it just was a whole different experience compared with the hospitals in Colorado.
Currently thankful for: I raved about our Alaska friends in this blog post, but wow was it confirmed when Justin entered the hospital. We had friends step up to cover my cleaning duties, drive up to Fairbanks to deliver supplies from home and change our water filter on our well (it was pretty stuck and I knew Justin would be lacking the strength to do it post-surgery). Also grateful for the friends all over the globe who checked in regularly and kept sending those positive vibes. We felt the love and support!
Currently regretting: Justin’s surgeon trained me to remove his staples at home, and I actually really enjoyed it. Maybe I should have pursued a medical career? Kidding. (Scroll past the picture if you are squeamish)
Current guilty pleasure: We now have the all the expansion packs for Exploding Kittens (birthday gift for Justin from my mom). Justin & I play cards at lunch & dinner, and having all the expansion packs has made the game way more intense!!! If you know, you know.
Currently worried about: I think we’ll probably lose one of our beloved aspen trees this winter. Last winter, a snow/ice/wind storm reshaped it (a few others broke completely). It looks so sad all curved, but it is still alive and fully bloomed this summer. However, every time the wind blows hard, it gets whipped around. So I think it has potential to succumb to the winter weather …
Currently reading: Sadly, my reading roll plummeted this month. Menopause Manifesto: Own Your Health with Facts and Feminism by Jennifer Gunter finally became available through my library, and quite a few friends hyped this up, so it was highly anticipated for me. BUT, I am not loving it. I feel like I’m moving through as slow as pouring honey. In my opinion, it is a bit too dry, detailed and overdone like a college textbook with medical information that is basically turning me into a hypochondriac. I’m learning a few things, but it’s just not resonating with me, and I’m not even sure I will finish it …
With that being said, I am “storing” a few books for my friend this winter, so I’m stoked to work my way through this stack!
Currently watching on Netflix/Hulu/HBO Max/Starz/AMC: I finished The Maid (Netflix) while we were in the hospital, and just really loved the based-on-a-real-life story. I might have to read the book now! We finished Season 1 of Queen of the South (Netflix) after many people recommended it, and though we like it, it’s still not as clever or violent as Breaking Bad or Ozark in our opinion. We are taking a break from that and working our way through the limited Netflix series Devil in Ohio, which we are loving so far!!
Wow, taking the staples out yourself! Impressive! Your book stack is also impressive. I am planning to try to make next year a year I read a lot of the paperbacks on my shelves instead of so much digital. But it’s hard! You are definitely making me glad I don’t run an airbnb! Maybe invest in a small diaper bin (used) for the guests with babies? Would cut down on the smell a lot. But I know that smell, it would hit you every time we walked into daycare. oof. Bummer about the menopause book!
I just watched Santa Clarita Diet—can’t recall if y’all have watched it. Funny and gross and I’m so sad they just ended up and didn’t do another season. Also just finished The Empress on Netflix. We finally cut the cable cord so I am now only relying on Amazon and Netflix!