Currently: July

Currently living/working: I’m not sure how many different ways I can explain how an Alaskan summer lasts about as long as a deep breath, yet we all feel pressured to make the most of outside home improvement projects, visitors, adventures and jobs into that time. It’s a relentless pace. Now at August 1, it feels like the wheels have fallen off my bus, but it’s still going full throttle. I’m still nearly full-time at my Alaska Geographic job, mainly teaching people science at the Murie Science & Learning Center inside Denali National Park, while Justin’s main job is leading hikes & doing presentations at Premier’s Otto Lake property. 

Currently proud of: The tables have certainly turned this summer, as Justin’s less demanding work schedule has promoted him into head of housekeeping for 3 Airbnbs (our 2 yurts, and the other place we manage). He basically has something to clean everyday!! I’m impressed how he’s been staying on top of the endless tiny details, like remembering which linens belong where and staying ahead of the turnover schedule. (Dare I say I miss the routine of doing laundry? It’s highly satisfying, not to mention mindless where my brain can remain as mashed potatoes.)

Current mood: I’ve been in a whiny cloud of need this month (just ask Justin), but it feels misplaced in the summer when the vibes are typically happy. No matter how many walks I’ve been taking or conversations with friends wired like me, I haven’t quite been able to regulate my nervous system. The other issue is I feel like I have 1 million tabs open in my brain & I’m always trying to play catch up when I’m not at my main job. Ho hum.

Current confession: Part of my funk has been a few deaths occurring in my peripheral. And somehow, it unlocked a new level of grieving. Our minds are so good at protecting us during a loss, but it can take a while to unwind and heal them. The cherry on the ice cream was that my mom’s birthday was this month (as well as my dad’s), and the firsts always hit hard. Of course I knew grief is never linear nor packed tidily in a box where you can take it out conveniently from time to time to mourn. Instead it’s threaded inconveniently through life’s everyday moments. The dark silver lining of more deaths is that I saw a few lovies during my 72 hours on the East Coast this month.

Currently amazed by: We are so dang proud that we listed our second yurt, Midnight Sun, by July 13. It might have taken 3 unplanned trips to Fairbanks for supplies by Justin (he admittedly loves a good excuse to go up to Fairbanks so he can go metal detecting with my uncle). Anyway, the rentals have been rolling in! We had hoped to get 20 nights booked from mid-July to mid-September, and we’re already past that. Now with that being said, fielding questions from guests—especially ones that book last minute & maybe don’t know what they’re getting into—has hit an all-time high. See below for the time I had to give a gentle lesson on dish-washing while trying to conserve water after they blew through 10 gallons in the 3 hours after they checked in. 

Current guilty pleasure: I am the best version of myself when I’m in the woods. It’s been a struggle to stay dedicated, but I’ve been still trying to incorporate hikes into my packed schedule. Love when it lines up with a friend’s schedule & I have a buddy! (Justin’s guilty pleasure has been metal detecting with Uncle Fred in Fairbanks!)

Currently not excited for: Turning 48 in August. There is no road map to aging, but I hate birthdays as the reminder that it is happening. Some skate through aging with no apparent slowdowns, while others are stopped in their tracks. For me, aging is like a light switch on a dimmer; the light is diminishing bit by bit. For the record, my eyes, metabolism, and stamina/resilience left the body as soon as I entered my 40s.

Currently worried about: Case in point, I have a bunion on my right foot, that apparently has always been there, but all of the sudden is causing me extreme pain. Meanwhile, Justin has mystery shoulder pain that is lingering for well over a month. Damn we are getting old. 

Currently regretting: Insomnia is something that has worsened as I age, especially since I lost all my progesterone & estrogen in menopause. I’m not shameful to admit I take Benedryl (diphenhydramine) every night to sleep. It has worked for me for the past 7 years … However, other people worry about me taking Benadryl consistently. Something about the risk of dementia with long-term use … My question is, do I just keep suffering from chronic sleep deprivation? Or risk apparent dementia? Anyway, this is a long way of telling you I have tried many times, many ways to wean myself off Benny. The latest was the “Philip Stein Sleep Bracelet,” It contains a metal frequency disc that apparently taps into the Earth’s natural magnetic vibrations. Sounds hokey, right? Well, I tried it for 50 nights and felt bamboozled. All it did was remind me of what my insomniac life was like before Benedryl. 

Currently excited for: It’s almost berry season! If you remember, last month we foraged morel mushrooms, and this month, I went strawberry picking! There’s only a certain area where you can find wild strawberries, and I finally checked it out. I’m excited for what the land will bring this month. 

Currently thankful for: Does anyone else break their phone screen protector like 4 times a year now? We are always so amazed when the actual phone screen is not cracked. Like how is that possible?

Currently reading: Two books this month!

Colleen Hoover is having a moment, with like 5-6 book-to-movie adaptations. I’ve enjoyed her movies, but I wanted to read one of her books before seeing the movie, so I chose It Starts With Us. I had watched the first in the series movie It Ends With Us. I’m an instant fan; her writing makes it so seamless to get drawn in. I will definitely pick up a few more. 

An Airbnb guest left The Salt Path by Raynor Winn for me, but warned me not to look up the author before reading it. If it’s on your TBR list, stop reading this. It’s a memoir about a couple who walked the 630-mile South West Coastal Path. What led the couple to go for a long hike? They were sued by a business partner and lost their home (she barely explains why). On top of their homelessness, the husband receives a terminal illness diagnosis. Of course you start with a lot of sympathy for the couple and their misfortune. But my empathy waned as her storytelling failed to impress me. I also felt they were being a little irresponsible (they are broke, but only buying fudge bars and noodles to fuel their bodies on the hike. From someone who has hiked long distances, I just can’t see how that makes sense.) Anyway, after I finished it, I looked up the author & apparently people think she fictionalized her husband’s illness & glazed over the fact that he embezzled money from his business partner! Anyway, I felt bamboozled after reading it. I say just skip it—far better trail memoirs out there. 

Currently watching on Netflix/Peacock: We are all about the “based on true” events movies & shows. We watched The Witness on Netflix, which was based on true events of a rape/murder in the 1990s where the only witness was the son of the victim. It was only 3 episodes & very good! Then Death by Lightening, a 4-part series about President’s Garfield’s assassination, which we thoroughly enjoyed learning more about. Then The Six Triple Eight on Netflix, which is a movie about an all black women’s army brigade during WWII, again, something we knew nothing about, so learned a ton. We just started Stephen King’s Castle Rock (on Netflix), and it’s 2 seasons, so stay tuned.