Thinking of Africa...

I watched the movie "Out of Africa" this weekend. Just seeing the land, the animals, the constant towering cumulus clouds... Sure, Hollywood's 198os depiction of Africa in early 1900s isn't what I experienced, but seeing the places made me miss it. Then this morning, as I was leaving my apartment on the way to work, I stopped to talk to the guy shoveling snow. It reminded me of greeting the gate guards every morning as I headed out of my neighborhood on the way to work in Kenya.

Just a couple things in the past few days that made me really grateful I got to go to such an amazing place!

moving forward...

I turned in pilot resume and application stuff for a job I really really really want. Please pray with me that the Lord will provide what HE sees is best.

Life without...

...a car
is tough, but do-able. It helps that work is less than 10 blocks away. And that my co-workers don't mind giving me rides home. And that one of my co workers lent me her yaktrax. Much better than slipping in the middle of a busy intersection. Co workers are also willing to take me grocery shopping, and let me tag along on some outings, and that sort of thing. The bus isn't a terrible option for going out during the day either.

...a camera
is really not suffering at all. And I do have a camera, its just the definition of point and shoot, as the LCD screen on the back is cracked and their is no viewfinder. I could get batteries for it, but my current computer doesn't have a card reader for this specific type of memory card. Until I get something done about it, my camera phone has been sufficing.

...sunshine
is dark. Well, we do still have some sunshine, but the sun rises at 10am and sets at 3:45. Aside from wanting to sleep in till 11 on my days off, it really doesn't bother me that much.

December sunrise on the way to work at 9:45 in the morning

1pm in December, looking south. Low sun and long shadows.

Sunset reflecting off the Chugach mountains in the East, around 3:30 in the afternoon

...warmth
is a matter of opinion. Around 17 degrees is when it starts feeling cold for me now. Ask me in a month or so, and 17 will probably sound tropical. It warmed up last week above freezing, and I was ready to go to the beach.

...friends
is tough. Yeah, I have made a few friends here, but not to the close extent that I had back in the college days. I miss the community of everyone being so close. When you wanted to talk to someone, you just walk to their dorm room across campus. Its definitely been different; an adjustment.

...roommates
is a new experience. I hope I don't get too used to living alone, because I do like having people around. But I have noticed that I talk to myself a lot more these days... maybe I should be worried about that one

...aviation
is not a permanent situation. At least I am praying that its not. several airlines up here have right seat programs that I am looking into. Maybe one of these doors will turn out to be the right one!

so its been a while... Sorry about that. Its been pretty crazy...

The biggest news is that my car died. Two weeks ago the problems started. As if there weren't any problems already! I had it taken to the shop, but they didn't get to it till a week later. When they did, they let it warm up in the shop for a few hours before working on it. And magically, when it was warm, it worked fine. Go figure. So I got it back, and it ran a grand total of 2 days before dying again. So now it is sitting in a parking lot, waiting for me to figure out what the heck I am going to do about it. So please pray for wisdom :)

Thanksgiving was fun. I was supposed to go to the Ranch, but without a car, that would be a long walk in the snow. So I stayed in town and went to a co-worker's house. Instead of the traditional American Thanksgiving, we celebrated with a mix of Scandinavian and Danish styles. Turkey? Naw, its all about the goose! The cranberry sauce was made fresh from berries that my co-workers picked this fall here in Anchorage. Of course, I took my cello and provided some dessert melodies. All in all, it was a grand day, even though I wish I could have been with my own family.

a day off

Thursday I had the day off. I had plans to go places, but my car had other plans. (more on that later) So I went out for a walk, just to get out of my apartment. For those of you who don't know anchorage, it has a pretty extensive trail system running throughout the city. In the winter, some of the trails are groomed for cross-country skiers. Not that I cross country ski... but they are also good for walking. So I ventured out to the closest trail to my apt, and these are a few of the sights that I saw. Yes, these were taken with my camera phone. Let's just say getting my camera fixed is hovering somewhere not on the list of top priorities right now.

water would splash on the branch hanging over the water, freezing on as it dripped down

A frozen spot of Campell Creek with a foot bridge in the distance

Snow covered branches hanging over Campell Creek

I love the colors in this one-the hint of yellow in the weeds and a touch of red in the trees-as Campell Creek flows by half frozen

fun weekend

probably the only weekend until Christmas time that I will have an entire weekend off, I took full advantage of it. I did a bit of cooking, and participated in my first "real" Alaskan experience.

Potter's Marsh is about a mile south of town, where the Seward highway hits the flat lands. It was formed when the Alaska railroad was built. Now it provides a sanctuary of sorts for wildlife, and a great half mile slough for skaters in the winter. There were a few holes (from gas bubbles, not thin ice!) and we figured we had 4-5 inches of ice under us. It snowed about an inch on us the 2 hours we were out there, but when I got back to my apartment, there were hardly even flurries. Not to worry though! As the night went on, the snow decided to come up here, and I am looking out at 2-3 inches on the ground.

Ken, a guy at church, is notorious for counting down the days of darkness we have left. He said today that we only have 6 weeks left of it!! And it hasn't been too horrible. Yeah sure its hard to get out of bed before the sun at 8am... and watching it get dark at around 4:30 is a little sad, but its not unbearable, and its not nearly as horrible as everyone makes it out to be. Between winter and work, I am loving life here in Alaska!

dinner friday night!

living confidently

A common question asked of me is something along the lines of "what are you doing after graduation?" It's hard for me to answer the question honestly and positively, because I am struggling to get to my feet at this point. Yes I am working, but not in a job that has anything to do with my degree. Talking with co-workers, they ask what in the world I am doing working there. As frustrating as it is, It isn't shaking me. I am done questioning whether I am in the right spot or not, because God is showing me often that this is where He wants me. How do I know? Its not like I have the dream job or anything. Should I be upset that I don't have an aviation job right now? Wouldn't God provide that for me if He really meant for me to be here? I say no.

A friend told me a couple months ago that I should not see God as a sugar daddy. Yes, he owns the cattle on a thousand hills, but He isn't in the business of delivering life on a silver platter to those who follow Him faithfully. Instead of a silver platter, he is giving me puzzle pieces, like i mentioned a while back. The most recent one happened 2 weeks ago when my parents were here. I am getting little glimpses, huge blessings, that tell me I am where He wants me.

Mom and dad came for a week to help me get some furniture and get set up in my apartment. They rented a truck so we could transport everything, hoping we would be able to find a few things for really really cheap on craigslist and such. We got ready to go garage sale-ing Saturday morning. As I sat down to look up the local garage sales (beginning of october gets to be slim pickings around these parts) I prayed that God would just provide the right stuff at decent prices.

So we set out, stop at a few sales that didn't have much, and weren't very good prices. As we were driving around, mom saw a box in the median advertising a sale. Couldn't hurt to stop and check it out, right? So we went in to look around, and everything was priced to clear out. The owner of the stuff, an 80+ year old woman, had just moved to Oregon to get away from the snow and ice. Her kids are still here, and they are selling her household of stuff. So I got: a hide-a-bed couch, a lazyboy love seat, both sides recline, 4 upholstered dining room chairs, a bookshelf, a desk, a full size bed, a hoover vacuum cleaner, and a few other odds and ends. And all of this? 90 bucks. I would say God provided much more than I needed, all in one day. We spent the rest of the week taking care of other important things like getting me stocked up on food (love costco), a few other furniture things we didnt get at the sales, and wintery goods (studs will be nice when the snow comes). It was a crazy, busy, productive, blessed week, and I am glad I got to show my parents around a little bit of Alaska.

Anchorage at sunset (as seen from Pt. Woronzof)