Bless you, Barnes and Noble in Fairbanks

What's a gal to do while her car is getting appropriately winterized for interior Alaska? Go hang out at the Barnes and Noble in Fairbanks, of course. Thank you to the lovely people at Kendall Honda for shuttling me over here to read in peace while they work on my car. Henrietta (my car) is getting the official Alaskan make-over: engine block heater, oil pan heater, battery blanket, and all new fluids. It's a few hundred dollars, but definitely worth every penny.

Oh, you don't say?

So it would seem that I am adapting to Alaskan life pretty well so far. Sometimes I find myself saying absolutely ridiculous things such as:

"Oh, it's only -10 right now, so it's not too bad."

"Free shipping? Haha, suckers."

"All I want for Christmas is basic below zero survival gear for my car."

"You're right. Flannel sheets DO sound like a good idea."

And my personal favorite:

"I don't know if I'm going to make it. There's an aggressive moose outside of my door that attacked the neighbor's dog, so it looks like I might be staying in."

Exploring Delta Junction, AK

It's true that the darkness gets to you after a while. It isn't as dark as some of the other places in Alaska; there's never a full 24 hours without daylight, but we will continue to lose 6-7 minutes of light each day until the Winter Solstice. Since my arrival I have spent the daylight hours (roughly 10am-3pm) at work, so today was the first day that I actually got the opportunity to get out and about in the town while the sun was up. I have to say that this is hands down one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. These are a few pictures that I took with my phone along the Richardson Hwy in Delta Junction, AK:

From the IGA parking lot

I also got the chance to see the Northern Lights on this same night, but unfortunately none of the pictures turned out well on my phone. I can't wait until my camera gets here and I can start taking some decent pictures! These definitely don't do it justice.

Day One:

It was a balmy 75 degrees when I left Charleston, South Carolina. However, upon landing in Fairbanks the temperature was at -13 and the moment that I walked outside of the airport, the hairs in my nose froze. There are some things that they don't tell you about moving to Alaska and that is one of them. I can see why because it feels even weirder than it sounds. Thankfully, it was a short ride to my hotel followed by a few hours of blissful sleep. Rejuvenated and ready to take on the Last Frontier, I rented a car and ran a few errands. Unfortunately, because I was driving, I didn't get the opportunity to take many pictures.

Here are a few of my observations from day one:

1) The icicles in Alaska are no joke. Seriously, they could kill someone.

2) When it comes to parking, it is basically a free for all. Some people park diagonally, some straight, and some park off to the side in no man's land. (Note: Not sure whether this is because the ground is covered in snow and no one can see the lines or if this is part of the "you can't tell us what to do" attitude of Alaska. Must do more research.)

3) Alaska has been called the least fashionable state in the U.S...Yes. Yes, it is.

4) Everyone that I have met so far is incredibly nice and completely patient of the fact that I refuse to drive over 40mph.