So Wednesday was my one year anniversary of joining the USCG! How
did I spend it, you ask? Stuck in Anchorage, where the temperature was a
whopping -24 degrees. Oh yeah. It seemed oddly appropriate knowing
that day last year I was leaving my nice, warm home in Florida for
this. Sitting in an airport terminal, eating cold pizza from the night
before, wondering if we would get back to base or not. Because, you
know, after being stuck for a couple of days, I was wanting some clean
clothes and some basic toiletries.
I did take some
things away from my experience in Anchorage though. -24, when it isn't
windy, isn't that bad. It feels like it does when it's in the teens
here. I think after a certain point, cold is just cold. But, your
breath freezes in your nose instantly, as well as the back of your
throat. It's an unusual feeling, that's for sure, but nothing some
coffee won't fix. Do you remember that experiment you probably did in
grade school, the one where you put your hand in cold water, then in hot
water? That tingling, HOLY CRAP MY HAND IS ON FIRE feeling, even
though it was just lukewarm? Well, that's what happens to your fingers
and toes when you come inside after being outside for a while.
We
were delayed because of the snow storm on Kodiak. By the time we got
back, my car was in knee deep snow. Which, for the record, when it's
powdery, you can just drive right over. I looked really stupid asking
for a shovel. But it did lead me to take some really great pics
though. Enjoy!
Oh, and I finally found out why Kodiak-ians call bald eagles dumpster chickens.
Yes, that is our nations most majestic bird, in a landfill. There were at least a hundred of them. To be fair, there were some hawks too. But I did have to laugh at the irony of the scene.
I enjoyed your post. It’s a lot like college – we should absorb everything we can but ultimately you need to take what you’ve learned and apply it.
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