Winter Light

It sure looks like a Christmas postcard around here. Countless white pine trees.. roofs of houses covered with white marshmallow.. bright lights coming from windows of houses, illuminating the blackness of the night and the dark grey sky.. cars and everything else wrapped in white whipped cream.. the lake, so still and silvery, with an onion skin surface.. thick glistening snow on the ground.. mini cotton balls falling from the sky.

It may be a snow storm, but it’s all lovely to me. As with other things, I might get tired of all this after a certain time. But right now I’m having my very first experience of a snow storm and I’m not close at all in getting tired of it.

I love snow and the cozy feeling it brings. I don’t find the cold outside to be harsh, unlike when I was in other places in the US during fall and winter. This is Alaska, yet for the first time I’m feeling as if the cold and I are friends. It may be too early to declare a friendly bond with the cold since it’s only November, and we’re still on the low 30s (Fahrenheit) in temperature. Winter hasn’t even officially begun yet. But so far I’m loving it here in Southeast Alaska. 

As I’m typing this I can see from my desktop gadgets that it’s currently 32°F here in Juneau and 6°F in Anchorage. All in Alaska, but what a difference being in the North and in the South makes! That’s why I really appreciate being here.

It’s a surreal feeling to be in a surrounding that looks exactly like a Christmas snowball. And it’s not even Christmas yet. No Christmas lights or Santa on a deer sleigh yet, but the feeling is definitely there.

Barely three months ago I was living in a rain forest. Now it’s a rain forest turned winter wonderland. Coming from a humid country, I may miss the tropical waters but how thankful I am to see and experience something so different. Though I’ve visited the US before, everything has been unexpected for me since deciding to come here last year and stay for good. It was frustrating slow on the start, but definitely a series of firsts (and blessings and victories!) for me. 

These kinds of experience are what I’ve always dreamed of. To see, hope, risk, learn, be amazed, be proud and be happy. Of course there are still more to come.