4000 Miles away

"But the postcard that's taped to the freezer reads:
"Wish you were here."
How I wish I could disappear."

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And another new year begins.  2012. I was fortunate that despite being roughly 4000 miles away from home, I was able to be with family for the holidays. 

My (long) trip home started on Thursday December 22nd at 7:45 pm AKST.  Short flight from Kenai, AK to Anchorage, AK.  3.5 hour lay over followed by a red-eye headed to Salt Lake City, UT.  After little to no sleep, I was exhausted and irritable.  No good.  Quickly got back on a plane headed to Detroit, MI for another 3 hour lay over.  Rested and mostly apathetic, I slunk in my chair when my gate announced there would be a 2 hour delay. I waited, made some phone calls, and finally around 10:00 pm EST on Friday December 23rd, arrived in Burlington, VT.  Roughly 22 hours of travel.  Woohoo.

Christmas in Vermont - A white Christmas, at least!

Then onward to New Jersey for a night - a 7 hour drive.  Then the final 8 hour drive home to Virginia.  Christmas with my nephews and boyfriend, then another 5 hour drive to Blacksburg when I got to spend 3 days with Mike - Much needed.  :)

Now I spend my final hours in Virginia here, writing this, postponing sleep and tomorrow!  Since tomorrow I make another LONG flight back to Kenai, AK.


So my 2011 recap?  It seems short in comparison.

I continued to race on the snowboard team at VT.  Spent a week in Colorado snowboarding with family.  Went to conclave in Alabama.  Did my first backpacking trip. Graduated from undergrad, then drove to Idaho - Alone.  Spent 4.5 months working for the Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game.  Spent a week in Rocky Mountain National Park, then 4 weeks in Blacksburg before celebrating Thanksgiving and flying to Alaska.

Who knows what 2012 holds.  I'm in Alaska for another 3-4 months.  But I got fingers crossed dearly for this job in Idaho I applied to that starts late March.  Fingers crossed.  Fingers crossed.  Fingers crossed.  Fingers crossed.  Fingers crossed.  Fingers crossed.  Fingers crossed.  Fingers crossed.  Fingers crossed.  Fingers crossed.  Fingers crossed.  Fingers crossed.  Fingers crossed.  Fingers crossed.  Fingers crossed   Fingers crossed........  Fingers crossed.

Goals (Or resolutions, I suppose):
- More adventures - AKA, enjoy the small stuff.
- Find a summer job I will love filled with meaningful research.
- Study for the GRE.  Take the GRE.  Pass the GRE. Get into Graduate School.
- Support my brother, in whatever way I can.
- Follow my heart.

Why is it that no matter where I am, I will keep striving for something better?

"This must be it.

Welcome to the New Year."