Two days till TAKEOFF!! (and some education in this blog)

        It's finally here. All the hard work baking, spreading the word and trying to raise money for this amazing project have finally paid off!! It's New Years Eve tonight and I just realized that I don't even have cable to watch the ball drop. But oh well who cares about a ball covered in light bulbs anyway when I have a suitcase to pack full of awesome supplies to take to Haiti!

 

       While the stress to get prepared has been a little overwhelming at times, I can't wait to see the joy on my group of kids faces when I show them a new world of baking and decorating. Yes, I'm already calling them "my kids". A group of six teenagers will be anxiously awaiting my arrival and I can't wait to make a lasting moment in their life. Hopefully one that they will look back on and cherish. I can't wait to praise these amazing teens with lots of encouragement, love and most importantly FUN! I have aprons ready for each of them and made special certificates for the end of the two weeks. I have books that I've made loaded with decorating ideas and step by step guides and lots of recipes to try.

 

       It's hard to keep my head out of the clouds and I find I have to constantly check myself back into reality of the situation. Over the past two months I've learned a great deal about Haiti and what to expect and that no matter how much I try to prepare myself for it I MUST remember to be FLEXIBLE!!!   A good friend of mine, Jerie, has always said to me " You must always be flexible, like a reed blowing in the wind."  Oh how those words are ringing true right now.

 

       Catherine, the Project Manager, of Relief Team One has also been such a mentor to me in keeping me calm and preparing me for this adventure. Every time I speak with Catherine she has a way of shedding new light. I've included some excerpts of emails she has written me. They have struck a deep cord within me and I hope they have some sort of impact on you as well:

            "In a recent lengthy conversation with a good friend , Georges Van Billoen, who is half Ethiopian and half Belgian and is currently Program Director at Suez University in Paris, he reminded me about what Ray and I have come to realize: "charity has been the curse of Africa and developing nations"; by giving them help, the western world has created dependency ( ex: Haitians have stopped growing rice because USAID provides rice for free)and effectively debilitated people by not letting their creative energies solve their problems. Yes, those people have had tremendous set-back with political repression and weather related catastrophes but human beings are stronger when enable to sustain their lives without depending on foreign help.

Relief Team One is all about empowering by teaching skills that have a lasting impact and not creating expectations of gift giving. We are going to Haiti with that goal in mind and what we bring is a set up for the children of Maud and our crew to develop sustainable self sufficiency... one step at a time..we will not give them a fish but teach them how to fish."

       Last night my mom had an open house and during the party my brother brought up the fact that the Haitians eat mud cookies. They made jokes that I would be eating mud cookies for two weeks and so on. And from the whole conversation I realized how uneducated we all are on the matter of struggling countries. It is so easy to get wrapped up in our own little worlds and focus on things that in the long wrong shouldn't even matter. Things that will pass over us in a week or so. " We are like Butterflies who flutter for a day and think it is forever." It is not our fault that we are naive about others struggling around us. It is the way our society is and how we are raised. We know no different. So I want to share some research I found:

"It was lunchtime in one of Haiti's worst slums, and Charlene Dumas was eating mud.
 ... With food prices rising, Haiti's poorest can't afford even a daily plate of rice, and some must take desperate measures to fill their bellies.
 Charlene, 16 with a month-old son, has come to rely on a traditional Haitian remedy for hunger pangs: cookies made of dried yellow dirt from the country's central plateau.
 The mud has long been prized by pregnant women and children here as an antacid and source of calcium. But in places such as Cité Soleil, the ocean side slum where Charlene shares a two-room house with her baby, five siblings, and two unemployed parents, cookies made of dirt, salt, and vegetable shortening have become a regular meal.
 "When my mother does not cook anything, I have to eat them three times a day," Charlene said. Her baby, named Woodson, lay still across her lap, looking even thinner than the slim 6 pounds, 3 ounces (2.7 kilograms, 85 grams) he weighed at birth.
 Though she likes their buttery, salty taste, Charlene said the cookies also give her stomach pains. "When I nurse, the baby sometimes seems colicky too," she said.
 Still, at about 5 cents apiece, the cookies are a bargain compared to food staples. About 80 percent of people in Haiti live on less than $U.S. 2 a day and a tiny elite controls the economy.Merchants truck the dirt from the central town of HincheDimanche, a nearby shantytown.
 Carrying buckets of dirt and water up ladders to the roof of the former prison for which the slum is named, they strain out rocks and clumps on a sheet, and stir in shortening and salt. Then they pat the mixture into mud cookies and leave them to dry under the scorching sun.
The finished cookies are carried in buckets to markets or sold on the streets.
A reporter sampling a cookie found that it had a smooth consistency and sucked all the moisture out of the mouth as soon as it touched the tongue. For hours, an unpleasant taste of dirt lingered."

Here is another excerpt from an email on the overall goal of  this trip:

Pâtisserie Michelle : une coopérative des Jeunes du Foyer Notre Dame de Lourdes (temporary name)

Relief Team One is very happy to inform you about their next initiative for the Foyer Notre Dame de Lourdes.

During the first two weeks in January, thanks to the generosity of three young Americans, RT1 will set up the infrastructures for a pastry business and a micro-computer lab. The goal is to have both projects help sustain the Foyer and eventually the Village Notre Dame de Lourdes.

Michelle is from Pennsylvania, and during the summer season she is a pastry chef at Talkeetna Lodge in Alaska. Since October she has been fund raising to set up her teaching program at the Foyer by selling her confections. She will bring with her material needed. We are grateful for the recent gift of a stove by Julie and Michael Turner.

Michelle brings with her, exclusive recipes that will use flavors found in Haiti and she will develop a line of special occasion cakes as well as cheaper small cookies for everyday consumption.

Six young adults among the children will be selected to follow her training. One additional orphan will be trained to be the manager. He/she will be in charge of keeping track of the equipment, taking orders, purchasing supplies, insuring delivery procedure and keeping track of the accounting.

Amy also from Pennsylvania, brings her experience as a cook for the US military in Korea as well as her own micro-enterprise success. She will assist the cooking staff at the Foyer and train the future manager.

David, a professor of computer science at Loyola University Maryland and a specialist in IT security is bringing 3 laptops and a printer and will teach Microsoft word, Excel and Outlook and basic computer security. He will also assist in developing the material needed to promote the pastry business. RT1 is hiring Jonas Jabouin, currently working on the construction, who is a graphic designer to develop the promotional material.

Planning:

_ Selection of the 7 candidates among Maud’s children

_ Hands on daily classes at the Foyer from January 3 to 14.

_ Marketing campaign development

_ Management structure development

Marketing:

Samples will be offered after mass at the Sister’s convent on Sunday, flyer's will be distributed by the trainees outside major supermarkets and by Maud when she attends meetings such as at the UNICEF, Food for the Poor, Minustah. Etc..

Sales:

2 product lines

_ inexpensive small cakes, and cookies

_ elaborate cakes for special occasion ordered by phone and delivered by specially equipped motorbikes for an additional fee or picked up at pre-determined location.

Co-op organization:

This venture is a co-op where 7 young trainees under the mentor ship of an adult will be vested in its success by profiting both from their skill development and from a percentage of the profit.

Relief Team One is aware of the challenges that will present themselves, but also has faith in the resourcefulness and drive present in the Haitians.

This project will not only provide a source of badly needed income to the Foyer but also further RT1’s mission of teaching marketable skills to young Haitians.

So there is some education for you. I could go on and on with loads more about the amazing orphanage owner Maud who I can't wait to meet!! She has done so much and is already an inspiration. I'm soo looking forward to spending time with her and soaking her in.

Need to get packing! Be sure to send some love and prayers through the universe as I head out on Monday morning. Till I return my friends, hope everyone has a safe and happy new year. And most importantly THANK YOU for all your support and donations. So many people have helped make this all possible and every little bit will count and make an impact in these children's lives!



26 DAYS!!!!

Let the countdown begin...

There are only 26 days left till I leave for Haiti.

I remember when I purchased my ticket five months ago while I was in Alaska and the excitement that ran through my veins. I never thought that I'd be going to a third world country and actually volunteering.

Not only volunteering BUT setting up an entire bakery and teaching a handful of teenagers how to bake and decorate cakes.

In this 29th year of my life, my eyes and heart have opened more then ever. I'm so in love with life and all that it has to offer. I've been learning to say YES to every opportunity that comes my way..even if I'm scared and hesitate. Cause if you live your life and do nothing that scares you how will you ever know all that you can become.....

My "Sweet Michelle's" project has been doing well with raising money to help out with the Haiti bakery project, but we still need more!

It's not too late to place orders or special requests for Christmas or New Years. (see previous blog for information and ordering) All profits will be going directly to the bakery project.

If sweets aren't your thing, there are still other ways to help out. Simply click on the DONATE button at the top of the page to contribute. I am also in GREAT need of supplies that must be taken down to help get the bakery up and running. The supplies can be new or used and dropped off to me at Platinum Salon: 129 Turner Lane  West Chester ,PA

Supplies Needed: (used or new)

-cake decorating bags and tips

-rubber spatulas

-small and medium offset spatulas

-oven mitts

-food colors (gel or paste preferred!)

-easy to follow cake decorating books with lots of pictures

-wooden spoons

-measuring cups and spoons

-whisk, sifter

-aprons

-hand towels

-flavor extracts: vanilla, lemon, lime, orange..etc

-toothpicks

-cupcake papers

-hand mixers!!!!

-timers

-cake pans: various sizes, rounds, rectangles

-cupcakes tins, regular size and mini

I know that holidays can be stressful for soo many of us. The stores start putting up the Christmas decorations the day after Halloween, people get pushy and cranky out and about on black friday and the kids demand more extravagant gifts every year.

BUT...there is also something a little extra special about this time of the year. We cherish our families a little more, try to do everything we can to make our children smile and keep the Christmas spirit alive. This is the time of year for giving. The time of year to open our hearts and be so very thankful for all that we have. Too often we get wrapped up in our own little world and don't think of the less fortunate.

PLEASE HELP ME by opening your hearts. Together we can help make a difference in the lives of children who don't have a family to love and take care of them. Children who live in a place where there is no running water, no electricity and no promised tomorrow.

HELP me by donating and in return together we can give these children some hope for a better future.

Sweet Michelle's

It's that time of year again for Sweet Michelle's famous PUMPKIN ROLL and so much more!

I've been baking for a long time. I guess you could say my love of baked goods has been passed down from my mom. I remember growing up with her in the kitchen as she made at least 5 different kinds of cookies, loaf upon loaf of bread, and fudge just to get started.. In my senior year of high school I entered a chocolate competition and took first place among the tri- state area and won a partial scholarship to culinary school. With that I got an associates degree in Pastry Arts. From there I went on to work at a bakery for eight years where I became the head cake designer for wedding cakes and all kinds of custom party cakes, including 2 and 3-dimensional designs. All along my passion has been to put a smile on the face of anyone who eats my goodies. There is nothing better then a baked good that has been made with love. Be it cake, cookie, candy, chocolate....

So this year with the holidays coming around what better way to make people feel good inside then with some sweets to fill the tummy and some hope to fill the heart. Sweet Michelle's, with your help, is donating time and money to Relief Team One in January. Simply by purchasing a baked good or by donating, together we can help the children of Haiti. (see DONATE button at top of page to help)

This Season's Sweets:

Pumpkin Roll $8

Carrot Cake $5

Apple Spice Cake $5

Choc Choc Chip Cake $5

to place orders email Michelle at:  bakeforhaiti@verizon.net

*all profits and donations will go directly into a fund for the Haitian children

Much needed UPDATE

Well well it's been awhile hasn't it. I have no excuses for not continuing with my blog while I was away other then I WAS LIVING LIFE!!!  Man I love Alaska. I think about it every day since I've been back. It was so so hard to say goodbye to it all and I plan one day soon to return.

I've been home almost a month now and what a crazy month it has been. I find that eveeryone is the same as I had left them but I'm the one who has changed and keep seeking more now. In the first week I was home EVERYTHING was so overwhelming and I was not a happy person. Came home to my apartment, looked around and started to cry. Everything was different. It still is. All the photos in my frames seemed to be from another life that I no longer felt a part of. All my "stuff" was here. "Stuff" I've realized that I don't need. I cleaned out almost half of my wardrobe, went through my entire apartment and got rid of "things" I don't need, canceled my TV, and have been slowly starting to pack for when I leave again in May. Where am I going? I have no idea yet, but I plan on being gone for at least a year if not more. We will just have to see where the wind blows me. I'm so in love with the idea: WHERE THE WIND BLOWS ME!!!

But more importantly my focus is now on HAITI!! I had the pleasure of meeting an amazing woman in Alaska (my good friend Christine, it's her mom). Cathrine Savell, project manager. Cathrine has been part of a small organization that has been traveling to Haiti since the earthquake in 2010. Their main purpose is to teach the young Haitian people skills that they can use to earn a living. Relief Team One  has built an orphanage for the children in Port au Prince. This orphanage is a place where many chilren, some as young as a year, have been brought beacuse their parents cannot provide for them, or have passed away from the earthquake, or worse some of the childern have been disabled from the earthquake.

Relief Team One is teaching the teenagers construction,cooking,baking,english anything and everything that the Haitians could use to earn a living. Instead of having an organization that travels to third world countries in desperate need and build things FOR THEM, or do tasks FOR THEM, RT1 is helping the young Haitian population see the light and make a change in their surroundings by THEM doing it, not US. Everyone needs a helping hand sometimes. EVERYONE. No matter skin color, language, poverty or none, whatever country they are from, in your own backyard or not.

I have been invited to travel to Haiti for two weeks with Cathrine and go make a difference. I still cannot wrap my head around this amazing offer. What an oppurtunity!! How could anyone pass something like this up. Two weeks out of your ENTIRE LIFE!! I head out on January 2nd and return January 15th. Cathrine has told me many stories already about the people there. She has told me about a little girl Emma who cries. She cries because she is never physically comforted. All she needs is a hug or rub on the back and she settles. Or Stevenson who is 20 and lost both parents in the earthquake and is now physically disabled from it. I've already heard stories about mothers giving birth in the streets and leaving their children cause they have no means to take care of them. I will link RT1's website and Cathrine's blog so you can educatue yourself futher.

When I leave for Haiti my mission is to teach a small group of teenagers some easy baking and cake decorating. A bakery is currently being built. Communication will be most difficult. They speak french. Me....VERY little french. I took a course once in culinary school so maybe if I review it will trigure something..haha. Most of the teaching will be " I do, You follow".

Many times we see on the news these horrible natural events that take place in countries that are stuggling to begin with. We sit on our comfi couch and watch the tv and shake our head in disbelief., but most of the time that's as far as it goes. I'm asking you all to help me make a differnce. This year I will be doing my Sweet Michelle's baking project again for the holidays. All the goodies that I offer will be raised by $1 from last year. And with that dollar I will be putting it into a Haiti fund to help get down there and make a differnce. I'll post more info on Sweet Michelle's later this week.

Please help me help these children by purchasing a delicious goodie from me or by simply donating any monetary amount. Anything would be much appreciated. My goal is to raise $1,000 and have baking supplies that I would need to be donated also.

In posts to follow I will include info on Sweet Michelle's and where you can donate money and/or baking supplies. Once again thank you all for supporting me in following my Alaskan dream. I have an even bigger dream now. And it's one with a major purpose behind it. Lets help some amazing Haitian children together :)

Some information about Haiti:
www.reliefteamone.org   this is the oraganizations webite

www.rendezvoushaiti.blogspot.com   this is Cathrine's personal blog

one awesome night after another

if i haven't said it enough.

i freakin love it here.

in alaska.

this  whole seasonal work.

this free living.

it amazes me what each day brings. how fast the weekends come and go.
while another day off awaits me tomorrow sooo much has happened in the past few days...

last night i got a call from the morning sous chef that the night janitor knocked over a tiny two tiered wedding cake i did for today. entire thing ...splat on the floor.

eh shit happens...that's the advantage of working 8 yrs in a bakery will teach u. u know how many times i've had to deal  with the destroyed cake situation and it's due in8 hrs. soon my day off i head into work (to get a free breakfast) and to redo the cake.the entire time everyone saying "oh r u mad, u must be pissed". and honestly it's whatever. i just feel for the poor guy whole knocked the cake over. man he must be feeling like crap right about now. so long story short, cake got done. it wasn't near as awesome as it was the first time around but mission accomplished.

last night there was a meteor shower and full moon and northern lights. i only saw the moon. but it was enough to fill me for the night. earlier that day i spent some time at the river with a few friends and met a woman named "white eagle" who played a large alaskan tribal drum she made herself. we spent a better part of 45 min talking with her and hearing about her worldly adventures and the knowledge to brings to people. we helped her bless the drum in the river. we cupped the glacier water with our hands and rubbed it over the buffalo hide and white eagle sang a prayer chant. then we hauled the drum up to her rv where some of her friends were. the entire thing in itself was so alaskan. i mean honestly. i closed my eyes as she sang and put my hand on the drum and it was such an energy running through me. no where else could u do something like this. it was meant to be in that place and time. something that i will never forget.

then tonight i went to dinner with hermi (christine) and her mom. i gotta tell u. that mom of hers is one amazing woman!! she has been working in Haiti for the past six months doing some incredible things there. she works at an orphanage and lives in a convent for safety.  her main goal (or what i got out of it) is to teach the Haitian people skills that they can survive on and make a living. for example she is convincing me to come to Haiti with her for two weeks in januray to teach the children at the orphanage my baking/decorating skills. in her words " what is two weeks out of your entire life" AHH!!! i love that. seriously what is two weeks!!!! to be able to have the connections to go somewhere and have someone there who will take care of you and make sure your safe the entire time. but most of all to go somewhere that is poor beyond belief and to have an impact on a community. to teach them a skill then leave. a skill that will help them earn a living and better their life.

i sat and listened to her. everything she had to say. and i asked my typical questions " what is ur life lessons/advice u can offer me". i hope i can retain everything i learned tonight and it's not all hazed by the bottle of wine.

i think that ultimately the lesson in life is to have courage. courage to do what u want. to not get stuck in one place. to contribute nothing to society in the end? to go against the grain. there are few people if any back home that will ever understand what i'm talking about or have gone through in the past months but there is comfort in knowing that there ARE people out there who go and follow their heart and throw inhibitions to the wind. that if things are meant to be, it's meant to be. it will take a strong willed person to put on the horse blinders back home and ignore what everyone is saying about settle down, get a career, 401k blah blah. i say get out and live a little. my journey has just started....it's not over, or so i hope not. that is why i gotta get some more courage and keep on truckin'

now that's brisk

what i love the most about this entire experience is having the chance to meet so many different types of people.

each person here is so different.

u don't realize what ur missing buy not getting out and living a little. u don't realize that there are people out there that are so freakin awesome and hanging out with them makes u feel like u've never felt before. it's refreshing...soooo refreshing.

i guess i was starting to get numb with life and needed to feel something.

i found it.i feel u. 

getting to know people has taught me so much. u just gotta have fun and be carefree. to do what u want, when u want, just cause. don't be intimidated by others. let's all just be happy and have fun with life.

p.s. i would put lots more pictures up but they take sooo freakin long to upload i usually give up on waiting. so sorry, i'll work on it

Rock Bottom

well my ticket home has been purchased. and already plans are being worked on for when i get home again. camping, purchasing a camper, concerts, parties and a surprise getaway being planned entirely by dan. can't wait!!

but while i have much to look forward to back home it will be a sad goodbye.....

our house has officially hit rock bottom...we have completely run out of toilet paper, paper towels, wet wipes or anything that could be used as an aid to help you take care of your "business". it's no fun to "drip dry" at 6am.

oh but wait!!

i have an emergency roll shoved under my bed somewhere. so 6am with flashlight in hand i climb out of bed to enter.....THE DANGER ZONE (my floor/bunk). no longer do i give a crap about being neat and tidy, instead laundry piles up beside my bed and on my shelves. i have to dig through it all just to get through to my bed. ah i see it....against the wall on the far side ahhh TOILET PAPER! ugh but the floor is covered in sandy gravel and hasn't been vacuumed in who knows how long. oh well..desperate times call for desperate measures.

lesson learned: my anti-cleaning house campaign is over. i cleaned the house the next day.

my weekends come so quickly and i start to loath going back to work.
summer is gone. the temperature has dropped, the rain has come and night creeps up a little earlier each night. it's been raining for 4 days straight and we got a treat of a nice day today. but only for half a day. the clouds have come in again and it's gotten chilly.

as i sit and have some coffee and hot soup at the roadhouse here in town i'm drifting away. must. bike. back. need. to. nap.

whoa

there are only 48 more days left......

The Golden Days

It's all over...back to work :(

gotta say this was definitely a birthday to remember. i think mostly because it was spent with awesome people who i love and have taught me to live a little. it was a birthday weekend not just a day:

this week i ate the freshest salmon possible. it was amazing. tuesday night my buddy cooked up salmon he had just went out and caught that day and made really good sauces to go with it. had to contribute to the dinner somehow so what's better then a $1 bag of 10 min rice. and tastycakes for dessert :)

wednesday after work some of us girls grilled up some more salmon given to me by a friend in the perfect tin foil boat filled with butter. a little fresh lemon squeezed over top and enjoy. we also had homemade mac n cheese and i brought bread and butter..haha. for some reason i totally got made fun of for the bread and butter. and again tastycakes for dessert :)

Wednesday night...about to grill up dinner

thursday (my birthday eve) a group of my close friends took me out to dinner at our fancy restaurant at the lodge. it's normally closed on thursday nights but they made an exception and set a table and private service just for us. we laughed loud, drank wine and even danced.



Kelly, Greg, Christine, Erin, Tiffany and Me

and for even more of a surprise greg bake me a super yummy cake. lemon cake with a fresh blueberry icing. fresh as in he went out and picked the berries the day before. so soo good. and of course they sang and i followed by an alaskan birthday speech.

that night we headed into town watching another beautiful alaska sunset behind the mountains. it's party time. onward to our favorite town bar to drink and dance the night away.




Me and Christine

friday afternoon ( my birthday) i woke up around 12noon and took a walk with christine and enjoyed another perfect day of sunshine. the fireweed is everywhere and slowly dying....fall is upon us. it's already getting chilly, the sun sets by 11:30pm and i saw my first few stars and a satellite last night.

Walking some trails behind the lodge

today, my last day before another work week, was awesome. went out to brunch with a good friend, spent time by the river and came home and devoured ANOTHER birthday cake. i tell u, i never get tired of sweet stuff. i'll be eating cake for the next couple days but i'm ok with that.

Me and Bobby

Best birthday cake anyone has ever made me. Layers of chocolate cake and icing with hand whipped cream on top.

as it all winds down and the gifts get put away, i look back on it all and know this weekend was a memory i will keep forever. alaska and the people here have changed me. i try so hard to soak up everyday and make strong long lasting bonds with friends that will keep even after we leave each other.

no better way to end the party with a giant basket of chili cheese fries



no better then this

there is nothing better then sitting outside on a perfect night with some awesome people grilling some freshly caught salmon. and it tastes fantastic

alaska is a simpler way of life.

less drama free.

more free in general.

so u must understand that when i come home (which i will, for a short time) i may not be the same person.

i glow up here.

i glow cause i freakin happy.

i fear i may be addicted to the seasonal life.

and i love that everyone up here that i'm surrounded by feeds off my virgin energy.

rainbow around the sun

moral of the story.....i guess i don't really have one.

i just add to my bucket list every day...and what better way to live then that.

isn't it guns and roses who sing "live and let die" or something like that...

and why must i feel that i've progressed so much as a person only to regress when i go back home.

i don't have to feel that way. it is what u make of it. like i always say " to each his own "

u r ur own boss, the master of ur fate. the choices u make are half chance

Not in PA

i love this!!!

i'm not gonna want to leave.

i love how i feel good and free

when can u say that u:

flew up to mt. mckinley

jet boated up to a class 6 rapid

white water rafted down class 4 and 5

drove to denali

drove WAY into denali

had an entire island to yourself for a night

look out ur window and have ur breath taken away every morn

skinny dipped in a crystal clear lake

canoed out to an island and camped watching the sunrise and sunset

ride your bike everywhere

dance ur ass of on thursday nights

play drunk kickball on wednesdays

waste the day away at the river

stay out till 5am

meet some amazing people who teach u so much everyday

take a boat up right to a glacier

...and so much more

ramble on..sing my song

there is a feeling that is growing inside me. knew there was a chance it could happen and maybe i don't want to admit it out loud for some odd reason but.....  i'm gonna miss this place when i'm gone.

alaska is pretty awesome. even though i haven't done much in exploring since i've been here i love it. the weather is great. we've only had three days of 80 degrees and that was in may. since then it hasn't gotten above 75. some days have been a little overcast but there hasn't been any downpouring of rain since i've been here. just a little shower here and there.

between the weather, flowers, animals, scenery and great people not sure how it could get much better. i haven't even thought about watching tv or the radio since i've gotten here. not because i'm non stop go just because i'd much rather just sit and relax outside.

and since there is time to kill i've picked up a hobby or two. with every new flower that comes into bloom i pick a few good ones and press them. my goal is to have as many different flowers as i can. i've also taken up drawing again and am in my glory.

along with my new hobbies..an awesome new friend. someone who i feel totally at ease with and can have fun. for the past few nights we've been coloring, picking flowers and doing hair wraps. u know the kind that we would do in elementary school. she is making me go to kickball wednesday night then thursday night it is on...dancing our butts off at hip hop night. if only we had bonded sooner before she has to leave. but we will meet again...one day.

it is just so nice to have someone to chill with like i would back home and still have fun without having a drink. plus it saves money.

long pause....



so this blog post really has no point. just to say these past few days have been great. i also have a gallon and a half of milk to drink by the 20th so onward ho with chocolate milk. reminds me of my dad. when we were growing up after dinner sometimes he'd make a big glass of chocolate milk and put soooo much syrup in it. i can't drink it quite that dark but i still love my chocolate.  also speaking of my parents they sent 7 boxes of tastykakes. one for each roommate. they loved them!!! and it was fun to share some east coast treats. no one knows of tastykake. what!!!!! u don't know what a peanut butter tandy cake is!!!!!

oh and tomorrow, monday, marks only 70 days left of my great alaskan adventure. but remember i count for two reasons. 1. cause i miss home   2. to be aware and make every day count

Every Man Needs A Dog

I should write about my parents visit or my rafting trip but instead i'm feeling something else. it's such a nice day out and i haven't been on my bike in a while so i just went for a ride. i ended up in the woods along the beach just sitting on a rock relaxing.

there have been only a hand full of times since i've been here that i feel TOTALLY myself and relaxed. it doesn't happen often and not for a long time. only brief moments that make me feel amazing. it's really having the feeling of not giving a crap about what anyone says. i mean we all "say" we don't care what anyone says but i think it's rare to find someone who TRULY doesn't care and is so free.

i want to be totally comfortable with myself. to not put forth ANY effort to try to impress someone the least bit. i was feeling that today on my bike journey. ex.. when is the last time u rode a bike. when is the last time u rode just for fun, and stood up and weave while u ride. not only the riding but the surroundings too.  it gives u such a carefree feeling. like a child would have. then u realize how awesome it is to be a child..

so then this all leads into another goal...

when i get home i want to put some serious effort into spending real time with my nephews and nieces. i want to do things with them that they don't get to very often. i want them to have a real good time. i really want to take them camping. i remember growing up all the camping we did as a family and how much fun i had. looking back on all that stuff now i really value it. and i want to give the kids something to look back on.

on the way home i stopped at the viewpoint for a while. the mountain is just coming out. she had her peak up out of the clouds, and for some reason today it struck me to be even more beautiful then before. i realized i  had missed the mountain. it's been cloudy and hidden for almost two weeks. i had forgotten what it looked like. i want this image to be burned into my brain so that when i leave here i never forget what is was like. i'm going to miss it here.

how often do u see a man driving down the side of the road on a 4 wheeler holding his dog on his lap. or even better try riding a bike and holding your dog that way. this is a dog town. everyone loves their dogs.

every man needs a dog. it's a companionship that cannot be compared.

one more thing. we have small earthquakes here all the time apparently. but the other morning early like 4:30am i felt my first quake. i was laying in bed and at first thought it was my drunk roommate coming in but then realized my entire bed was shaking and things on my dresser. it wasn't anything big at all and only lasted a few seconds but still, it was kinda cool..

u don't get that in pennsylvania. and while everyone is back home sweating it out in the heat wave i'm relaxing away at a nice 71 degrees with my favorite jeans, t shirt and flip flops...ahh the life

even though this blog is all over the place and jumps all around i have one more thing to offer. since i've been here and gotten more comfortable i often ask one important question to every wise older person i meet. and believe me i've met my share since i've been here. like Carvin Marvin, and Kitchen Hippie Cary and Fairview Lori. all these people are amazing and i love to hear their stories.

I always ask : "What is your advice on life. What have you experienced that has taught you a life lesson you can pass onto me."

and one answer I got is "Start your bucket list now. Don't wait till you're older to do it. Make sure you live your life and do what YOU want."

so here is mine so far:

1. Bungee Jump

2. Own a motorcycle and ride

3. Get a camper and just go...OFTEN

4. Drive from PA to AK

Give It Five Minutes

 happy fourth of july. so i spent my day:
working in the morning tyill 12:30 then headed downtown to the moose dropping festival. it's basically they haul a bag of moose turds up a rope then release to see how close a turd comes to the bullseye and u win money. yea...so i went.

then wandered on to the company picnic where i hot some free grub (nothing great but hte goodies) great just what i need. more sweets esp wjen i start eating them at 6am. oh believe me i do. i had choc cake scraps and strawberry sorbet by 6:30am.

but my evening was the best. it makes me feel like "so this is why i'm in alaska".... 
so i'm walking into town when i see this beatup blue truck roll by with the coolest wood carvings i've seen on it. so i ditch my friends and go after the truck. i followed it till it parked then went right over to the man and introduced myself. his name : Carvin' Marvin.

well i sat with Marv on the bed of his truck for over and hour and a half just gabbing away about our lives while he carved an indian and a cabin out of a treee branch. i gotta say i enjoyed every min of it. it was so cool to sit and talk with someone about their life. you learn a lot. but most of all u learn how to live a little more.

turns our marv is a great grandfather and has moved all over making a living by selling his artwork and carvings. and u would have no idea just by looking at him. 

long story short (its' late i gotta sleep)...left marv after my peice was done and got caught in a rain storm...it's alaska..give it five mintues. it'll change. so i ducked into the local bar..cause where else is there to hide from the rain?.  got talking to a local named lori.

turns out she is 65 and one hell of a woman. i sat with her for and hour and just listened to all her stories she had to tell. how she was camping and came face to face with a griz and a few other close to death stories.

...man i'm tired. u know i thought about this blog and what i was going to say the entire 50 min. walk home from town. but once u sit down after walking so far and sippin on a few...i just want to sleep.

moral of the story. today i saw myself here...like living here in the future...we shall see. only time will tell. i'm in no rush. and another word of advice i got today. start working on ur bucket list NOW. don't wait till i'm 60 to start living.

i want to be able to say i went out and lived a little

SURPRISE!!!

So I just got off work get a shower and ready for my first skype date with Lauren when knock knock SURPRISE!!!

MY PARENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Holy crap..in the back of my mind this entire time I've secretly wanted them to come and visit but totally get if it was not possible and haven't mentioned anything to them about it. So apparently they had made the decision the day they dropped me off at the airport and I said "I'll see you in the fall".

Many of the people I see everyday knew they were coming..even my chef and roommate who were tortured with the secret all day.

So after my parents came to my house and I showed them around I walked them around the lodge proudly showing them off :) Then we headed downtown for the five minute walk around town tour and grabbed dinner. We already have the next few days planned and I can't freakin wait!!




Dinner at The West Rib


Who cares if I have to go in every morning at 5am and work my butt off like a crazy lady. I get to spend the afternoon and nights with them.

Tomorrow we are driving up to Denali, then Tuesday going on a jet-boat tour, then Wednesday flight seeing tour up to Mt. McKinley and the rest of the day free. THEN on Thursday I am going with a bunch of friends white water rafting for the day. JAM PACKED

I'm so excited..but gotta go and try to get to bed for an early morning. Lots more to come !



In the Lodge



A Must Read

Fox Island, Alaska

Just a little saying

       Alaska: We are all here, cause we are not all there............

       Alaska: Where great women lower their standards............

Alaska:  Where the odds are good, but the goods are odd...........

Talkeetna: Where the road ends and life begins..........

solstice

so as i promise i made to myself last night when i was blogging, here i am blogging again cause i'm trying to be more "in the moment". i'm finding as i try to blog about something that happened a week ago it's not as genuine as something that happened an hour ago.

so today is the summer solstice. the day where the sun shines the longest, skims the horizon then rises again.from here on out we start to loose daylight. as part of celebrating the solstice it's a fun time in town and everyone heads down to the river to have a good time and watch the sun.

i admit it. i went. i caved into the peer pressure of " you have to go....it's the solstice".

but all night long in the back of my mind i was making mental notes. things i haven't noticed, the fact that i'm starting to get used to alaska. in a way my time here is not to get used to alaska, it is to look at everyday as something so awesome and lucky to be here.

tonight riding my bike up the hill back "home" i stopped at the viewpoint and stared at the mountain eating pineapple. mckinley had finally come out of her hiding, the sun was shinning it the weather perfect. and i realized i haven't looked at the mountains in over a week. i've become used to this place. i even sleep well now.

a feeling just comes over you once in a while where at a specific place and time u look at yourself and smile. to be proud of the adventure and to be living in the here and now.to have met a good friend who you can be yourself with after such short of time and who "get's it".

crap i even expressed tonight that i would like to come here in the winter for a few weeks to a month. just to see what it's like. i can only imagine, how beautiful it's becoming everyday and how amazing the winter landscape could be. sooo picture perfect.

it's way past my bed time but i managed to hack out a few words before i settle down.

p.s. what i miss most tonight: turkey hill mint choc chip ice cream



Watching the Sun



No Woman Left Behind

Roadtrippin' again with two of my awesome friends.

    Friday night around 10pm we left for Denali to spend the night with some friends then have a great day of hiking Saturday.

     I have to admit even though I did not want to leave so late it was wayyy worth it. Driving up we got to see the sun setting behind Mt. McKinley and get some great shots.

Along with this midnight sun adventure I had my first experience of staying overnight in a house with no running water or electricity. Have to admit I was intimidated by this at first and thought how am I going to survive the night! How will I wash up for bed or see at night to take my contacts out.

Oh but yee of little faith...

This is where we stayed. It's a work in progress but it is a very nice house. To the left of the front door is a sink area with a bucket system for your "running" water. Also notice the pile of bones next to it. They are from a moose and I did take a bone home for a keepsake.

Oh and the outhouse I was soo scared of was actually kinda cool...if an outhouse can be cool.
It was decorated with all kinds of inspiring sayings and art work inside.
The bone on the door is a moose pelvis...what other way would u mark an outhouse right?..














Ok so back to the hiking. Technically we were in Denali State Park not the national but either way it is ALL beautiful. We set out for our adventurous hike around 11am. Gorgeous sun shinning, nice short weather and loaded on the bug spray. (bug spray is key)
Byers Lake is an 8 mile hike that goes up a small mountain with a fantastic view at the end. It starts out nice and level but very quickly turned into steep, tree routed and loose dirt. IT WAS A HIKE...but the first rule of hiking is never leave anyone alone, especially in Alaska.
After huffing, puffing and some complaining we had made it half way....



Christine, Me and Kelly

Just had to stop to play in the snow

Onward ho we go. Even steeper now and even more complaining. Seriously thought we would never get to the top.

There is always a reward and sometimes the sweetest rewards in life are free...



McKinley poking through the clouds



On the hike down the mountain we got caught in a little rain which of course washed all the bug spray off. Mosquito's suck!!! We were an all you can eat buffet for those buggers. I totally double timed it out of the woods and to celebrate the hike and completing the strenuous journey jumped in the lake with Christine...clothes and all.

It feels so free to just go with it and do something impulsive....







swimming in an Alaskan lake!!!



Honestly even though the lake was freezing and we didn't swim for more then ten minutes it has been one of my top adventures here so far  solely based on the fact that was impulsive.

I can't wait to do it again...next time SKINNY DIPPING

Alas my moose has arrived

I've been here just over a month and I have finally been graced with the presense of a moose in my back yard!!

Woo Hoo!! I've seen three moose since I've been here to be exact but they have all been in passing. On a train or in the car..just a quick blur.

Just a few feet from my door is a small sandy clearing where we play volley ball and bad mitten. My roommate and I are sitting at the table talking with some new friends from the Ukraine when the moose meanders on by. So exciting! 

p.s. sorry if you were one of the people i texted back home. i couldn't contain my excitment and had to share with you even if it was past midnight and you might be alseep.

who u know

so just a warning it's 2:30 am and i just got home. lesson learned for the night. it's who u know not what u know.
 in the

just got home from hip hop night....u know ur living in alaska when u ride ur bike to a run down bar to dance the night way to some hip hop from the 90's. oh well it's what we do. i'm a summer resident now don't ya know.

so chilling with my girl Christine and her friends we found out her friend Brian lives and works just outside of Denali. so don't ya know. tomorrow after we sleep in... due to parting all night... we are headed up to denali for the night tomorrow with out sleeping bags and gonna hike all day saturday in the park. word.


so it's not what u know it's who u  know. now i have a way of going to see and experience denali for free. and christine is going to france in the fall and 'm seriously considering going or visit for a good week. free of charge ALL I GOTTA DO I BUY MY TICKET. HOW could anyone pass up opportunities likes this. off to bed cause i can't type or spell at the moment. thank god for spell check cause u wouldn't understand a thing i said without it


oh yea and i almost forgot to say how awesome it was biking home, buzzed, with a full awesome moon on the way home and an awesome sun set on the mountains behind u.

oh alaska.
how i wish i could scoop up my loved ones and have them here for a day to live this dream

Here is a little birthday cake I made at work today..

It's a dude on top of the mountain yelling happy birthday dan

Talk About Town

              It's been a month since I've arrived in Alaska..land of the midnight sun. It has been very sunny, hasn't rained since I got here actually. The sun "dims/sets" around 12ish I guess and brightens back up around 5:30ish. Don't know exactly cause I'm never awake during those hours, but it always looks like dusk. June 21st is the summer solstice and apparently it's a big deal up here. It's the day where the sun just skims along the horizon then comes back up. The day with the longest amount of light. From then on out we lose some everyday. Then I hear that by Agust and September it will be dark like back home.

Ah back home. What I'm missing most this week:

Chic-fil-a

The moon

Easy places to tap mac (people look at me weird when I say tap mac, no clue what it means)

HUGS..haven't had a good hug in a while

A cozy couch

   Spring is in full bloom here. All the daisies are up and these cool purple flowers are popping up all over. I haven't been into town for a while but there isn't much to do there so don't miss it too much.

    It's actually kind of interesting how the different towns in Alaska vary. Talkeetna is super small with a few gift shops, places to eat, a tiny WAYYYYY over priced food store and that's about it. The main strip is dusty and rather run down looking. Town has a great mix of the tourist walking around, the town dogs wandering all over the place, shoeless, dirty hoola hooping people..guess they would be the free spirits, I'd thought I'd find a little more of around here. I'm a little let down now that I come to think about that part. I had hopes of coming here and finding these awesome free spirit tree huggers who would help me express myself but I haven't. At least not yet. And people are referring to me as the hippie one. And another thing, since town and the surrounding area is so small EVERYONE knows each other and their business...

    Talkeetna is a cute little town with an awesome view of McKinley and The River and a few hiking trails and lakes to canoe on. Many of the locals live in cabins way off the road a few miles from town. Quite a few have no running water or use a well to get it. The others have to drive to haul their water. To do laundry and take a shower they go to a restaurant in town that offers all that plus lodging on the cheap. And for a bathroom they have an outhouse. I'm still so intrigued by this and want to go with a local coworker to check out their house and how they live. In the winter many collect unemployment or find side jobs haul wood or doing things like that. Also by being a resident in Alaska every year you get $1-3,000 just for living here from the oil companies.

    So while I love Talkeetna and this entire experience living here once is enough....I   think..haha

      But Seward on the other hand...

   Seward is a coastal town maybe four hours south of here. I went there for four days last week for an adventure. Seward has a huge port and major fishing there along with a main street that has much more and looks way more modern. The landscape is different there. It is a bit more mountainous but more rounded not so jagged like Talkeetna. There is a larger variety of things to do in Seward. Many more hikes are available, places to go, things to do and see. But gas is OUTRAGEOUS!!! I'd say around here and heading down south average right now is $4.16 but in Seward $4.56...crazy!!  And along with Talkeetna I hear that in Seward everyone knows each other and their business. I actually overheard a guy talking about Chester County when I was there. Went over to him and he is from Coatseville! Small word, that is crazy. Many people in Alaska are from Michigan, Minnesota and one other state I can't remember right now. I enjoyed my time is Seward but it rains a lot and there are many other places I want to get to before I go back.

 I'm loving my adventure up here and wouldn't change it for a minute. It's nice to be a bit more relaxed and not have the east coast hustle bustle all the time. Still no bears....

I also counted how many days I have let here. It's around 102 days. I count for two reasons:

1. To know how long it will be till I see my family

2. To be aware of my time here to make EVERY DAY COUNT