Alaskan Winter

When I was younger, in my teens, growing up in Florida I would spend my winters ( if you could call them that) running around outside in gym shorts and hoodies. The only places I had ever seen snow was on the television. Seeing snow, watching and feeling it actually fall from the sky was at the top of my bucket list. However, if you would have told me my first encounter with the frozen rain would be courtesy of the U.S. Army making my first station a base 5,000 miles away from home in Alaska I would have taken that dream balled it up, sailed it personally to the Bermuda Triangle and tossed it overboard in hopes that it would disappear just like the thousands of ships talked about in tales.

“What the hell T, I told you enlisting was a bad idea, first boot camp and now they are shipping your dumbass clear across the world. No, tell them no!”

That was the reaction of my best friend Gigi, she doesn’t sugar coat anything or handle change very well clearly but the fact that she always keeps it real with me is why we get along so well, not to many people will tell you about yourself and not have a lick of remorse doing it. Maybe Gigi was right, maybe me enlisting was a bad idea but that didn’t matter much because for the next 3 years at least Uncle Sam owned me. If I was being honest I was considering making a career of it but I wouldn’t tell her that, not today anyway she was already mad enough at me.

“Gigi look it is what it is and hey just think now you have an excuse to get your lazy butt out of Florida to come visit me. We always talked about traveling and seeing the world” I said.

Well this isn’t exactly what I had in mind but I guess your right. I still think it’s stupid though,” she replied.

“ I love you too,” I answered back while not so gently elbowing her in her side. 

I knew Gigi didn’t feel like she would get the chance to visit me and that is really what had her all upset. Gigi and me we were cut from the same cloth, both grew up in families that barely made enough to pay the bills and put food on the table and we learned early on that struggle was not a temporary situation but a way of life and now we were carrying on that tradition but not me I was determined to be more, do more and the military was chance to do that…my way out.If surviving the unknown frozen tundra they call Alaska was the price I had to pay to prove how committed I was to something better I was all in. And as soon and I got myself together I was going to fly Gigi out so she could see there was more to the world then the same 10 blocks we had run all our lives.

Right now I had to put on my happy face so she wouldn’t worry about me, well wouldn’t worry to much at least and we could make the best of my short time home. It felt like I had just gotten back as I waited in the airport a week later to get on my flight to the place I would call home for the next 3 yrs. 

I arrived at the end of summer so it wasn’t to cold yet but the sun never fully set which was just weird but I have to admit it wasn’t to bad I was just a little homesick. So I acclimated , worked hard and prepared myself for my “first winter”. Gradually the days grew colder. I think the first day the thermostat hit negative temps was when I realized that this was it. I was a long way from home and snow was clearly overrated. I felt deceived by all those smiling faces on sled and skis I had seen on the t.v. I cursed every snow ball fight that the movies made look joyful and fun. I resigned myself to life in doors as much as possible, appreciating fully thawed fingers and toes. Sure I got in some laughs catching the guys in my unit with an unexpected rogue snowball (that I would never claim even if caught red handed) from time to time. 

I received my fair share of perfectly timed anonymously delivered snow cannons and believe me when I tell you there is nothing more traumatic then falling victim to a rogue snowball to the base of your neck, which then proceeds to melt and slide like ice cold pins of torment down your back. Yea I know karma and all that but whatever. 

I texted often to tell Gigi about winter in Alaska and even though I may have complained a lot I know she could tell I was okay and doing well and that was all that mattered. The first time it snowed this is how our conversation went.

“Hey bighead guess what?

“What stupid?”

“It snowed today, but it was so freakin cold outside I literally went outside touched it and then came back in, lol. Snow is overrated.”

“What?? You are so whack I’m going to need you to man up and go outside and build a snowman and send pics”

“Uhh that’s not going to happen but when you come visit I will gladly watch from my window as you build us a snowman.”

That was followed by a slew of cutting sarcastic comments that almost made me feel like I was home. 

Gigi didn’t come visit that first winter but she was able to come the following year and it was her first and our “first winter” together. And she made me go outside and build a damn snowman.

We both had a good laugh over thinking God or the Universe or whoever is pulling the strings has one messed up sense of humor.