November in Fairbanks

Hi all, wherever this finds you! Given the very short period of time that Charlotte and I will likely be in Alaska (about 2 years), we want to share as much as possible of this unique experience. If we get a free moment, we'll share some photos of what was an incredibly gorgeous fall in Alaska. In the meantime, we thought you might enjoy seeing what things look like in November in Fairbanks. At just under 65 degrees north, Fairbanks is the northernmost city in the US, so things get intensely dark and cold in the winter. We received our first lasting snow in late October, and since then Fairbanks has begun to show its true colors! Here's the cozy abode where we're coming to you from: well-insulated and freshly coated with snow!

We lose between a half-hour and hour of daylight each week; at the moment, sunrise is at 9:50 in the morning and the sun dips behind the hills again around 3PM. In the meantime, it hangs low over town and casts a beautiful, surreal light (this photo, for instance, was taken just after 1PM).

When the sun's up, we are busy approximating normal life in the Lower 48, but in the Arctic: walking the dog around the neighborhood, grocery shopping, and going to work in the chilly weather. 

However, with the shortening days, we've also begun to tackle some of the normal daytime activities in the dark and semi-dark: shoveling (at 4PM), walking around the neighborhood (at 3PM), taking a frigid run (at 9:30 AM), and prepping for another frigid run (also after 9AM). 

It's pretty surreal to watch the sun continue to slip away (and to know that it will keep doing so for another 4 weeks before the days begin to lengthen once again), but the payoff is that we're surrounded by some pretty beautiful sights and places. 

Anyway, with the holiday season drawing nearer (and a trip back to the Lower 48 to see family and friends), it's fun to take stock of all the new sights we've been treated to over the last 3.5 months! With that, we'll bid you adieu from North Pole, AK (which, distressingly, is south of us here in Fairbanks).