Soldotna vs Fairbanks *Summer Edition*

You would think that being in Alaska, things wouldn't vary too much. You know, lots of mountains, evergreens, glaciers, lakes. Ice and snow and freezing in the winter. Barely above that in the summer. But here is something people don't realize..



Alaska is really big! Look how little Texas is in comparison! Alaska: Bigger than Texas! N-E-Ways... With that much land, there actually ARE differences from city to city, area to area, borough to borough (yup, Alaska doesn't have counties. They have boroughs, which to be honest is weird.) For example in Southeastern Alaska, it hardly snows but it rains a carp-ton! In fact, its the only rainforest in the US. Only it doesn't look like this...



it looks like this...



So don't say I never taught you anything.

Fairbanks is a nine hour drive north of Soldotna (where I spent my first year in Alaska). So needless to say its a little bit different. The mountains are far in the distance, not near by. It looks more like Tennesse, with its rolling hills and its large amounts of deciduous trees. Where as Soldotna has lots of evergreens and looks more like Colorado. And there are plenty of differences in weather, even in the summer.

Soldotna stays mostly in the 50s and 60s and, if you are lucky, the 70s in the summer. It rains a lot! Being a lot closer to that rainforest I told you about(...The More You Know!) You spend a lot of time praying for warmth and sunshine. You worry you will not store up enough Vitamin D to last you the winter. (Whats that you say? You can't store up Vitamin D? You have to get a new dose everyday? LIES!)

Fairbanks, on the other hand, spends most of the summer in the 70s and 80s and if you are lucky, the 60s. That's right... I said you are lucky if it goes down to the 60s. Its sunny a lot, which at first seems nice, until you realize that the mosquitoes are lying in wait for you. Oh and since nobody in Alaska has air conditioning in their homes, you tend to pretty much bake. In fact, when I looked out the window this morning and realized there were clouds in the sky, I was happy! Because it meant it would be cooler in my apartment!!!

What I want to know it this: WHEN DID I GET SO COMFORTABLE WITH BEING COLD ALL THE TIME THAT I DIE IN 80 DEGREE WEATHER?! Mostly I really like Fairbanks, but right now I think it would be nice to be back in Soldotna. I wouldn't mind it if my flesh could touch itself without becoming glued together in a sticky sweat sandwich... gross!