The train pulled into the station amidst the lowering smoke-stained sun. The wild fire season had come early to Fairbanks.
I picked up our luggage as my dad cleverly grabbed the only cab waiting at the train station. Our cab (mini-van) pulled into the Best Western after a rather short drive. The place was new and still had that new carpet smell as well as sticking doors and “green” staff. We made the best of it, though. Night time equated to me shutting the hotel curtains, turning off the lamp on the nightstand, and saying, “good night!”
The sun sets late during the Alaska summers, if at all. Waking up looked very similar to going to bed, but we rose ready to compete at the Continental Breakfast Olympics. Fire-fighters from all over were bunked up at our hotel (many wildfires), and getting to the breakfast before them was our up-most priority. Some days were more successful than others, I’m afraid.
Our second most priority was to find me a place to live. Easier said than done, right? My parents and I went up to the University of Alaska campus to check the bulletin boards. I had already picked up some leads earlier from wading through the murk that is Craigslist (Creepslist?), but felt more comfortable with ads geared towards students like myself.
The perfect place was not found until the day of my birthday. A local ad in the Fairbanks Daily News Miner Classifieds started it all. After a visit and subsequent paperwork, I was the proud owner (renter) of a two bedroom dry log cabin in the woods. The location, being only three miles from campus, was a nice perk as well.
After the cabin business was complete, my parents and I went down to the Sourdough Cafe for a little celebration dinner, both for the cabin and my apparent birth. It was a turning point in the trip for us. No more would we have to wonder whether or not I could find a place to live. The stress-cloud was lifted, and we slept well that night knowing that the rest of the trip was for our enjoyment.
Part IV: Enjoyment
No comments:
Post a Comment