Fairbanks wrap up and now back home

I got back from Fairbanks yesterday afternoon and promptly took a two and a half hour nap.  The week was really exhausting, I'm really behind on classwork now, and I would like a couple of days to recover.  But that's not going to happen, so I'm in the lab catching up on email and some homework assignments (and blogging, of course), and Steve and I will tag team laundry and making dinner tonight. 

The meeting was ok overall.  I think from an attendee's perspective things went smoothly.  I was a bit frustrated at times by the lack of organization, because that meant questions would come to me, and since I wasn't in charge, I rarely knew the answer and would get sidetracked while trying to find out.  Oh well.  It's over now!

One part of the week that was really fun was the welcoming social on Tuesday night.  It was held at the Museum of the North, on the UAF campus.  It's a really great museum and I'd like to go back sometime to explore some more.  There was a natural history section (very cool to see some of Alaska's wildlife up close) and an art/native culture section.  Photography was allowed, so I took the picture at the top of the post, which was my favorite piece of local art.  There was also a native dance demonstration, though I have forgotten now which native group they represent.  They did a good job of explaining the meaning behind the dance and the moves in the dance.  For example, one dance was a story of making an ice shelter, and the movements pantomimed what you'd do to make it - cut blocks, stack blocks, brush of snow, etc.  The two youngest kids in the group were very entertaining!

I'm so glad to be back home, though it's back to rainy weather here.  In Fairbanks is was cool(ish) and very dry.  I was surprised how the lack of moisture really made a difference in how much less cold it felt there.  Even at 25 degrees, it felt relatively warm outside.  I spent quite a bit of time outside without a jacket, and it was fine.  I was also surprised at how nice it was to be in a wide open space.  Fairbanks has some rolling hills, but is generally in a big bowl-like valley.  On a clear day you can see mountains, but for the most part, it feels very open.  It felt a lot like the midwest.  In Juneau we're pushed up against the mountains and the only real sight lines are along Gastineau Channel and Lynn Canal, but both of those have mountains on both sides.  I really liked Fairbanks, and would like to go back and do some more exploring.  And I really, really want to go back in winter to see the northern lights and go dog sledding!