A week's worth of rain

If there is one thing I learned growing up in Kodiak, it is to never take sunshine for granted. At times, weeks go by without a glimpse of the sun. Rain is common here -- it is a crucial ingredient for Kodiak's emerald beauty -- but it sure can get old at times, and residents quickly learn that sunshine is a precious gem that must be treasured.

At the Kodiak Crab Festival there are rides, food, and if we're lucky (and I mean really lucky), there is sunshine. This year we're lucky; the weather machine is working in Kodiak's favor. As we devour king crab legs and chocolate dipped ice cream, we praise the sun, exclaiming, "I can't remember the last time we had a Crab Fest when it didn't rain!".

Sunshine is happiness in light waves. Don't take it for granted. Put on sunblock. Play outside while it's nice. Bask in the energy of the star that makes the Earth run. Love this beautiful island home. Know that you won't be squinting for too long, for this week's forecast calls for 7 days straight of rain.

A little bit to start off

My name is Anelise. I was raised mostly in Kodiak, Alaska, with some Massachusetts and Guatemala mixed in there, too. Recently, I graduated from Willamette University, a little liberal arts school in Oregon. My parents just moved to Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates.

Now, I'm back in Kodiak, working, and living in other people's houses. Hah! It sounds creepy when I put it that way -- I'm housesitting. But I can't get too comfortable; this fall I'll be elsewhere (to be determined) and in January, I'll move to Malaysia for 10 months to complete a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA). After that, who knows?

So, the puzzle: how does one live happily in the present and find a sense of place when an entirely different family than your own resides in your pre-conceived notion of home, and when your future is full of relocations, long distance phone calls, and navigating different cultures and languages? 

I don't have an answer quite yet. This blog is to document my findings on the matter. For now, I know it is crucial to stay thankful for these once-in-a-lifetime opportunities and for such adventurous genes.