Thursday, May 19, 2016

Minor Occurrences


Where do I begin? I’ve been meaning to sit down and divulge all of this for days now. Where does the time go? It’s crazy to lose yourself in the days and escape in the sights of the mountain.

Just the other day the weather took a drastic turn. It was 72 degrees just two days prior. All in a haste clouds rolled in and swept up the mountain tops. What were once jagged and sharp peaks had been reduced to lolling hills. The only question or thought that came to my mind the entire day, “What’re they planning up there?” up top on those peaks. Zeus came to mind but only momentarily - there are other gods of ancient belief that existed here, excuse me exist here. Snow continued to fall throughout the day. Then the night turned over and within the next day the clouds lifted their vail and the audience was reminded; of just exactly where they were in their own personal lives.

A man keeps coming into the store I worked at the other day. He came up and started talking to me as I was working. I don’t even remember what we were talking about or what I told him about myself. It was fine until he reached out and grabbed my hair, stroked his fingers through it a few times. “Wow, so amazing,” he said with a  gleam in his eye. He then began to invite me to do many things with him; hike, make soup - chili if I prefer - travel here, travel there, preferably Machu Picchu. Thankfully a crowd of four or five tourists came through the door. “I’m sorry, I have to go.” He promised to come back and give me all of his contact information so we could start planning together. The next day I worked at a different store. I didn’t think about it much until later in the evening that day when Alicia, a coworker, told me the man - I think his name is Greg - came back in. He came up to the counter she was working out asking where I was. “He said he had a present for you,” she said, “It’s chocolate bars. He told me not to tell you because ‘it was a surprise.’ He left when I told him you weren’t there and he said he’d come back.” It was kind of shocking and I do my best to laugh it off still. Something just doesn’t feel right.
One day passes and she’s at work in the same shop. I get a text message while I’m at my second job from Alicia, “he came back in again today. When I told him I didn’t know when you worked he got really angry and annoyed, demanding to know if you quit.”

Today, May 19th I told her to let me know if he comes in again. We may have a problem. I wish I was making this up. But this is just one of the occurrences I’ve had as a girl out here - just doing my own thing. I’ll spare you the rest of the stories for now.

Regardless… the land and the mountains will always outweigh any negative. I’ve only been to two places in my lifetime where I’ve thought to myself, “this wouldn’t be a bad place to end up for awhile..” and one of them is here in Healy, Alaska. 




Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Solo #1

It was nightfall. But nightfall in Alaska doesn't mean much when it's on the cusp of Spring into Summer. Her ride had left and she had no idea where they had gone. All the familiar faces left at the bar had no idea what she was talking about when she asked if they had seen the group she was with and if they had left. They didn't seem as friendly as they were twenty minutes ago around the fire. She swore she had only been gone for a maximum of ten minutes. She decided to say "fuck it," and walk the twenty minutes back to camp. It was only 12am and there was still some light left in the direction she was heading.

By the time she left the parking lot of the brewery she tossed aside all frustrations and decided to enjoy the walk home. It was beautiful. She was alone, in Alaska. Right where she needed to be because as soon as she walked ten yards from the brewery a strange Oldsmobile style car rolled out of from the side street. She couldn't see the face that whispered her name until she came closer, realizing it was another familiar and friendly face from a few nights ago.

"Girl, you need a ride?"

Saturday, May 7, 2016

Healy Before Summer


#2

It's a Saturday night and Prospectors Pizza just opened up for the season. It's technically my Monday but it's still a Saturday everywhere else. Shanty Town decides to start brewing their own beer tonight. Guesses coming out on whether they'll end up at the pizza joint, their cohorts The 49th State Brewing Company, the other town bar, or still be at Shanty by the end of the night.

"Get a glass for your can of beer," Jeff says. He's not the first person I've heard that from this week. They're always right; it does taste better out of the glass. Everyone continues to coo over the beer making kit instructions. Someone is diligently - with only minor complaints about how long the process takes - purifying a half gallon jug of water at a time. He's halfway to there at four. Others are making their dinner around the beer crowd. The kitchen is small but even with this crew of people here it still has plenty of space.

But things are still shifting. Nothing has begun to settle.