The sun is back! Really, I was never here without it, but it seems so much brighter and longer lasting now!

 

When I first arrived, my village got about 3.5-4 hours of sunlight a day. The sun would come up around noon and set around four. I’ve been here about a month and a half and it seems that the sunrises around 9 and sets after 7! We are gaining more and more sunlight each day, but not in a way like back home where it is a minute or two, more like by the ten minute mark (or more).

 

The most amazing part is that because I live on the coast, twilight lasts for a good hour and therefore the sky is lightened long before sunrise and long after sunset. I remember sitting in the tree stand back home for hunting. Even at a half hour until/past sunrise/set for legal shooting hours, it was still fairly dark. Without trees to filter the light and without mountains and tall buildings to block it, the sky seems lighter so much longer!

Last week, Tuesday, was the first day, since I’ve been in my village, that the sky was not pitch black when I walked to work. I remember walking out the door at 8:10 a.m. and there was a faint color to the sky. I can’t begin to explain how light and happy it made me feel! That same day, I promised myself that I would leave school early, by four. But, as per usual, I stayed later than that…and in a not so usual way, I didn’t even leave until seven. I was expecting it to be near dark. I had been leaving the week before around six and that was about sunset. However, the sun was still a ways from setting and the sky was bright, but for a few clouds. For the first time since moving to Alaska, I had daylight on my commute to and from work!

 

When I first got to my village, I remember feeling a little off. I don’t know if that was because of the darkness, but I adjusted to it quickly. Being a fair skinned, strawberry blonde, I’ve always loved dawn and dusk. Midday sun has never been my friend. However, as we gain more sunlight with each passing day, there is nothing I love more than being able to pull up all my blinds surround myself with natural light…that and to take a walk during the day!

 

Where I used to only be able to see the sun during the weekend, I now get to appreciate it outside of school hours, during the week as well! It really does wonders for the spirit…and although we are looking at a month or two left of winter, spring is in the air!

 

HAPPY MARCH!