Flight is Cancelled

Cedar Rapids has had a heavy fog for the past few day.  Delta, the airline we are taking has been cancelling all the flights out of Cedar Rapids for the past two days because of the fog.  Yay for warm weather, right?  The evening news says we will have fog until at least tomorrow evening.  This interferes with our first leg of our flight to Minnesota.  We are now going to drive to Minnesota in the morning to catch our flight to Anchorage.  This puts a little extra stress on the move but I think we will make it through.

Packing

The airline allows one checked bag under 50 pounds for every passenger.  It also allows one under the seat bag and one overhead bag.  So I have three bags I can pack. I have two large duffel bags, one large suitcase, a medium duffel for overhead, and a book bag for under the seat.

I have stuffed my three large bags with clothes and kitchen items such as glasses, pots and pans, and of course plates and silverware.  My total combined weight for the three bags is 143.8 lbs.  I plan on moving some of my heavy stuff in my carry ons. I haven't packed these two bags yet but I am planning on putting a few books, my laptop, an extra coat, and an air mattress.  Anything that doesn't fit in the bags isn't coming right now.  I also have packed two smaller boxes to be shipped to me later when I have an address. I am starting to get really excited about this move.

Unpacking

I am now home from school and I keep avoiding unpacking.  I got all of my stuff home in one trip and pretty much all of it in my SUV and a couple of boxes in the other car.  I attempted to get rid of as much stuff as a could prior to moving back home but I had trouble parting with some things.

I have pretty much everything put away but only after I went through all my clothes again and made a big Goodwill pile.   Unpacking has been taking a while because, one, I don't really want to do it, and two, I don't have as much storage space in my room because my mom uses my closet for some storage. In the top of my closet I have three boxes of childhood toys and stuffed animals.  In my closet I have Halloween costumes, prom dresses and first communion dresses.  I would store some stuff under by bed but my bed frame is too low to store a whole lot. As I've been unpacking I have been attempting to throw away and donating unnecessary belongings. I'm pretty sure I will be able to fill my mom's trunk.  Now that I am pretty much unpacked the next step will be to unpack.

The End of my Iowa State Career

The first step in moving on is ending the current chapter.  I absolutely loved my time at Iowa State and in my various groups including the Marching Band and my Sorority they made huge impacts in my life and I would be so lonely without them.

I am third flag from the left in the back =)

Finals are pretty much over.  I had a very easy week for finals week thank goodness.  I had a debate, a take home test, and my only real final exam is on Friday morning.  I'm not super concerned about this final but I will make sure I do my studying tonight for it.

My last day at Financial Aid is tomorrow morning before my test.  I really enjoyed my time there and I'm really going to miss it.  I assume most people reading this blog know I worked for Financial Aid since May of 2007 and an office assistant.  Everyone is so awesome I feel spoiled working there =).

My college's graduation ceremony is Friday afternoon/early evening and my family is coming up for it.  I have my gown hanging up reminding me I need to iron it which I keep avoiding.  More pictures will be posted soon.

I have to move out of my house unfortunately tomorrow too =(.  I have been living there for what seems to be forever.  In the process I have accumulated a lot of stuff that is now sitting in a box in the foyer that says free.  If you need any lotion or body spray let me know. I am attempting to get rid of stuff that I won't be moving and has no sentimental value.  I don't get to move a whole lot with me.  We are looking at taking two big suitcases on the plane and mailing a box or two later.

Interesting Facts about Fairbanks

1. It never has 24 hours of dark or 24 hours of light.  It always has at least 4 hours of change.
2. The median age is 26.
3. Alaska's sport is dog mushing (There are 4 annual races in Fairbanks)
4. Ice Road Truckers go as far south as Fairbanks.
5. There are 32,000 people in Fairbanks.
6. The Chena hot springs are just north of Fairbanks
7. One of the most common traffic accidents is hitting a moose.
8. The University of Alaska is in Fairbanks
9. The International Curling Bonspiel is in Fairbanks every year in April ever since 1935
10. Fairbanks is North of North Pole, Alaska

I am moving to Alaska

One of the wonder women at Financial Aid mentioned I should write a blog about my adventure in Alaska. She said it would be a good way for everyone to see how I am.  The idea stuck and now here it is!

For those that don't know I am working at Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks Alaska as a Lead Teacher in the Child Development Center on base.  I will be flying to Anchorage on Dec 31 and then flying to Fairbanks on Jan 1 with my mom and dad.  They will coming back to Iowa a week later.  My sister wanted to come but she is taking J-term classes.

Right now I am apartment hunting.  This has been a long process for me.  In Ames, you sign a lease at least nine months in advance.  In Fairbanks, landlords don't want to talk to you until three weeks before you want to move in.  I have been checking out craigslist daily and I have also been checking out the AHRN website that helps military members and civilians find housing.  

There is some cheaper housing in Fairbanks, they are called cabins.  Cabins come in two different styles dry and semi dry.  A semi-dry cabin has running water but no sewage.  This means there is an outhouse right out side to use.  A dry cabin has no water and no sewage.  I am going to avoid these apartments.

For the most part it looks like landlords pay for heat and water while the tenant pays for electricity.  Heating in Alaska isn't gas or electric, it's oil.  My understanding is natural gas is harder to come by and oil isn't.