Fairbanks, AK
I bet you’re wondering… “Ashlee Haze, how in the HELL did you end up in Fairbanks, AK.” I am asking myself the same question.
Long story long, I came to Alaska back in October to visit a cousin who moved to Anchorage with her husband. I stopped online dating in Atlanta this year, so my new routine is to download an app whenever I am NOT in ATL.
I downloaded an app and was just about to delete it when I got a match. We started talking and video chatting and I mentioned I wanted to spend more time in Alaska in December. So he invited me on a date. Fairbanks is an hour's flight from Anchorage, so I made the trip. This marked my first time this far north, so here’s a bit about my experience.
What in the 90-day fiance, Ashlee Haze!?
I know, I KNOW. I’m a January Aquarius, so let’s not pretend this is off-brand. It is very much in alignment with who I’ve become- a person willing to try new things, and a lover girl through and through. I’d always said I’d leave ATL for love if it came to it. I’ll report back on that but so far, I’m having a great time. My new approach to dating is to take it slowly and keep my options open until it makes sense to close them. It might seem obvious, but it took me a minute to learn. It’s been an interesting experience for sure. I’m usually a “no pen pal/ no LDR” kind of gal. I’m glad I made an exception this time. Dating outside of your region is something I highly recommend if you can do it and aren’t happy with the dating pool where you are. Fortune favors the brave. Sometimes to get the fruit, you gotta go out on a limb.
Weather
It should come as no surprise that it’s snowy and cold here. I was not really prepared for how cold it gets. Tomorrow the temp will be about -20 degrees Fahrenheit. You read that correctly… it’s cold as shit. About 6 inches of snow fell Thursday nights, which brings the winter total to about 10” of snow accumulated and it will continue to pile up until spring or "breakup season” as they call it.
I bought a pair of ski gloves, a heated blanket, and thermal underclothes in preparation and packed my UGG snow boots and my down coat. However cold is cold to you, this place is certainly colder.
The Truth About Short Days
You’ve probably heard that in the winter it’s dark 24 hours in Alaska. That’s close to the truth, but not actually true. Since I’ve been here it’s been daylight from about 9:30 am-3:30 pm so it’s closer to 18 hours of dark. Either way, it is certainly something to get used to. I work remotely so I’m used to being home all day on a laptop. However, I’m used to driving regularly at home when I’m not working. Not here! I don’t know how to drive in the snow yet, so I’ve been a homebody which is a big difference (I’m a socialite back in ATL). If I decide to spend more winter time here I will DEFINITELY learn how to drive in the snow and I will change the lighting where I work.
Leaning into Comfort Food
The winter for me means a time to lean into comfort food. Being in the snow magnified that desire and I found myself reaching for eggo waffles instead of my Kodiak protein cakes. I’m still eating my veggies but I definitely have been wanting carbs since I got here. Again, if I spend more time here I’ll figure out a balanced routine. I decided to treat this like a cabin trip- time for rest, rejuvenation, and food that sticks to your bones.
Since I’ve been here, I’ve had some pretty good food.
Sushi is my favorite food so it was the first local fare I tried. I had a rainbow roll and king crab rangoon from Fushimi. Ordered it via Uber Eats. 8.5/10
I had the chicken-fried steak breakfast from Fender’s. The atmosphere was super homey and they had Sunday football on the screens. Here you can get alcohol before 9am so there’s quite a bit of people sitting at the bar for breakfast. Next time I would get the gravy on the side but all in all, 8/10 breakfast.
I had some really great Chinese food at Pagoda. I got the shrimp and mixed veggies but the beef eggroll was the star of the show for me. Probably a 9/10 for Chinese food. I was pleasantly surprised.
Look at the Moon!!
I am almost always looking at the night sky. This week, the moon is a full and rare cold moon. Leading up to it, the optics in Alaska are unbelievable. I was able to get great views of the moon during the day and at night the sky was spectacular (when it wasn’t overcast). This trip definitely piqued my interest in night sky photography. Maybe I’ll explore that more down the line.
Would you come back?
For sure! I hear you can get great views of the Northern Lights here and in the summer the trails and mountains are gorgeous. Although winter seems harsh, if you have someone to get through it with and a good routine it can be peaceful. Who knows what the future holds? maybe I’ll spend longer stretches here. For now, I can check it off my list.