Chasing the Aurora: Chena Hot Springs Resort

I stumbled upon this place while researching tours to check off Life List #7: See an Aurora. I was on the fence about booking a multi-day tour with the premium price it punched, versus winging it and not having the complimentary aurora phone call in the middle of the night. But as I perused their itineraries, I stole shamelessly what sounded like fun - including and probably most importantly, the Chena Hot Springs Resort. Now, those tours only did a day visit or one night stay, whereas doing it on my own meant I could stay for multiple nights. So when I finally decided to make the trip, that's exactly what I did. Unfortunately, the rooms with bathrooms were booked up except for one or two nights so I ended up mixing and matching a little - one room for one night and another room for two more nights. But, that afforded me the opportunity to stay in two different lodges, albeit similar.

Before even arriving at the resort, I got pretty excited because the lady at the rental car counter told me she goes regularly for an evening soak, dinner at the restaurant and aurora viewing after. And she said the Northern Lights had been great recently, which I was thrilled to hear, of course. Anyways, always a good sign for the locals to praise a place.

Getting there from the Fairbanks Airport was quite easy in a rental car - its mostly straight on one road for about an hour through wooded landscapes spotted with ponds, lakes and rivers. Signs warn of moose, horses and even dog sled teams.

The first thing that impressed me when I pulled in through the one-lane bridge was how little it felt gimmicky or tourist-trappy. It was sprawling and there were a couple well-placed signs directing where to go, but other than that, it could almost have been a private residence or a simple small business from the looks of it.

I checked in easily and was given a real key (not a key card), which I actually prefer because I've had too many instances of the key card getting demagnetized or just not working and it's such a hassle! I decided to check out the lodge and locate my room before lugging all my stuff in, so I stopped in at the Moose Lodge first. My room was on the second floor so I walked the length of the floor hoping to find an elevator. With no such luck, I knew I'd have to carry my suitcase up the steps. Not my favorite thing to do, but that's why I packed lightly. Actually in hindsight, since I'd be moving rooms after the first night, I should have just packed what I needed for the one night into my backpack. But I wasn't really sure what I'd need in all fairness, so here we are.

 

The hallway was very warm, like they were overcompensating for the cold by pumping extra heat into the lodge. I wasn't going to complain, though. I did think it was funny when I got to my room and the fan was on and the window was cracked. I got settled into my room and responded to some messages while I debated what to do first. But it was clear, I couldn't wait to get into the hot springs! I slipped into my bathing suit but then faced a funny dilemma - how does one dress appropriately to go swimming but also not freeze while in transit to the pool when its 44 outside? So I basically put back on the clothes I'd been wearing all day over my swimsuit.

After signing the required waiver, I got my towel and headed to the women's locker room. I wasn't sure what I could or should bring into the pool with me, so I left my phone and pretty much everything in the locker, bringing just a bottle of water and the towel. I showered in my bathing suit real quick and then headed outside - wow that's a cold walk! I made it worse by going to the wrong way despite signs that are fairly clear - I got myself to the outdoor hot tub first and it was quite crowded and not what I wanted anyways, so I got myself turned around and headed to the big outdoor hot spring pool.

Stepping in, the water was HOT! It turns out, the whole pool is not that hot, but by certain rocks it is much hotter, including the ramp entering the pool. The pool was very large - probably 4 or 5 times the size of my backyard pool. There were maybe 20 people in there in their little groups and it felt very spacious. What I didn't expect was that the floor of the pool was loose rocks. Not pokey, thank goodness, although some parts were harder.

The soak was glorious! Getting out was rough because you have to once again subject yourself to the biting cold of the outdoors, and those tiny towels were not blocking any of the wind. I decided at a later time that the key was just to soak in the heat for so long that your body maintains the heat and is happy for the cool, crisp air.

After showering, I headed back to my room to get ready for dinner. The restaurant does not take reservations and the wait has been consistent in my experience here, but there is thankfully plenty of comfortable seating in the lobby, bathrooms and a gift shop to make the wait time more bearable or even productive. The food is pretty average - not bad but not anything to rave about. But they have a wide selection, which is great, and you're kind of a captive audience with very few options (if any - I couldn't find any on Google) nearby. If you're on a bit of a budget, it is definitely worth it to bring your own food, especially non-perishable items. There is a microwave in the Activities Center, although the rooms do not have fridges or microwaves.

I was so tired I could barely stay up to do anything, so I called it a night but set my alarm clock for 1:30 am with hopes of seeing the Northern Lights then. I got up dutifully when my alarm went off, although I could see nothing promising out my window. I took my car keys and drove out about 8 miles or so to one of the trailhead parking lots to see if I getting away from the resort would yield any sightings. However, not being totally committed, I was wearing flip-flops and did not have too many layers on, and I got cold quickly. It didn't help that in the total darkness next to the woods, hearing noises behind me totally creeped me out - is it a bear? A wolf? So I gladly got back in the car, but rolled down the window and sat there for a little while longer to give myself a little more time to see something. No dice, and not really even sure if I was in a good position or "doing it right", I gave up and headed back to the hotel. I crashed back into bed with my next alarm set for 6:30.

I woke up the next morning and got ready to go back to the hot springs pool which opens at 7. I wasn't the first one in, but there were only about five or six of us for the first few hours of the morning. Having engaged in a conversation with a local, Rufus, who may or may not have been trying to woo me, I stayed in about two and a half hours - whoops! Instead of going back to my room to shower and get ready, I had brought a fresh set of clothes and toiletries with me, so I basically did all my getting ready there in the locker room. I never ended up using the shower in my hotel room!

Before returning to my room, I stopped by the Activities Center and booked the Aurora Tour from 9:30 pm to 2:30 am that night, as well as the Ice Museum tour for 1 pm. The latter would give me something to do while being "roomless", and the former gave me a much better chance of seeing whatever there was to be seen in the night's sky.

Back at my room, I packed up my stuff and brought it to my car just in time to check out of that room. I left my stuff in the car which actually was quite convenient as I didn't have to go all the way back to my room when I wanted to grab something or drop things off.  

I bought a soda and Gatorade from the cafe and hung out in the Activity Center which was actually quite entertaining and informative. The staff there were really knowledgeable and I learned that there is a dog sledding excursion but you can also just go to the dog yard and pet the dogs. They provided recommendations for hikes of varying lengths and abilities, and talked about the wildlife one may encounter. One activity I passed on but sounded somewhat interesting is the Geothermal Plant Tour.

In preparation for the Ice Museum Tour, I grabbed some extra layers and gloves from my car and returned to the Activity Center to pick up the tour there. The sculptures and architecture sculpted from ice was quite impressive, although to be honest, I was expecting more statues like the award-winning horse sculpture that was in there. Still, it was a fun time, and very cold, as promised. The optional add-on of an Apple Martini served in an ice glass was one of my favorite parts, perhaps because I was quite dehydrated from the hot springs soak that morning (Rufus had offered me water but I declined) and started biting my empty ice glass to get some water. Nevertheless, those of us with glasses partook in the tradition we were informed of, to take the glass out to the parking lot, make a wish, and throw the glasses down to shatter. 

I dropped a couple layers back at my car, and spent some time wandering around the nature trail and then to the dog yard. Unfortunately, the dogs we were allowed to pet were limited to those up for adoption and only if they showed interest. I walked around and most of them were just sleepy and bored looking. One seemed interested but when I approached to pet the pup he or she cowered away. Then one finally got excited about me and tried jumping on me. So I got her to jump up on the box they all have as a little home, and gave her lots of love. In trying to take a selfie, she gave me kisses.

Check in time is technically 4 pm but around 2:30 I headed over to the front desk and asked if it was possible to check in early and sure enough my new room was ready. My thought was to get settled and try to nap all afternoon so as to be able to stay awake for the Aurora Tour. I lugged my suitcase to the room in the far building for the Fox Lodges. Each building is just four rooms connected by one small corridor from the entrance. The nice thing is that there are no stairs. But the rooms are definitely more basic than the Moose Lodge. Still, it was sufficient and I was glad to have a bathroom. Of course, as it seems to go for me, I laid down for my nap and struggled for about two hours during which I don't think I ever got to sleep. I finally relented and got up. I went for a late dinner but started to get anxious as it got closer to tour time since I still needed to added my layers back on (and then some). It worked out, though, I had plenty of time and got to the Activities Center to claim a seat on the bench while I waited with 64 new friends.

I joke, but truthfully I feel I did make some friends on that long and exhilarating tour. First of all, humorously, during role call, my name was called, "Laura, party of 1," and the young woman next to me raised her hand, then "Laura P, party of 1," and I was acknowledged, although obviously I was the first Laura party of 1. Both of us were put into the Bear vehicle with the leading tour guide Alexi (I think?), along with Vanessa and Ethan from Kentucky whom I had met on the Ice Museum Tour earlier that day, a couple from Guatemala, a couple from Mexico City, and another couple. With a half hour trek crammed in these arctic tanks, and a half hour back, plus time in the yurt together, we definitely got to know each other. But I am getting ahead of myself.

So obviously we loaded into the little arctic tanks (I'm not sure what they're called but that seems fitting enough) and it was a bit of a bumpy ride with no snow to soften the lack of shocks. But it was warm
enough, especially with the body heat of my fellow passengers in such tight quarters. I think the worst part of the trip is that we were seated perpendicular to the direction of travel and going uphill, so I felt like I was using one oblique side of my abs only and it was wearing me out. There were bars on the ceiling which seemed secure enough, although I wasn't entirely sure if they were meant to be grab bars. But they were cold so you didn't want to grip them for long, plus gripping them puts your arms in an uncomfortable position and blocks your conversation a bit. Nevertheless, not a bad trip, and at least we can chalk it up to an experience!

I had no idea what to expect on this tour - if we'd be going to multiple spots, for example. Turns out, no, they just take us to a specific spot where they have two large yurts set up and nicely heated, with folding chairs. There were two portapotties which were spacious, heated and had nice smelly candles. Once they gave us the rundown, they set us loose to basically do what we wanted for several hours. They played music in the "main" yurt and served complimentary hot beverages and noodles at request. Obviously, the main attraction would be if/when the Aurora appeared, and they said they would make it obvious so we didn't have to be out there watching. We were allowed to bring our chairs out if we wanted. Once we were set loose, many people lined up for beverages or headed outside.

I decided to just sit for a bit and buckle down until I decided to do something different. I don't think it was ten minutes, maybe not even five, before our driver popped his head through the door and said, "Umm, yeah so the Northern Lights have started." So non-chalantly! I thought they'd be yelling it triumphantly!

It wasn't much when it started, but it lasted for the remainder of the time we were out there, putting on more of a show after midnight and even more so right as we left. The first few times I went out with my chair and set up my tripod and made a time of it. But it was really cold and getting colder, so each time I went in and back out again, I brought less, until it was just me and my tripod, leaving my bag and chair in the yurt. At one break from the cold, I had some hot chocolate, and another, I had the noodles, adding Sriracha to my liking. There were periodic meteors shooting also, which made me wonder what the chances would be of capturing one in my pictures of the Aurora.

Imagine my joy when, and I'm not even sure how this happened, my phone captured a one second video of the Aurora dancing and a meteor shooting! It was absolutely beautiful, and if I wasn't already elated from just seeing the Northern Lights, that just quadrupled my excitement. I was so excited when I saw it as I was looking at my pictures in the yurt, but then I looked around and didn't see anyone to share it with. Finally, some of my group came in and I got to show them what I had captured excitedly. They all agreed it was pretty awesome and we exchanged contact info so I could share it with them once we were back in a service area.

Ethan and Vanessa admired all my photos and were struggling to take decent ones holding their iPhone in their hands. I encouraged them to take my tripod and use that, and they were grateful at how much better their pictures turned out and even took some pictures of themselves. I joined them and they were able to get a couple pictures of me and then I did some better ones of them on my phone.

On the way back, those from my group who hadn't yet seen my pictures got to see them, especially the meteor one, and they all shared in my excitement. It was a bit colder so we turned on the heater and while some of them seemed cold still, I was quite comfy in my layers. We got back to the Activity Center and wearily bid adieu and I headed to my cabin to go to bed. I was surprised at how awake I was and that I hadn't nodded off once - I supposed to adrenaline of the experience had kept me going. I couldn't wait to post the pictures so I got the post started, knowing on the slow wifi it would take a while to post, and finally went to bed.

And well, mission accomplished! For the short remainder of my stay, I enjoyed more of the hot springs and the outdoor hot tub, ate at the restaurant and mostly kicked back in my room, reading, napping and writing.  

If you're considering a trip to the Fairbanks area to see the Northern Lights, definitely plan to come during the peak season. And if you aren't a fan of the cold, the hot springs resort is an incredible option. The tour was great, too! 

Luxe Yosemite

One of my newest life objectives is to see the Milky Way with the naked eye. I mean really see it, like those gorgeous long exposure pictures but irl. I've been searching for opportunities for a few years, missing optimal conditions and being disappointed by the non-results. The now-ex and I had gone up to Yosemite but stayed at an AirBnB in the hills just outside of the park, which I thought would still be close enough but the light pollution from the small town was still too much. We did enjoy a luxurious hot tub outside and listening to the wild turkey calls, and we hiked around the park and climbed a waterfall, so the trip wasn't a let down by my standards, we just failed to see the Milky Way. We also took a trip to Bryce Canyon and had a ton of good hiking fun in that park. We even returned to the park after dark in hopes of seeing the Milky Way, but it was still very much a no-go. This past year as a newly single woman, I camped at Amboy Crater twice and booked a stargazing and astrophotography session at the top of the mountain in Maui, still to no avail. The Hawaii native photographer kept commenting how she has never seen the sky this unclear. I assured her, its me, I'm the problem, its me.

So now I'm attacking my quest with more intention, trying to have plans to be in a dark sky site for every new moon, or at least the weekend closest to the new moon. January was Amboy Crater again. And while the stars were pretty dazzling at Amboy Crater, I didn't get the full effect I expect from a Milky Way shot.

For February, I made plans to go back to Yosemite, this time staying in the park. There are a number of options and I don't mind roughing it usually, but I do get up and use the bathroom a lot so I wasn't too excited about the cabins that had communal bathrooms some distance away outside. Instead I opted for the high end option at the Ahwahnee. And if you've followed some of my adventures before, you know that when I go high end, I kinda go all out high end. So I booked the King room with a balcony. Usually hotels have several of these types of rooms if they have any. Here, not so much it seems. I'm basing that on the comment the waiter said to me when I gave him my room number to charge to. But I'm jumping ahead, let me get to that later.

From my home in Palmdale, CA, the drive to Yosemite was just around 6 hours. So, I could easily drive up there early in the day Friday, do some hiking or have down time, stay over night and hopefully get the view I'm after from my balcony, do some hiking in the morning and head home Saturday evening. That was my theory, anyways. And I was glad I planned it that way, because I ended up taking a business / househunting trip leaving early Sunday morning. The Saturday before my Yosemite trip, I checked the weather forecast for Yosemite for my planned trip dates and it showed snow and overcast. I was extremely disappointed, realizing that meant absolutely no chance of a Milky Way appearance, and snow deterred my desire to hike or even drive there. I tried calling to cancel, although I did notice that the reservation said 7 day cancellation policy. Canceling was a no-go, as the somewhat rude personnel informed me on the phone that weather was not a valid reason. So, knowing I wouldn't get my money back, I debated forfeiting it rather than drive up there in the snow by myself and risking wasting my time having a bad time. But as the week went on, the weather forecast changed from snow to just overcast. Still not promising to see any lights in the sky, but at least the danger of icy conditions seemed to lessen.

I decided to go and make the most of it, as I am prone to do, even if that meant driving to the lodge, bundling up under the covers and enjoying my view from indoors. Nadine advised me that I might need chains for my tires and indeed I saw some warnings to that effect, but nothing certain. I decided better safe than sorry, so the first thing I did after packing my car up was to stop at Walmart and get chains. I had no idea it was so complicated, but luckily I was able to goggle sufficient (I think) info about my car to get the right set and they were in stock. I never had to use them, so I guess I technically don't know for sure I got the right ones, but we'll just assume I did my diligence.

That hurdle seemingly behind me, I headed towards Yosemite. I listened to my audiobook for a good portion of the trip (this is a great way to make use of your time on long road trips)! It occurred to me, and not sure how it hadn't registered in my brain before, that one of the warnings in the Yosemite park's page was about the influx of traffic due to the February "Firefall." I looked up more information and found that yes, this weekend was the first anticipated possible sighting. The phenomenon lasts only a few moments, and conditions would have to be just right. Some websites said the sky had to be completely void of clouds, which I knew would be unlikely given the overcast forecast. But other sites showed pictures of the Firefall with clouds in the background - so clearly it didn't have to be totally, umm, clear.

Not getting my hopes up, I decided to at least try to locate where the possible Firefall would show and do some hiking in and around the area before checking in to my hotel. The websites made it sound like you had to get there really early to "claim your spot" for the viewing, so I didn't want to risk losing my "spot" by checking in to the hotel. Also, I thought there was a good chance that once I was in my room, I wouldn't want to leave my bed.

But it was also chilly outside - there was snow in parts of the park. I put my snow boots on thinking I'd just meander a bit, not quite ready for a full on hike. I ended up meandering for over 3 miles and, not wearing socks, my feet were starting to get a little sore in the boots. As the sunset drew closer, the clouds hadn't budged so I knew it was really unlikely that the Firefall would show at this point. Still, my FOMO (and frankly, not having anything really better to do other than unwind in my hotel room) kept me out there just in case the clouds suddenly parted.

For those that do want to pursue the Firefall, here are some tips I learned, at least based on the 2024 season.

• Entrance to the park is by reservation only Saturdays and Sundays during the peak Firefall weekends in February. But if you enter Friday as I did and stay at lodging in the park, then you don't have to worry about that.
• It's a 1.5 mile walk (one way) to the designated viewing area from the optimal parking lot. The park had lots of signs stating no stopping along the route to pickup/drop off passengers, but they did make a nice walkway out of half the road.
• The viewing area is a small field so you can bring a chair or blanket to sit on, otherwise you're probably going to be standing for a while and then hiking back the 1.5 miles.

Finally, I made my way to the Ahwahnee. It was valet parking only, so I did my best to juggle all the bags and things I wanted to bring in. I assume, after a 6 hour drive and then hiking and carrying in all my stuff, I must have looked a bit frazzled because the front desk personnel did not seem interested in helping me. Their attitude changed noticeably when they realized which room I was checking into. The keys to the rooms are not like those credit card-like keys that are so common, but rather old-school metal keys which is kind of neat.

Before heading to my room, I stopped by the Dining Hall hostess and asked if I could get a reservation for about an hour out - she said she'd put me on the wait list and it would be about an hour, so that was perfect. I figured I'd go shower and clean myself up a bit and then have a nice dinner and cocktails.

I took the pretty ancient elevator up to the fourth floor and not too far down its own hallway was my epic room 450. The room itself had a lot of old world charm much like the whole hotel. Not particularly my style, but definitely over-the-top, everywhere you look.

It took me a while to negotiate the double dutch doors out to the balcony but that was the biggest surprise. The balcony was GINORMOUS! I mean, this wasn't a 4 x 6 balcony. This was a deck with multiple couches, tables and chairs and gorgeous views 270 degrees. It looked like the outdoor seating area for an entire restaurant or bar. I think it was strangely shared with one other room, but there were no other doors leading to it so at worst it was a giant party balcony shared between two rooms. 

 

I hopped in the shower and got ready to head downstairs, figuring I'd go to the gift shop or bar if the restaurant wasn't quite ready. But in perfect timing, the text came through that my table was ready as I was waiting for the elevator. I assumed I had never been in the restaurant before, but as soon as I walked in I realized that my ex and I had gone there for lunch in our previous trip to Yosemite. Nevermind that, since I wasn't driving anywhere, I intended to have some delicious cocktails and a nice dinner in this gorgeous hall. And that is exactly what I did! For my first cocktail, I ordered the Inspiration Point. Then I went to the buffet and loaded up my plate. While the food was all good, I have to say that the mac 'n cheese had something a little magical about it and was hands down the best mac 'n cheese I've ever had (and I think I am a bit of a connoisseur, so that is a big statement).

I went back to get a few things for dessert, and I got my Firefall after all - in the form of a delicious cocktail. It was a hot chocolate spiked with a chili liquor. It was so sweet it was almost hard to drink, but very delicious.

In the morning, I grabbed a hot chocolate to go from the bar downstairs, and then retreated back to my room. I tried enjoying the breathtaking view on my gigantic balcony, but it was still a bit too chilly to really get comfortable. My windows had fogged up but I was able to wipe it off from the inside, so I enjoyed a not-so-complete view from my bed while I read and did some things on my phone.

When I was a bit more awake, I decided to explore the hotel a bit more. My first stop was the gift shop, and then I checked out the Solarium and the Mural Room. As it got close to checkout time, I packed my stuff up, checked out and called for my car at the valet. I still drove around quite a bit, still enjoying the park, but didn't feel up for any further hiking. I ended up on the other side of the park and exited that way, which was a little weird but seemed to put me closer to home, so couldn't complain about that. 

Anyways, if you want the most baller balcony ever, go for the "Featured Hotel Rooms - King" and book far in advance.

A Year in Review: 2023

I set out at the beginning of this year to focus on four themes, which I'll summarize as:
(1) Live intentionally
(2) Re/connect deeply
(3) Get outdoors & "into" space
(4) Create ease

These four items have been starring at me from my little letterboard on my mantle, in plain view when I'm sitting in my favorite recliner sofa seat and where any guests can easily see it. I think I've done a pretty damn good job of all of them, although of course I could always do more.

Live intentionally

I started this year with a bad boss and was able to secure a position with a fantastic manager. That was a big deal for me; although it was a very tough decision in the moment, as time went on it proved to be one of the best decisions I could have made. Some ideas I had originated when I set my 2023 themes were also directly accomplished. I bought land, specifically 2.5 acre in the Mojave desert - I just absolutely fell in love with the location, situated just up to a mountain and looking down on the valley but isolated enough I could camp there and not see a single soul. Book and plan a vacation also was done in spades, I'd say. I just came back from a terrific holiday in Maui with my whole family, which I had largely coordinated. I had also had a great time in Las Vegas with A.J. while we were seeing each other, and then with Deric shortly after we became a couple. A fantastic trip to Colorado in August ties to the next theme, reconnecting with a childhood friend, Laura. I spent over a week in North Carolina with my sister, continuing our tradition of being the first to visit when one of us moves. I completed my downstairs bathroom wallpapering and installed a new light, and completed my master WC wallpapering. Some of the other ideas, though, weren't accomplished or adhered to, such as increasing my health routine discipline, having a mindfulness weekend retreat and a blog-a-thon. I'd still like to do those things regularly, and they would probably be good for my stress and health as I face new uncertainties next year.

Re/connect deeply

I've never been very good at maintaining relationships, but I did make an effort this year. The most triumphant being spending a week or so with my childhood friend, Laura, in her home in Colorado Springs. We had been friends in first and second grade, she lived only a few houses away from me, but after I moved away and even when I moved back, we had never really been close. We even went to the same high school and our circles of friends loosely intersected, but her and I were mostly acquaintances I'd say. Through one positive example in a world of negatives, I would credit social media for helping us to reconnect, as we followed each others' adventures and talked about getting back together some time, and this was the year I finally made good on that notion. I think we were both a little nervous about suddenly spending so much time together after years of barely knowing each other, but we had a brilliantly hilarious time and vowed not to wait so long to do it again. I also tried reconnecting with long-time friend and short-lived romantic partner, Rick, and we did have dinner one night while I was in Arizona for a charity walk I've tried to do with Allison most years, but that relationship still feels strained. It was great, of course, to see Allison, and she's another one I’d like to be a better friend to. Also on that visit, I went to swing dance with my favorite instructors, and they made me feel like a celebrity returning home. One of my previously favorite dance partners there, Miguel, encouraged me to go to Camp Hollywood and I knew I should, since dancing was also a thing I was investing more of my time into. I am so glad he encouraged me to do - it was amazing and I'm already booked for next year.

I also did a lot of dating this year, trying to find my next Mr. Right and it's been tougher than I imagined. I've had a lot of great memories and far too many
heartbreaking let downs. When I started this blog long ago, it was a dating blog, and I thought it would be fun to return it to one being single, but when I reflect on it, dating was fun back then and it has a more serious tone to it now. I'm not dating to make fun of it, I want to find my someone and that doesn't feel like something I want to poke fun at. Well, after months of ups and downs on the dating front, I am now with Deric, who may not be perfect, but he's at least my Mr. Right Now.

Get outdoors and "into" space

I never imagined how much of nature and space I would do this year. Shortly after the year started, by mere happenstance as far as I can tell, I saw a post - was it an

ad? - inviting volunteers to support the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve. I knew about the reserve - my sister and I had visited it out of season but I had missed the blooms the prior year. I mentioned it to one of my employees who happened to be traveling for work with me when I saw the post, and she got so excited about it I cemented the idea in my head that this would be a great thing to do. And it was! I loved my trailwatch shifts - four hours, and I usually hiked about 5 miles, stopping to educate guests or take pictures for them. It was a great way to get my butt out of the house and into nature, and I intend to do it as long as I live here. I even got to bring several friends and employees out with me!

I did also do the space-y things I wanted to do - I visited the Griffith Observatory as a sort-of date with Kevin during one of their events, Above, and started watching their monthly show All Space Considered. I also managed to finagle a private tour of the Lockheed Martin Space site in Littleton, Colorado during my personal trip there.

I also set out on several stargazing quests. In late January and early February, I was watching weather and visibility to find a time when I could perhaps see the green comet. Conditions were poor over and over again, until finally, towards the end of its time in our sky, I camped out on my land in Mojave and was able to capture a view of it through my binoculars. Later in the year, Nadine and I camped out at Amboy Crater and watched the Perseids and Orionids meteor showers, catching dozens of shooting stars and one fantastic fireball. I was not so fortunate in my last attempt - I had booked a private stargazing and astrophotography tour in Maui but when we climbed to the summit at 10,000 feet, the stars were barely out and were quickly covered up - no such luck at capturing the Milky Way as is usual up there. Nevertheless, I learned quite a bit about the relationship between the Hawaiians and the stars, how they navigated by the stars and drew the first celestial maps, and all stars have a Hawaiian name as homage to their contributions.

Create ease

I probably did the least of this - certainly not all the things I aspired to do. But I have utilized AI and automation in ways to make my life better, and that was the objective of the theme.

Life List Update

While many things went well this year, I was worried that this would be the first year since I started my Life List in which I wouldn't have completed at least one thing from my list. Many years I complete several items all in one big vacation, or I complete a few items from various little efforts. To be fair, many of the easier ones are completed and that leaves more difficult ones or items that are specific to a location to which I haven't yet traveled. But, after my nephew joined me in Maui, we decided to go hiking on Haleakala. So I made the trek in the convertible once again through the twists and turns, but this time in the daylight and with company, and when we stopped in the visitor center we learned that the local Ne ne birds are the most endangered species of goose. We spotted several of them both while hiking and while driving, and managed to take a few blurry pictures of them, which I'll consider as checking off Life List item #93: Photograph an endangered species. So not a minute too soon, December 21st was the day that ensured this was not the year in which I didn't complete something from my Life List.

Final reflections

There have been many years with drastic changes in jobs and where I lived, but this year seems like even more change even though I stayed put in Palmdale. Starting with ending a nearly 10 year relationship, reconnecting with old friends, a small job change, investing in my swing dancing like I hadn't in several years, and really just finding myself again has been tumultuous. I'm not sure that I've fully found myself yet, but perhaps that is an ongoing journey always. I've cried a lot, sometimes for silly reasons, sometimes because life is just stupid hard, and sometimes for no real
reason at all. But I've also had the best of people around me and great times, amazingly beautiful moments and laughter that made my cheeks hurt. And I guess that's what life is all about, isn't it? As the last year fully in my 30's, I can definitely say that I lived.