Winter Break

One of the many pros of being a full time student is the long breaks you have between semesters.  I took full advantage of having over a month off to get out of the frozen north and spend time with family and friends in Colorado and the East Coast.

Flower inside an ice sculpture (my favorite)

I had enough Alaska Airlines miles to purchase a round trip ticket to Colorado, though it took me a few flights to get there.  Four airports and threes planes later, Christy was picking me up in warm (comparatively) Denver.  The next day I was struck by how sunny it was so early in the morning.  The lessened amount of light in Anchorage hasn't really been a big issue for me so far, but it definitely is quite a bit different from the lower 48.  Not only did it get light early, but it was much much brighter than it gets in Alaska.  After spending the day shopping and watching Castle (something we would be doing a lot of on the trip), Christy and I went to the Botanic Gardens after dark to view the "Blossoms of Light."  The gardens were decorated in lights, ice sculptures, etc. that you could walk around and view.  It was a great way to spend the evening!  The next day Christy and I met up with Ridawn to grab lunch and watch a certain vampire movie.

Christy's favorite

Pavillion

Christy watching light display

The day before I flew on to Philadelphia, I spent the day in Denver, meeting up with Ridawn and Bryn for lunch, then later Christy and I went ice skating after she was done at work.  There is a little outdoor rink next to her building in downtown Denver, where it only cost $2 to rent skates.  We were pretty shaky the first couple of laps, but quickly got the hang of it again (though admittedly, I may have to give up on any ambitions of becoming a speed skater)!

Me

Christy.

The next day I got on yet another plane and flew to Philly.  I hadn't been home to Delaware in a couple years, and in that amount of time Mom and Dad have done a lot of work on the house - most notably the kitchen.  It looked great!  It was definitely nice to be home and get to spend time with the parents.  Dad and I went rock climbing at the Delaware Rock Gym (as I'm trying to get back into it and Dad wanted to try it out).  We ended up going back a couple more times during the trip.  It was great getting to climb with Dad!  I also had the chance to meet up with some high school friends who were in town - always fun to catch up.

Dad belaying

Dad climbing

Dad conquering the chimney

The Christmas tree at Rockefeller center.

On the 21st, Mom and I spent the day in New York.  It had been a few years since I had been to the city (though only a few weeks for Mom).  The main part of the trip was to see the Lion King on Broadway, but we fit a few other sights in as well.  After taking the train from Hamilton, NJ, we stopped at what we were told was the best pizza in NY.  It was certainly delicious, and grabbing a slice was the right way to start the day.  We then walked around taking in the holiday decorations, and we thought about going to the MOMA, but it was so crowded we decided to leave that for another time.  We made our way to Times Square, and after walking around decided to head to the theater to see the Lion King.  It was a spectacular show, and we both really enjoyed it.  Afterwards, we walked around the fashion district a bit - something Mom had some experience with from a previous trip to NYC.  Since I'm addicted to Project Runway, I was interested in checking out the Mood fabric store.  We had a little trouble finding it, but Mom was determined, and we eventually found it and got to check it out a bit.  We hadn't planned what to do for dinner, and instead of trying to find the right place to eat, we decided to just grab another slice of pizza at the place near Penn Station and catch an earlier train.  We made it back to Delaware without a hitch.  It was a great day in the city and I certainly enjoyed getting to spend it there with Mom!

Lights

Angels at Rockefeller Center

Times Square

Chase drawing the nativity scene and Beckett helping

The next day Christy arrived in Philadelphia, though unfortunately with a hurt back, something that would continue for the rest of our time in the East.  On the 23rd we packed up the Prius, and headed down to Vienna to spend Christmas at Jen's.  It was great spending time with Jen, Jason, and the boys.  Chase and Beckett are adorable, and a lot of fun to play with.  Christmas morning was exciting for Chase - he was even excited when he opened his superhero underwear ("Oh...my...gosh!").  Most evenings we enjoyed happy hour, trying out drinks like the sidecar and spiced manhattan - my new favorites!  This meant we were all in a good mood by the time dinner rolled around, and Christy's back would feel a little better too.  The dinners were all delicious and on a beautifully set table as we used Jen's (and Jason's) good china.  We decided to go into DC one day on the metro.  While most of the family went to the Smithsonian, I met up with Lissy at her place to meet her new little daughter, Margaret, and grab lunch.  It was a wonderful week with the family, and an assortment of superheroes.

The table

Beckett and I (Kate Beckett???)

Dad, Mom, Christy, and I finished up the year in Delaware where we watched more Castle among other things.  Dad I went disc golfing one day at BCSP, always a fun activity while in Delaware.  On New Year's day, Mom and Dad hosted a small party for the neighbors, and it was nice to meet those who are new since I've lived there, and to catch up with others I haven't seen in a long time.  The next day, it was time for Christy and me to fly back to Denver.

View from Peak 9 at Breck

I met up with Lindsey for breakfast before spending the weekend with Ridawn and Michael in Breckenridge.  I love Colorado mountain towns, and Breckenridge is definitely a great place to spend the weekend in the winter!  We met up with Dawne and Jason, and got some skiing in on Saturday before watching the Broncos game at the lodge.  It was chilly in the evenings, but we still enjoyed going to dinner in the town, then walking around a bit on our way back to the hotel.  When I win the mega millions lottery, I might just have to buy a condo in Breck!

Before I knew it, it was time to head back to Alaska.  I enjoyed the time I got to spend with Christy - and we celebrated the last night by having pizza and a cannoli (my first time trying a Christy favorite).  It was another three flights back to Anchorage, with a long layover in Juneau.  Definitely a strange layover, as there were no flights for hours in the afternoon, so I was left completely alone in the airport for 5 or so hours.  The security gates were closed, and there were no employees in sight for most of the time.  I made it back to Anchorage, where it has been very cold, and my car was buried under a ton of snow.  Classes have started again, and it's time to get back into the groove.  Picasa:  More Pictures.

Time to dig out the car.