It's a lot more noticeable up here. Wednesday was the turning point of the year--3 hours and 42 minutes of actual daylight, the sun just skimming the horizon. The world has started turning back towards the sun. It's almost upstaging Christmas. Fairbanks is throwing down this weekend with the Celebration of Lights, complete with fireworks at 6 pm. The darkness definitely has its perks.
I celebrated by eating tamales. Like the light, these are in shorter supply than in Arizona.
A lot of people have problems with the darkness up here. The days can be interminable when you are up hours before the sun rises and hours after it sets. It doesn't get very bright, either--it's like a constant sunrise that blurs into sunset. I can see why so many people want to celebrate the turning point of the darkness.
To me, it underscores how much everything can change, especially up here. We go from four hours of daylight now to 21 hours of daylight six months from now. Temperatures can have a 30-degree difference between high and low temps, and have a 140 degree difference between the coldest day of winter and the hottest day of summer. It is flipping amazing.
If you're focusing on the darkness, or the cold, or the snow, or the distance, then you miss so much. That's my challenge to you as the days shift toward summer. Find the wonder in the little things--they'll change soon enough.
For those who want to get a better idea of the darkest "day" up here, take a look at UAF's timelapse video.
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