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Abstract

re my keyboard, pondering words with meaning only to myself. I stretch my muscles and sit quietly, contemplating another day at the gym.<figure id="9c6c"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*zHqJ_83En8VoDQ57rDA5iQ.jpeg"><figcaption>Photograph by Author — View from the Stationary Bicycle Ketchikan Recreation Center</figcaption></figure>No Chairlift TodayI spend long hours working out every winter. Three hours is common on my days off. I look out the window at snow-capped mountains. I think of skiing, wishing I lived someplace with a chairlift nearby.No RoadsI found it unusual that there were few ski resorts in Alaska until I moved here. Not enough people make it profitable, and traveling to Alaska requires patience. I live three hundred miles from the nearest ski area. There is no road because I live on an island.Feeling At HomeI settle for the local gym and recreation center. I cannot complain because it is nice. They spent considerable time and money on building a place people would use. I feel at home there, and it is heated well.<figure id="85e9"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*d3vPuZav1prUDAiDeelUsA.jpeg"><figcaption>Photograph by Author — The Cardio Room Ketchikan Recreation Center</figcaption></figure>It Is 10 Degrees OutsideI look out the window as I ride the stationary bicycle. I see snow-capped mountains,

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bald eagles, and a beautiful forest dusted with snow. I crave the outdoors, but at 10 degrees, my California bones say maybe tomorrow.Mentally PreparingI exercised indoors today, knowing that summer is coming and days are getting longer. I prepare myself mentally and physically to survive the winter in Alaska. It takes dedication, determination, and perseverance.Defense Against LonelinessThe best defense against loneliness is keeping an active calendar. A dark, cold winter in Alaska can test the human spirit. Keeping yourself physically fit is just one of the obstacles you face. Keeping yourself busy helps maintain your sanity.Finding Creative OutletsI fill the hours with tasks, some man-made and others real. I read, write, and surf the internet, looking for creative outlets to satisfy my soul. I cook, clean, and watch stupid movies to pass the hours of lonely solitude.<figure id="fdfd"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*vTTZCCbjRHUJiKY3ip8YBA.jpeg"><figcaption>Photograph of Author by Author — My Winter Workout</figcaption></figure>My Winter WorkoutI need my winter workouts. They fill my day and fulfill my need for physical activity and human interaction. It is more than exercise; it is a way of life necessary to combat the cold, dark loneliness of winter life in Alaska. From Ketchikan, Alaska, with love and a winter workout.</article></body>

Living Alaska — The Winter Workout

It is 10 Degrees Outside

Photograph by Author — Downtown Ketchikan, Alaska. I see snow-covered mountains and think of skiing.

Think Snow

I love the cold, crisp days of winter. When the clouds roll away, they leave a beautiful blue sky, which means it is cold outside.

Each New Step

I step outdoors and hear the crunch of icy frost. I walk with trepidation, knowing that ice is slippery and bones are fragile. With each new step, I think of the California sunshine I gave to move here.

Alaska is Beautiful

In the wintertime, Alaska is beautiful, lonely, dark, and cold. You find solitude in the cold morning air and loneliness in the dark afternoons. People rush home before the onset of darkness to build a fire and break the chill.

A Companion of Warmth

I wish I had a fireplace; flickering flames provide a companion in warmth. The uncertainty of flames dancing in unison has the appearance of life. It breathes, it consumes, it crackles with life. My space heater purrs quietly, yet it exudes no character.

Pondering Words

I live in the modern world, with a high-speed connection, yet no worldly communication exists. I sit before my keyboard, pondering words with meaning only to myself. I stretch my muscles and sit quietly, contemplating another day at the gym.

Photograph by Author — View from the Stationary Bicycle Ketchikan Recreation Center

No Chairlift Today

I spend long hours working out every winter. Three hours is common on my days off. I look out the window at snow-capped mountains. I think of skiing, wishing I lived someplace with a chairlift nearby.

No Roads

I found it unusual that there were few ski resorts in Alaska until I moved here. Not enough people make it profitable, and traveling to Alaska requires patience. I live three hundred miles from the nearest ski area. There is no road because I live on an island.

Feeling At Home

I settle for the local gym and recreation center. I cannot complain because it is nice. They spent considerable time and money on building a place people would use. I feel at home there, and it is heated well.

Photograph by Author — The Cardio Room Ketchikan Recreation Center

It Is 10 Degrees Outside

I look out the window as I ride the stationary bicycle. I see snow-capped mountains, bald eagles, and a beautiful forest dusted with snow. I crave the outdoors, but at 10 degrees, my California bones say maybe tomorrow.

Mentally Preparing

I exercised indoors today, knowing that summer is coming and days are getting longer. I prepare myself mentally and physically to survive the winter in Alaska. It takes dedication, determination, and perseverance.

Defense Against Loneliness

The best defense against loneliness is keeping an active calendar. A dark, cold winter in Alaska can test the human spirit. Keeping yourself physically fit is just one of the obstacles you face. Keeping yourself busy helps maintain your sanity.

Finding Creative Outlets

I fill the hours with tasks, some man-made and others real. I read, write, and surf the internet, looking for creative outlets to satisfy my soul. I cook, clean, and watch stupid movies to pass the hours of lonely solitude.

My Winter Workout

I need my winter workouts. They fill my day and fulfill my need for physical activity and human interaction. It is more than exercise; it is a way of life necessary to combat the cold, dark loneliness of winter life in Alaska. From Ketchikan, Alaska, with love and a winter workout.