Seasonal Depressive Disorder?

Alaska is like a cure for depression, if only in the Summer. It's seems almost impossible to be down here. The long daylight hours just brighten your whole day. I haven't seen darkness for a bit now and it's wonderful. I don't even think that the consequential lack of sleep could make me grumpy at this point.

They should just start shipping people with Major Depressive Disorders up here. That doesn't solve any problems in the winter, but we could always ship them down to the Antarctic circle somewhere for the winter so they can have as much daylight as possible there. Seeing as there isn't anyplace for humans to live down there, I suppose the Falkland islands will have to do. I'm pretty sure the only human civilization in the Antarctic is research related. Maybe they should start researching depression down there. . .

okay, I'm done with that line of reasoning. I've actually wanted to go to the Falklands for some time now. It's one of the most active Aurora Australis areas. I've wanted to see it for as long as I can remember, but it isn't the type of thing that you can plan a vacation around. It happens when it happens, so I figure I should go to the place that's accessible and where I'd have the most chance of seeing it, which seemed to be the Falkland Islands. The Falklands also have some other awesome things I'd like to see. I've researched that sort of travel and you can take cruises down there, but they're expensive. I used to be bummed that I couldn't afford to go to Alaska and see it the way I wanted to see it, and look where I am now! Who knows, maybe I'll meet a crazy scientist who needs a Me to go down there and be Me while they do research or something. I'm thinking I might never make it to the Falklands, but I also thought I'd never make it to Alaska on my terms, either.

I also want to stay at the Ice Hotel in Sweden partly because of Aurora Borealis. Even without Aurora I'd probably still want to go there. It sounds awesome. Look into it if you've never heard of an Ice Hotel. just google ice hotel sweden and make sure you click on the little winter link on their site. The swift waters of the nearby river make the ice freeze crystal clear, so once enough has frozen in the fall/winter, they start cutting away blocks and they build a hotel out of them. They've gotten really creative with it, too, shipping in different artists to design a guest room each. Every year it's different. There are lights and there's even a bar in the hotel serving drinks in glasses made of ice. . . because they can. They say the only reason they have a refrigerator is to keep the mixers from freezing solid. When you arrive at the hotel they give you standard issue hats, mittens, winter boots and a snowsuits with the price of your room. In the morning they wake you up with a cup of hot lingonberry juice. . . whatever that is.

To the cold blooded it sounds pretty horrible, I'm sure. I'd stand a little cold for an experience like that - in a heartbeat. They have cabins onsite, too, so you can wimp out if you want to just see the hotel. There's lost more they do, too, like sled rides into the woods where you stay overnight with some natives and eat a traditional dinner with them, which I'm sure is some sort of reindeer something or other. Which reminds me, they don't have a sausage guy in downtown Anchorage, they have a reindeer dog guy. I'll have to try one today and get back to you on that one.

So many places to see, so little time. Maybe it isn't just Alaska that's the cure for depression, maybe it's just travel in itself. If I was gung ho about religion I could see the world as a missionary. I think that's how Frenchy has seen a lot of the world. I'm so all set with that, though. I wouldn't be a very good religion salesman. To say the least.