Back in the lower 48, I was a trendy dresser. Not that I was a style guru or really even knew how to dress for my body type, but I would buy disposable clothing from younger, cheaper, flashier clothing stores. Pieces that wouldn’t last the season, let alone a few months. But they were cheap and I was broke and it worked for the time being.
When I was getting ready to move to Nome, our Outreach Coordinator Laura sent out an email with FAQ’s and gear suggestions, since most of us new volunteers had never really experienced extreme Alaskan weather. I remember reading her disclaimer “It’s just nice to know ahead of time what might be useful, in case you have any of these things already…” I looked at my closet and realized I owned none of these things already. I had spent the previous winter in New York City, running from my apartment to the subway to work and back, minimizing any time I spent outside to as little as possible. Therefore, I could get away with layering socks under a pair of department store leather boots, throw on a khaki coat, and call it “winter gear.”
But real winter gear is expensive! I guess what I’m realizing is, I have to take the elements and myself more seriously here in Alaska. A pretty obvious realization, but important nonetheless. For example, we decided to go berry picking a few weeks ago on a warm, sunny, Sunday afternoon in Nome. I threw on a pair of pants and ran out to the car in a t-shirt. Driving out towards Salmon Lake, the clouds started to appear, and by the time we got to the berry picking spot, it was significantly colder and raining. Not only was it a total bummer, but I realized this situation could have been a lot worse, say, if we had plans to head out for a longer period of time, or travel farther, or it was winter and much colder.
The idea of quality vs. quantity is something I’ve been thinking about a lot as I settle into my new life in Nome. Is it necessary to have 3 different coats of various styles, or one really reliable one? Do I really need all of these different sweaters in my closet, when I end up wearing the same handful of comfortable tops over and over?
This year, that same khaki coat I wore through the depths of a New York winter made its debut in early September. I reached into the pockets and found an old public transportation card and realized how far I’d come in the past year, both personally and geographically, and just how different this winter was going to be. Which reminds me, I should order some snow pants…
