Some highlights from December and January in MN.

I really am trying to catch up on my blogging, and I'm so close!

After moving back to the US from Switzerland, I had about a month at home in Minneapolis before I moved to Ann Arbor to start my new postdoc. It sounded like a long time at first, but it totally flew by.

One of the highlights was going to (possibly) the last Hollidazzle parade ever. There's something that's just so Minnesotan about going to an outdoor parade in the dead of winter, and I loved seeing some of the same floats that I've been seeing since I was a child.

These light bulbs were always my favorite!

In preparation for Christmas, there was a lot of cookie baking that happened as well.

We spent Christmas in Minnesota, but then traveled down to Nebraska for the weekend after to spend time with my grandparents. We had a really nice time together, doing the daily jumble, going for walks in the much warmer Nebraska weather, visiting family nearby, and playing board games. It was really a sweet time together that I'm really glad we had.

Besides a trip to Mexico (which will get its own post), a lot of the rest of my time in Minnesota was spent packing and organizing for my move to Ann Arbor. And, of course, enjoying the time with my family and puppy!

Back in Minnesota!

My cousin's wedding.

Tonight we went to my cousin Becca's wedding. It was a beautiful wedding, and fun to see family that I don't have the chance to see very often. The reception was at the science museum, so we got to explore some of the exhibits (the wave machine is my favorite!) After dinner, we were treated to a beautiful sunset on the balcony overlooking the river. It was a super nice day, and I am so happy for Becca and Sam!

Hanging out in the garden.

Today, after a week of insane heat, the weather finally cooled off and was a beautiful 80 F and sunny. I had some time to sit in my parents' back yard with friends, enjoying the sun and the garden. One day, I will have a garden again, but until then, I really enjoy other people's gardens!

Sister date!

Ruth and Marie and I got together for a sister date yesterday. It is nice to be able to spend time together!

You don't need sunglasses at night.

(At least in Minnesota.)

Ruth and I beat the heat (93 F and 65% humidity) by staying indoors and doing some shopping. We both got a new pair of sunglasses on sale. As we were walking to the car, I asked her if she was going to wear her new sunglasses on the way home. She just looked at me strangely and said, "I don't need to wear sunglasses because it's night. It gets dark here at night!" 

Apparently I'm a little slow adjusting back to this whole night thing...

Cherries and sunshine.

Today we picked cherries from the sour cherry tree at my parents' house. And by "we", I mean mom and dad picked, and I pitted and prepped for freezing until there is time to deal with them. (We don't have time to do anything with them this week, since my visit is short and my cousin's wedding is this weekend!) We processed enough for 10+ pies or batches of jam (~5 gallon buckets of fruit), and there's still more to do tomorrow!

I think I can see sour cherry pies and sunshine in the forecast for this week!

Highlights from the cabin.

Flying to Fairbanks.

A celebration weekend.

This weekend we celebrated my parents' 30th anniversary and Father's Day! It was so nice to be here to join in the festivities!

A Minnesota Thursday.

Today was a perfect June day here in Minnesota: sunny and 70s (F), with the perfume of blooming flowers following you everywhere you went. 

I got to Target (yay!) for some pre-Alaska shopping, visited my grandparents, had dinner and Dairy Queen (a Minnesota staple) with family and a sunset walk with my parents and puppy. 

All in all, it was a great Minnesota Thursday. 

On the way home!

I'm at the Zürich airport and almost ready to board my flight! So excited to see my family on the other side!

On the road again.

This week I'm heading off for another summertime adventure in the US! I'll be making a brief stop in Minnesota before heading up for some more field work in Alaska, at the Toolik Field Station (which, you can see from the webcam, is still covered in snow!). I really enjoyed my work up there last year, and am looking forward to what we might learn from this season. Here's hoping the weather cooperates!

Above Toolik Lake.

After my field work, I'll get some more time in Minnesota, which will include a family wedding. I'm looking forward to having some time with family and friends and puppy!

End of December 2012.

As I mentioned before, I spent two whole, lovely weeks in Minnesota (and Nebraska) around Christmas. My travel strategy has been to leave for home at least a week before Christmas, so that I have time for any delays that might happen and still get home for Christmas. It turns out that I had the same idea as many other ex–pats, since my flight from Zürich was absolutely full of Americans going home for Christmas! Luckily, my Amsterdam to Minneapolis flight was really empty, so I got a whole row to myself!

It was really lovely to be home for Christmas, sleeping in my own bed, seeing friends and family, playing with my parent's dog, shopping, and getting my semi–annual tune–up (haircut, dental appointment)!

Snuggling with Riley.

Truly the cutest dog, ever!

We ended up spending Christmas in Nebraska with my grandparents and aunt (on my dad's side). It was fantastic to have the chance to spend some extra time with them! We hung out, enjoyed my grandmother's amazing cooking, played cards, drove around at night to see the Christmas lights, and did some shopping. We are often too busy during visits, so it was great to have some relaxed time together.

Although the drives down and back are long (9–ish hours), I enjoyed the time in the car. There is something about being in the Midwest with its big horizons, where you can really see sunsets, that makes me feel more at home, I think! (In the mountains, you lose the sun behind the mountains sometimes hours before it sets, so you never really get to see the sunset...)

Shopping!

Because we were down in Nebraska, we ended up opening our family presents the Saturday after Christmas. Riley was very helpful with the unwrapping bit, and tore all of the paper to shreds.

The day before I left, we went for a sister shoe–shopping trip (we each got at least one pair!). We also went to see The Hobbit, which I enjoyed more than I expected. The Hobbit has never been my favorite story, especially in comparison with The Lord of the Rings, but the movie, while over–long, still featured beautiful scenery, interesting (and quirky) characters, and lovely music. It was great to have some time girl time with my home fries!

On my way back to Zürich, I got upgraded to business class for the Minneapolis to Amsterdam flight! It was amazing! I have now been flying so much every year that I was upgraded for free, much to my delight. My seat totally reclined, and I was able to lay almost flat and sleep a little, which never happens for me. I did feel a little out of my league with the other travelers in business class, but it could be worse...

It was a wonderful visit home. As much as I love it here in Switzerland, there's no place like home!