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<\/a>of the most stunning views I have ever seen.\u00a0 I may just be saying most <\/i>because I am at this very moment looking across white topped mountain peaks as far as I can see and not at this moment seeing the rest of the beautiful sights nature has offered me.\u00a0 Nevertheless, my brain is saying Wow<\/i>.\u00a0 Spectacular<\/i>.<\/p>\n
My morning started with plopping a bacon duct tape-wrapped cooler (see picture) onto the baggage scale at the Logan airport. The United agent laughed approvingly of my choice in adhesive and asked me what was in the cooler.\u00a0 I told him \u201cEmpty tubes and petri dishes for collecting research samples.\u201d\u00a0 He gave me an open-mouthed, tilt-headed confused look, so I followed up with, \u201cBiology stuff.\u201d\u00a0 He nodded with an \u201cAh\u201d and slapped on a baggage sticker. \u00a0I\u2019ll lead with latter version next time.\u00a0 I asked if he thought I had enough tape on it, to which he replied, \u201cCouldn\u2019t hurt to add another layer of bacon.\u201d\u00a0 Then I was off to wind through the security line maze and jump on the first flight of the day.<\/p>\n Weather systems across the states made for a great deal of turbulence while flying today. Between the bumpy ride and not sleeping for long last night (a mixture of anticipation and last minute packing), my stomach has taken refuge in my throat.\u00a0 I had booked window seats on the cheapest flight option taking me on the not so direct route from Boston, to Chicago, to Houston, to Anchorage.<\/p>\n To make the more interesting, each of my connecting flights had started boarding long before I was off of my previous flights.\u00a0 When I got into the Chicago airport, I was amused and horrified to find that my next flight was boarding in the next terminal over.\u00a0 I strapped my backpack on tight and started out on a light jog.\u00a0 When I switched planes in Houston, I was happy to see that my connecting flight was at the next gate over but initially a bit confused not to find other passengers lined up to board.\u00a0 I approached the gate, digging for my boarding pass, and the airline rep said \u201cAre you Melissa Graham?\u201d\u00a0 Hah!\u00a0 They shut the door behind me as I took my seat.\u00a0 I will never complain about a layover again.<\/p>\n Having already been sitting for 6+ hours, about to sit for another 7, and my stomach still not yet returned to my abdomen, I was grateful for some Dramamine, a good book (Hitchhiker\u2019s Guide to the Galaxy) and a window to lean up on to go in and out of snoozing.<\/p>\n I would open the shade every once in a while to take peaks at where we were, mostly to find milky cloudy whiteness and a lack of a view, but sometimes plots of farm land, suburb communities neatly lined up with turquoise backyard pools, or curvy country roads carved out from surrounding forest greenery.\u00a0 I paused to take in the scenery, but usually went back to my book after a brief moment.<\/p>\n The last few times I opened the shade, we were in the clouds, so like I said, I was then taken aback after raising the shade and finding The pictures do not do it justice (as is often true of pictures).\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t help that the only camera I have directly on me is my little iPod.<\/p>\n The difference between our structured, plotted towns and the chaos of a mountain range is astounding.\u00a0 I saw a shallow pool of water near the top of a peak and it was as clear and blue as the artificial turquoise swimming pools in the rigid suburbs.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t know that color existed in nature, or at least I had never seen it with my own eyes (I am sorry I didn\u2019t snap a pic).\u00a0 The distance that the chaos reaches out to is lost to my brain. At times when the sky is free of clouds corrupting my view, it is my own eyesight unable to bring the hazy mountains on the horizon into focus that prevents me from seeing more.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Spring is the reawakening of the natural world – trying to free itself after months of forced suspension.\u00a0 I can see it in the mountains. They look like they are trying to escape from their suffocating shroud of snow wherever they can: the high jagged peaks emerge from<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>such a beautiful scene.\u00a0 I haven\u2019t closed the shade since.<\/p>\n