and we're off!!!

The race is on!! Joe, Kiwi and I left Madison on Christmas Day. Poor Kiwiki had no way of knowing what was in store for her. She was a trooper! Four hours later, we're snuggled in our lovely hotel room (thank you Mary!). That was only the beginning! Bright and early--well too early to be bright--we headed to O'Hare. Many many hours and a few complications later, we arrived in Juneau! 

Our landlord told us he'd hook us up. Furnished 1 bedroom apartment. Access to it that night. We arrive to a locked front door. We found a kind soul entering the building that allowed us access. We went to our apartment. If a piss-stained, dog-hair-covered mattress propped against the studio apartment (an apartment with 1, and only 1, closet that you must walk through to reach the bathroom) qualifies as a furnished 1 bedroom, then we got exactly what we were expecting! We were all so excited to finally be in Juneau, that we kept our chins up. I think all 3 of us were scared to death! But none wanted to be the Negative Nancy. Especially on the first night. Besides, it is the "last frontier". What an apt way to spend our first night. We were thrilled to get a knock on the door the following morning from the sweetest lady-our building manager-who immediately ushered us to our real apartment. They'd switched the apartment we were to have. This place is a castle in comparison!! Kiwi did so many speedy laps around the new apartment. Her excitement spoke for us all. Joe and I couldn't stop talking about the shithole we spent our first night in. It was safe to now that we knew we didn't have to see that place again!

We're here and we're happy. Our smiles rarely leave our faces right now. The first day, I walked down to the channel and watched the sun rise. Glistening off of the water. Bald eagles flying overhead. Mountains in all directions. Tears welled up. I have never appreciated the phrase "breathtaking beauty" until that morning. I told Joe that we should really be looking up whether there is a funeral home in this town. I'm afraid there's not. I think on our way to Juneau we somehow wound up in heaven.