Our last few days in Alaska again proved its bountifulness. We skied up a new creek, flowing open in the middle but bordered by thick shelf ice, and ascended into ever more rugged and narrow passages. Every angle of light newly cast into relief the rocks and trees and water. Just days after the equinox the sun seemed a dozen times brighter, warmer, and everlasting. Along with the sun returned old coworkers, punctuated by hesitant, awed new ones. The seasons wax and wane, and we with them.
We went south by van, which although time-consuming allows the enormity of the landscape and the change in one's circumstances space to unfold. Passing the Arctic Circle, Finger Mountain, the Yukon River, the Enchanted Forest, the old trading post, and winding down into the foothills of Fairbanks is a sort of ritual, and each stop serves as an observance of past markers -- other springtimes with their own anticipations.
Fairbanks flaunted its grunginess (as always) but Jean-François is a man not easily discouraged. When the bus refused to come he suggested we thumb it, for which optimism we were promptly rewarded. Later, we repeatedly circled a metasticizing strip mall before finding the unmarked door of an actually charming wine bar.
I had been increasingly nervous about Jean-François staying through the 90th and final day of his tourist visa, given recent events. So, we cut short our visit with his cousin in Salt Lake City, but managed to hike surrounding canyons, revel in blooming flowers and leafy trees, and thoroughly enjoy each other's company, in a mix of French and English.
Thus my re-immersion began, and continued with a week in Montreal. Now, way back when, Jean-François and I met about the tenth day of walking the Camino. But he already had buddies, including wonderful Fiona, a young nurse from Alsace. She was tiny, her backpack was enormous, and her wildly mobile face was cartoonish with expression. We were thrilled to see her again, and she and her boyfriend made us perfectly at home. We cooked together, walked all over the city, and ate gratuitous amounts of maple syrup for a solid send-off from North America.
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