New Years Thoughts
New Years Eve has approached, as it always does once a year. I don't really celebrate birthdays any longer, because I feel like it is yet another day in life, we are only one day older than the day before. Age is just a number, right? In some way I feel the same way about New Years Eve. I am a morning person so I am usually sound asleep once the new year hits. I do love celebrating New Years Eve though, because we eat good food, have nice drinks and so on, oh and dress up. Fireworks was something I was excited about when I was young, or actually I am not sure if I was that excited about them, or if it was mostly my parents who were, either way I don't really care about them either. Last year I celebrated new years alone in Fairbanks, and I was once again sound asleep when the new year hit. I did wake up around midnight though to go to the outhouse, and there was a beautiful aurora show going on.
Nature and rawness
What do I want out of 2017? I want more nature adventures. As you all probably know by now, nature has a special place in my heart. How could we ever live without it? I can't imagine living in a city like New York, nor do I usually have any interest in visiting places like that. Don't get me wrong, I love culture and exploring cities, but crowded places and me just doesn't work. I want more raw experiences, I want to feel that I am alive. I want to be cold, so I can appreciate the warmth. I want to get lost so I can appreciate being on the right path. I want to get wet in a rainstorm so I can appreciate staying dry. I want to bushwhack through the untouched forest so I can appreciate walking on a road from time to time. They say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, or that hardships build character.
![White Mountains](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/542dcc90e4b08e607164026d/1483222484575-FYUSWLYBFDTRBR6G7AKH/IMG_2485.jpg)
![Ptarmigan](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/542dcc90e4b08e607164026d/1483222495205-39Q6SUHCY1UA45KO95MB/IMG_2878.jpg)
![Denali National Park](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/542dcc90e4b08e607164026d/1483222520119-Y9EXTTZJ8RD61B8IWOYV/IMG_4105.jpg)
![IMG_7304.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/542dcc90e4b08e607164026d/1483222537695-XW410O9DF0H15NFTC5EA/IMG_7304.jpg)
![IMG_7467.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/542dcc90e4b08e607164026d/1483222551947-ZMUIFAC7ZNP9DYDW4B0R/IMG_7467.jpg)
![Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/542dcc90e4b08e607164026d/1483224531539-0LXB839ONYHF2UOULBVI/IMG_8196.jpg)
![IMG_4014.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/542dcc90e4b08e607164026d/1483225162421-9MNATC84AMGNMFWX3ZHA/IMG_4014.jpg)
![Brady's Bluff och Sagoskogen](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/542dcc90e4b08e607164026d/1483225258406-S3KMFDQ7BJ8DV2QKQZTJ/IMG_5940+-+2016-09-10+at+19-02-13.jpg)
![IMG_6185 - 2016-09-11 at 07-16-25.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/542dcc90e4b08e607164026d/1483225290928-CFN2U0LRP09OMPIBZ66K/IMG_6185+-+2016-09-11+at+07-16-25.jpg)
![IMG_6005 - 2016-09-10 at 19-14-29.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/542dcc90e4b08e607164026d/1483225309669-WWXELYJZF223HDAW8D5A/IMG_6005+-+2016-09-10+at+19-14-29.jpg)
What do you want out of 2017?