Minnesota Summer Fun

Nearly ever year since living in Alaska, I have gone to Minnesota some time during the summer to see my family. But with Covid and my pregnancy in 2019, it had been a couple of years since I was able to travel to my parent’s, so that’s probably why this trip was extra special. (Some of my family did make the trip to Alaska during this time, so I did see them.) We did all the typical Minnesota things while we were there for 10 days last week: we went boating, fishing, tubing, ate hotdish, had Caribou Coffee, and Craig went to a St. Paul Saints game. So many good memories, and I can’t wait to do it all again next summer!

This post has little to do with running, but my blog has also become an online journal for me, so I decided I would still compose a post highlighting all the things we did while we were there.

We left our house in Alaska at 9a.m. Friday morning to head to the airport and arrived at 9p.m. at my parent’s house in Southcentral Minnesota. This was Bjorn’s first flight since so much of his life has been Covid. Thankfully he did quite well. He was a busy body and not interested in watching anything, which I anticipated, but the sleep master (Craig) finally got him to take a nap the last 45 minutes of the flight.

On Saturday we went to the camp Craig and I met at–Camp Omega. We hadn’t been back in years, and so much had changed in that time. Of course there was still a lot that was the same–including the kitchen ladies who were there 20 years ago when I was first a counselor! (And they weren’t that young then either. Ha!) We did all the camp-y things: canoeing, archery, hatchet throwing, and swimming in the pool. Eventually it was time to head home for naps, and Bjorn fell asleep within minutes of driving.

Most of the week was spent on my parent’s farm in the country, which is always so relaxing and feels like you’re escaping the business of the real world. My sister, brother-in-law, and my niece spent the week there as well, and my brother lives right next door to my parent’s on the same farm and my aunt recently moved to the small town they live in as well, so we saw a lot of family while we were there. Cullen and my niece, Kaylie, were inseparable during the trip, and at the end Cullen said he wanted to live with Kaylie the rest of his life. (It is things like this that make me hate living 3000 miles from my family.)

I did a lot of running, per usual, and got in a lot of hot, sunny runs with temps in the 80s and low 90s. I loved every second and wish it would get this hot in Alaska. (I’m lucky if it in the 60s for my runs.) I ran a total of 72 miles the week I was there, and that even included a day off. I feel so fortunate to be feeling good and strong, and I finally feel like I am getting back to where I was at 20 months postpartum with Cullen, which is exciting, but it has taken a long time to get here!

I also got to see my coach, Nichole, and we went for an easy run together and then chatted afterwards about life and my training. It was so good to catch up with her, and I would love it if we lived in the same town and could train together every day. Maybe one day?!

In between we went to a bunch of parks, went to the waterpark one evening, Craig and I went on a double date with my sister and brother-in-law, and they kids loved visiting the kitties and pigs every day on the farm.

The last weekend of our trip, we went to stay with my sister and my brother-in-law in the Twin Cities. We hung out, the kids had a water balloon fight in the backyard, I watched the Track and Field Trials, and we also went to the Como Zoo (a free zoo in St. Paul). If this picture doesn’t tell each child’s personalities to the ‘T,’ I don’t know what does.

I was not ready to head back home to Alaska when our trip was over. I am missing the warm/hot temps and sunshine. Plus, of course, I miss my family, but we are planning to travel there for Christmas this year. . .something we have never done!