My Mind on Things North

by Jane Blaile

Physically, I am back home.  But my mind and heart still have pieces in Alaska – with the people I met and at the places I was.  On the trail every day, I’d wake up and have to ask myself, “Where am I?”  That has happened to me several days since I’ve been back!  One day I woke up thinking about where I was.  When I realized I was home in Phoenix, I asked myself, “Is the Iditarod over?”  I guess some of my thoughts are still catching up with me.  I have had dreams about mushers traveling along the trail and being at checkpoints.Everything around me reminds me of my experience. I thought a bumper sticker promoting the county sheriff’s department stated “Honorary Musher”.  But it said “Honorary Member”.  When I was checking things off a list with my daughter, I told her I was being the “checker”.  Playing cribbage with my husband and father-in-law, I pointed out that the two highest scorers were Lance Mackey and Jeff King and the last was the Red Lantern winner.  Those are silly, but true examples!  I suppose my family and friends might tire of the Iditarod references, but I never will.  My experience along the trail is over, but my experience of the Iditarod is not.