We left Minnesota just over two weeks ago, and the news to report is that things are … mundane. Mundane in a good way – (1) my kids finished their first full week of in-person school since March of last year, (2) this weekend we took our kids to a trampoline park to burn off some energy, and (3) we spent some of Friday evening working on a puzzle. We’ve been able to video chat (Facetime or Facebook) with our parents. In many ways our lives seems normal-ish, with the exception that we are half a world away.
After last week’s fireplace networking meeting I’ve been busy working on my modeling. So far progress is good – I was able to work through a snowpack model in a paper, implement it and get some results (the image is for modeled to measured snowfall in Minneapolis the past decade). The results are “proof of concept”, meaning I still have the chops to code a model. J On Friday I was able to sit down and map out some writing goals for my time here too – having this expanse of time to sit and think about science, mathematics, and modeling is positively indulgent. Usually this deep time doing research gets parceled or compacted away to an hour here or there and ends up as a mad frantic rush, so having 6 hours in one day (even sprinkled with a meeting here or there) does make me a little disoriented at first.
My typical coding workspace. Gotta love the tidyverse! 
Proof of concept results that the snowdepth model works! I still have some modeling & coding chops. 🙂
We are feeling a little more settled, and small signs that the season is changing (or better yet moving …) are around. There is a modest amount of dawn light walking the kids to school at 8 AM compared to one week ago. There is now a full hour of light between dawn and sunrise, sunset to dusk. That “grey light” transition from sunset to dusk has always felt magical to me (especially when it is snowing). We are slowly gaining daylight.
It was a very cold week weather wise, but temperatures are moderating for a few days, allowing for the promise of additional skating on the rink or exploring the city. The rime ice has returned to the trees. We walked for a few hours seeing the sites today, and walked from our place to Kallevesi, the large lake that surrounds the city. Being able to walk in this weather (bundled up in snowpants) was comfortable enough. I can’t wait to see more of the lake during our time here.
The rime ice has returned. So pretty! 
On the Sunday walk to see the lake. The kids were troopers. 
Our view from outside the apartment. Feels like we are in a black and white movie.
