~:[CH5 - Day 343]:~ As I Sit, Waiting and Hoping

~:[CH5 - Day 343]:~ As I Sit, Waiting and Hoping

There was bad news after bad news today. I rushed out of my room because the tour pick up came earlier than the early pick up. It wasn't all bad, as I was already ready and jumped in the van. Luckily, I was the first and picked my seat. We ventured around and picked up person after person. Our guide said, the weather wasn't good enough to go on the glacier walk so that was delayed. Then, it was the waterfall stops was delayed because of the weather (to ensure we got to our final stop). We ended up stopping at the volcano Eyjafjallajökull as the air cleared just in time. The winds blew at a mild 30mph or so as we tried to stay upright as we took photos of this farm that was once covered in ash from the volcano. It was gorgeous. As we continued on, we visited the Black Sand Beach again, this time it wasn't raining, but the winds reached upwards of 50mph (or so they say). I was pushed forward and for the first time in my life, felt as if I could actually be swept up off my feet. The black sands pelted my jacket, the waves crashed ashore, yet also retreated at the same time because of the wind. It was a moment I had to capture on video. As terrible as it felt, I figured out a system and captured these moments as best as I could, taking a pile full of sand home with me. As we ventured onward, the winds continued to be ridiculous. The van was swaying and I even saw cars pulling over hoping that things would get better. The ones somewhat blue sky turned to black as the storm raged on. It was just about sunset (about 4pm), when we arrived at Glacier Lagoon. The weather delayed us, so we missed taking photos of the lagoon in the day. I did my best to capture the moment. We arrived at the hotel and I was happy to eat the lobster trio with lobster tails, lobster bisque and a lobster spring roll. It was delicious and nice to relax indoors as the winds raged outdoors. As with most of the group, we hoped that we could see the Northern Lights tonight. The rating reached up to a 5.67, but as I looked overhead, the sky was covered with clouds. As I stayed productive and finished up 1/3 of the cross country video, I kept looking outside, just hoping and waiting for the lights to appear. I guess it's much like in life. You know that something special awaits you out there, you'll just sit there wondering if the timing and everything will all fall into place. In a string of bad news, there is still a glimmer of hope that before I rest this evening, I will get to see how glorious these lights can be. I've already been blessed to see them in Alaska, but to see them nearly three times greater would be spectacular. Today turned out to still be an exceptional day despite all the disappointments, but regardless, I sit here, waiting and hoping that the moment I've been waiting for will arrive.