Jan 17, 20212 min read

Get a grip! Gaining traction in Nome

I’ve walked into a beautiful snowy day in what feels like the middle of the night but it’s 8 o’clock in the morning. There’s no sun out and my hope on this very snowy and icy day is that I won’t slip. I did a lot of research on what boots would keep my feet warm but never on what boots have enough grip to keep me steady. I’m envisioning at least one broken arm during my tenure here in Nome and I would like to avoid that. While walking towards the hospital I hear the ground crunch underneath so I feel safe. There is somebody whose tracks I’m following 40 feet ahead, the only safe place to look is down. I noticed that the imprint of his boot is deep and definitive. I look back at my imprint which is shallow and not defined. I don’t generally think of myself as a shallow, undefined person but clearly my boots are not doing its job of keeping me firmly planted at each step. I want to run after this deep tracked stranger And get the lowdown on what boots he’s wearing but I know walking or running any faster will put me in danger of falling. I’ve asked everybody I work with about their boots and there is one pair of boots that everybody seems to talk about. They’re called bunny boots but according to everybody they look like Mickey Mouse boots. I’m always balancing fashion versus warmth and safety and I think at age 56 I might be wise to go for the latter. I do know for sure that I need to find a pair of boots that keep my body and mind firmly gripped to the ground. below: well gripped stranger imprint!