There’s nothing really special about this day.
It doesn’t always land on the same month. It doesn’t even land on the same week. There’s days of similar significance around the world, but no real correlation between them (except for the whole misfortune thing).
Some people are scared of the day. Others embrace it. Some don’t care and most forget.
I love it. Even when I don’t care or when I do forget.
You can smell the age. It isn’t a foul smell, but it’s peculiar. Almost like shuffling through an old book. Except the book is 16 meters long and has been gutted in the name of science (mostly, I think).
It’s the only preserved blue whale in the world and it’s been around since 1865. But the Malm whale isn’t all Naturhistoriska has to offer. It’s a place dedicated to the natural sciences. There are displays on the human body, geology, local ecosystems, and a space for newer exhibits too.
But the real charm of the museum comes from its impressive taxidermy collection. Thousands of specimens from all around the world are separated and loosely categorized by halls.
Some, like the massive aviary display, are ornate and capture the imagination. Birds come in all colors. Birds of the same color come in different sizes. Birds of the same color and size are a different species.
Others, like the whole of the entomology hall, make you itchy. Bugs come in all colors. Bugs of the same color come in different sizes. Bugs of the same color and size are a different species.
You see the variety. It’s too much, that’s probably a good thing.
It looked off. It had a watery consistency and was hazy in appearance. It looked even less appetizing once you paid attention to the chunks of granola and freeze-dried strawberries swimming in the bowl of goop.
But I was the one that decided on buying the watery milk, so I kept eating the cereal (in true “reap what you sow” fashion). I didn’t want to admit defeat.
A few days into my torturous breakfast, the milk had become chunky and looked as if it had spoilt. I thought of it as odd and checked the package for an expiration date.
Then I read the label; I never actually shook the carton.
“Why do you care about the time?”
Surely, I’d find inspiration; something of substance, something worth writing about. That was the intention. But when the time came, my mind didn’t wander. I wasn’t flooded with ideas. I didn’t think much of anything.
I’d often thought about this moment. A borderline fantasy. Yet there I was, drawing a blank.
Times like these can be disheartening. But they’re also life’s reminder that you can’t always force it. Otherwise, you might find yourself frantically doing and re-doing work.
Just like this.
The sky here is unreal. You can see things. You might see other things. Whatever you see, its different here. A bizarro version of the Icelandic Northern Lights.
We did all of our shopping after breakfast. Among the magnets, stickers, mugs, and shot glasses we bought, we also picked up a few copies of a guide to the base. It’s just a single page print out. But its information makes it valuable and it’s a hell of a souvenir. All of the food is delicious by the way.
The ‘back gate’ is about a 20 minute drive from the town, down an unmarked dirt road. After 10-15 minutes, you start doubting if you took the right way. There’s nothing out here and there seems to be even less up ahead. But a few miles more and the dirt road turns into pavement, your indication that this is the right path. Eventually, you see a few hangars and a security checkpoint in the distance. This is one of the many entrances to the facility and where your road ends.
Technically photos are not allowed here. There’s signs all over warning you against it. But the area gets a steady flow of visitors and I’m sure the guards are used to it to some degree. Nevertheless, it is very much an active military site so use common sense.
To be completely honest, we didn’t spend much time at the site. Just enough to admire the snow capped mountains that surrounded us. Enough to speculate about what lies beyond the gate and underneath the dry-lake bed. Long enough to appreciate how lonely it is out here. How quickly you and your friends could vanish without a trace. It’s the desert, after all.
Speaking of which, we really, really should’ve brought back Casino.
