Friends,

Mums the word. I haven’t told my boss yet…I am leaving Alaska!

Yes, I have decided to leave Alaska for a place where the air doesn’t hurt your face half the year, and mosquitoes keep you indoors the rest.

The first time I started blogging was in 2018 when I moved to Alaska for the first time. The story involved traveling across the United States from northern New York to the middle of nowhere, Alaska. It talked about brand-new schools, new jobs, brand-new homes… exciting adventures. I had three kids at home, was still in the military, and was still considered within a healthy weight range. Those were the days! 

That move opened the doors for me to start writing because it gave me a fresh perspective on life. The blog changed as my life did. First with the move, and then as life settled down- I moved on to historical facts and stories. The U.S. suffered through so many pivotal moments in the past few years, including protests, COVID-19, gas prices, and rising unemployment that I was unable to keep up with all the research unless I wrote about it. 

My realization then was that most people do not want just historical facts- they want life. And I had a crazy life with friends, 3 boys, dogs, buying a house, getting out of the military, new jobs, etc. One of the highlights of those years was quitting my first job! What a momentous occasion! One of the highlights of my life. After being in the military for so long, I had the impression that you had to ‘suffer’. This is what I had done for so long. Nope! The lesson I learned is that you can choose for yourself what is right for your life. 

And now, I have made another decision- No more taking the garbage outside in -40 degree weather! No more frozen eyelashes and fingers as I chip my way through snow and ice to get my car out of the driveway! There’s no need to be cooped up inside all winter because it’s too cold to go outside. 

I am going to live again!

I made this decision a week and a half ago, and since then I have found a job (fingers crossed- it’s looking positive), found new owners for my current home, and found a home to rent in Washington. 

Imagine with me… family at holidays and birthdays. Someone to do some shopping with. Restaurants and Hobby Lobby! My tribe has been scattered to the four corners of the earth for so long, that it would be pleasant to have family nearby. 

However, as I say this- my boys are scattering into the wind. My oldest will be graduating from Marine Boot Camp soon. My middle child has a daughter and a new job at the mines in Alaska. My youngest will be finishing high school soon and then he is off to college. It is time. A hard lesson for any parent, but the right move for them.

Change is scary. There are times, however, when a person needs change in order to find inner peace. Although I have enjoyed telling people that I am surviving Alaska, it is now time to live! The challenges in Alaska have challenged me and my family to the limit, and they haven’t been filled with the happiest of times. In the long run, however, it has pointed us all in the right direction. 

Mine just happens to be near family, food, and the Dollar Store!