We sold nearly everything, the things we are keeping are boxed up ready to head down the Alcan with Craig, and my bags are packed for our flight on Monday night for our move to Minnesota.
Inevitably, this time causes me to think back on my (nearly) 15 years in Alaska. I arrived August 2007 with a fiance and am now leaving with a husband and two boys (oh, and Sadie–our dog). It’s crazy to think we literally started our lives here and “grew up” in the The Last Frontier. When I first moved here, I only had a few personal belongings; a couch, coffee table, and end tables; a desk; some pots and pans; and a bike. I now leave with even less (as we’ve purged almost everything), but many memories that will always be treasured. I created THIS reel on Instagram that highlights our last 15 years here.
We had hopes to ‘live it up’ during our last summer here, but purging, packing, and moving just took too much of our time. In defense, we have done a lot over the course of those 15 years. Here are just a few highlights of the things we did:
- clam digging
- camping at Wonder Lake in Denali National Park
- canoeing the Nancy Lake System
- doing a pilgrimage to Kodiak
- traveling to Cordova for a blogger event
- dip netting
- fishing on the Kenai River
- running Lost Lake
- hiking Flattop, Little O’Malley, Portage Pass Trail, and Winner Creek (along with many others)
- white water rafting
- taking the train to Seward
- taking a glacier cruise out of Whittier
- taking a wildlife cruise out of Seward
- walking the Spit in Homer
- winning the RunFest Marathon and Kenai River Marathon
- kayaking in the Prince William Sound
I won’t sugar coat it, living in Alaska was really hard for me. It got better the last handful of years here as I met more people, found jobs I loved, and learned how to tolerate living here, but I never felt at home here and every time I had to return, I dreaded coming back.
However, in many ways, I feel fortunate to have lived in Alaska for 15 years as I know it is a place that many only dream of traveling to. As with any place, it has its pros and cons. If you want to read more about living in Alaska, these posts have attracted a lot of attention from people all over the internet.
As I close this chapter of life, I am so excited for what the future holds for me and my family. Of course I wonder if everything will turn out okay, but ultimately my gut tells me I am about to embark on some of the best years of my life!
Bon voyage! Safe travels and enjoy the next adventure!
I found your blog because I was new to AK and was trying to figure out how to keep running in spite of winter. Your winter running advice has been priceless and I pass it along to those who arrived after me. I’m on my ninth year here, although we moved here for three years, and I’ve adapted and have a hard time imagining living anywhere else for now. The southwest is still my home home, but I’m here and it’s alright.
Thank you! Aww. . thank you so much for those kind works. I’m so glad I was able to help you at first and you have passed along the knowledge you have gained!