We’re Moving to Alaska

Ketchikan you believe we’re moving to Alaska??

Wow that pun felt good. It felt needed. Moving on.

In case you’re new here or don’t follow me on social media because I annoy you with too many pictures of my cute baby and puppy (your loss), my husband is in the Coast Guard, and we’ve been re-stationed to the 5.9 square mile town of Ketchikan, Alaska.

Ketchikan is– and I quote Wikipedia– “a city in Alaska that has no direct road access to the outside world or to the airport.”

When I tell people that we’re relocating to The Last Frontier this summer (nope still don’t know an exact date), people are either really excited or absolutely horrified. No in between. The excited people love the idea of a huge adventure, the incredible landscape, and the proximity to orcas. The horrified people can’t wrap their heads around the isolation, cold weather, and how on earth we’re going to keep Noma from getting eaten by a predator.

I get both sides. I really do. I don’t love the idea of being so far away from family, especially since Anders is so obsessed with his Pop Pop and Gigi. I don’t know exactly how our bodies will react to a 3:30 p.m. sunset during winter, or a 4:10 a.m. sunrise during summer. And I doubt I can Postmates pad thai to my front door, which is concerning for my mental health– albeit a boost for my physical health.

BUT. I’m so. friggin. excited.

I believe in adventure. I believe in challenging yourself. I believe in being a first-timer, opening yourself up to new people, and eating all the wild salmon you can get your hands on. Ketchikan, The Salmon Capital of the World, is the perfect place to put these beliefs into action.

Starting fresh is a gift that most people experience once or twice in their lifetime, usually when they’re young and single– maybe when they go off to college, or given a job opportunity in their 20s.

In my own life, however, I’ve started fresh a few more times than most. With an affinity for new surroundings and my life motto to make a major change if I’m unhappy, I moved to four new cities before I turned 30.

Now being a Coast Guard wife, these moves are built into my life– and I couldn’t be more grateful.

Moving forces you to evaluate what you want to bring with you and what you want to leave behind– literally and psychologically. It forces you to explore and discover new pockets of our world, reminding you that people and places exist outside of the bubble we inevitably create for ourselves. By fully immersing yourself in a new community, you are shaped by a new way of life, permanently expanding the way you see the world.

Traveling is incredible and also has the power to challenge your perspectives, but actually living somewhere goes deeper. You develop relationships that see you through personal highs and lows. You develop new habits that infiltrate the rest of your life. You learn nuances and secret spots and random facts that can only be revealed over an extended period of time.

I am so excited to continue living a life that shapes me into a uniquely molded human being. One with a mishmash of world views and memories and geographical styles. Each new addition to the hodgepodge of experience gives me the power of being truly unique, and the refined skill of pursuing all the answers while knowing I’ll never uncover most of them. That balance of action and surrender is the epicenter of faith, and my ultimate destination.

Moving to Alaska for three years is insane, but I can’t wait. Come visit anytime so I can give you a tour, and rattle off my insight on how to wrestle a grizzly bear. For now, I look forward to soaking up our last bit of time in Virginia Beach and buying all the cute outdoorsy toddler clothes I can get my hands on.