Thirteen years. I never in a million years thought I would still be living in Alaska after my impromptu move here. Never. It still kind of shocks me. How did it all start? Let me tell you…

I was living in Minnesota when my parents decided to build a house in Mexico. Yep, Mexico. Meanwhile, they had a house in California that needed tending to while they were away. Enter me. I stayed at the house while they galivanted around looking for the perfect spot (which they found and have since sold.. we won’t talk about that sore subject). Meanwhile my eldest brother was living in Alaska with his girlfriend and all seemed good in the world. Then one day my brother called in a state of….. hmm… panic/sadness/anger/shock because his sweet little girlfriend had left him while he was at work on the North Slope and had taken some things that maybe didn’t belong to her. Long story short, he flew down to CA and he and I, along with his friend, drove up to Alaska. Him to go home, the friend to move up for work, me to find and beat the hell out of the girlfriend. Sorry not sorry. I never did find her, but that is probably a good thing.

So here I am, 13 years later reminiscing about the past years and pondering the coming years. I’m thinking about the jobs I’ve had, friends (and men) who have come and gone, adventures I’ve been on, places I’ve seen, and lessons I’ve learned. I sometimes think about the life I would have had if I had stayed in California or Minnesota or moved elsewhere. Would I be married with kids? President of my own company? Living on a farm by myself with a handsome farmhand? (Hey, it could happen!) But this is the life I have, and the one I will probably continue to have for awhile because I’m kind of set right now. I love my house. I love my job. I love my circle of friends. I love looking out my window and thinking I must live in one of the most beautiful places.

But on the other hand, the Anchorage I live in now isn’t the same Anchorage I moved to years ago. Maybe I’m more cognizant of the issues, maybe crime has always been bad, maybe the homeless population hasn’t increased, and maybe our government hasn’t always been so flawed. So you take the good with the bad and choose to stay or go, right? For now, I will stay put.

 

Here are some of my favorite memories from the past 13 years. I am so blessed to call so many people friends and have been so fortunate to travel and experience this magnificent state I call home. For easier viewing, view in Full Screen. Enjoy.