Home At Last.

I went from burning wildfires taking over the state of California from north to south, to an Alaskan earthquake clocking in at 5.4 that woke me up from a peaceful slumber.

Running down the stairs calling to see if anyone else was home, I was met with silence and the realization that I was alone.

Well, I was alone until I looked out the window and saw a momma and baby moose sprinting across the driveway.

Only in Alaska.

It’s been three days since I officially touched down on good ole Alaskan soil and man is it good to be back.

It’s been non-stop touch and go since I’ve arrived, as I’ve dived right into a family business that is going full steam ahead, but it’s kept me busy and it’s all work that I’m excited to be a part of.

But more importantly, I’m excited to be back in a place that makes me so happy.

I remember during my childhood that all I wanted was to get out of Alaska. I wanted my senior project to be to mow all of Kenai down and I remember being proud of my California heritage and bragging to people how I was going to leave as soon as I got the chance.

And I did leave. I spent one year of my high school career in Arizona, one year in Orange County and San Francisco for college, one semester abroad in London, and then it was back to the Bay Area I went.

But in between all those times, the pull to come back to Alaska became stronger. Like a magnet, it became harder and harder to leave and I found myself coming back to the idea that maybe this was the place I was searching for all along.

During my time living in these various chosen cities of mine, I found that big cities were very impersonal and lonely. There lied this culture of selfishness, lack of loyalty, rudeness, and I found myself missing these opposite qualities that come with living in a small town.

I missed a sense of community and running into people I knew at the grocery store. I missed the high speed being 45mph and seeing moose every day. I missed nature and being able to fall asleep at night in complete and utter silence.

Home. I missed home.

But I’m back, and through all those moves, I discovered what I valued when it comes to picking a place to live.

Though in this case, I think Alaska picked me.

Either way, I’m home and it’s good to be here at last.

On the Road Again.

What was so reminiscent of my move into Southern California back in 2012, happened yet again in 2018.

But instead of packing up my car for an adventure called “college”, I was packing my car for an adventure called “coming home.”

An adventure that I’ve been looking forward to with excitement and elation since the idea first popped into my head.

After weeks spent packing up my apartment (and I mean weeks), I responsibly handled movers, packers, paperwork, and all those other adult things one must face when making such a big decision.

And as a treat for all of my hard work?

A road trip!

From smoky California through autumnal Oregon and onward into the foggy state of Washington, I spent a leisurely few days driving my car up the coast with a family friend, a most welcome trip after my stressful and rather emotional move.

There was stopping, shopping, eating, and drinking, and it was just what I needed to finish up the chapter of my Californian life. A cherry on top, so to speak.

I saw parts of states I had never seen before, my Christmas list was taken care of for the upcoming holiday season, I added more coffee spots to my coffee diary, and I left the lower 48 a happier woman, one step closer to coming home.

Throughout my drive on the Interstate 5, I had time to think and process my big change, clear headed and in the presence of someone else (which forced me not to break into tears).

I thought of all the good times, the bad times, the people I met, and the few I wish I hadn’t met, and I marveled at how much I had grown.

Even though there were times when I thought that my move to California set me on the wrong path, I believe in the end that sometimes the wrong path can lead you to the right road. 

Detours, slight detours, is what I like to call them. Because though they take you off track, they simultaneously bring you right back to where you need to be. 

And right now, where I need to be is home.