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.
