Alaska Part 3 - Where to now?

Maire DeCioccio
Nov 1, 2025
8 min read

Updated: May 3

April 2026:

This month, just like all of the others lately, flew by! I am finally fully moved into a bigger spot and ready for the Alaska summer! It doesn't quite feel like summer yet but there are signs of change! Snow is almost all melted and the grass is showing! All we're missing is that sunshine!

April taught me to be a little more aware of the things that may bring up past feelings / memories associated with bad moments. During these times, reality is created by false ideas. I know time is the grand healer, but it sometimes feels like the end goal is further than I'd like it to be. I think surrounding yourself with the right people really makes a difference with goals like these and I am lucky to have a good team for that support.

April I :

Moved into a year lease
Camped at Engineer Lake cabin
Watched the beach ice melt away
Camped at Trout lake cabin
Saw the Northern lights (very dim)
Watched the sunset (before summer hits)
Hiked Skilak lookout
Baked another sourdough loaf
Baked sourdough brownies

I also:

Am feeling a little more secure in this new relationship. Understanding that I'm worthy of being loved and cared for, just as much as I want to give it, is hard for me to grasp. BUT, not as hard as it was months ago. He continues to show up in ways that tells me he's one of the good ones.

March 2026:

During the month of March, a lot happened. But I really feel lucky that my mom and sister came out to visit me here. My mom had her first experience with snow and a full winter! It was perfect while they were here. She got to cross country ski, sled, and walk on Kenai lake while my sister and I ice skated. I was able to bake a few loaves of sourdough for them while they were here and even sent my mom home with a sourdough starter!

This month has really opened my eyes to the possibilities that this part of my life has to offer. I made a choice to stay another year here in Alaska to see where this leads. I think that I made the right choice and I am very excited to see where this takes me.

I am ready for these real, genuine connections and fully experiencing being in the moment.

I also:

Fell a little harder for someone who makes me feel truly cared for. I was scared to fall completely, but he keeps knocking pieces of my wall down and showing up in ways that tells me there's love there. Just when I gave up and decided I wasn't going to share my heart, the universe sent me him.

March I :

Went to Frozen River Fest
Saw a lunar eclipse
Baked multiple sourdough loaves
Had my mom and sister visit
Went XC skiing on Headquarters Lake
Had a few bonfires
Skated Kenai Lake
Got to share the beauty of the Northern lights
Saw a lot of moose
Saw different types of rainbows
Skated on the beach
Went snow shoeing

February 2026:

Another month down, only a couple to go until summertime! This month was really big for me in terms of following through with allowing myself to voice how I'm feeling and sharing the things that kept me from fully being present and enjoying what the universe was serving me. I found out that I was scared for no reason and that if someone is showing you who they are, believe them. This holds true for both the good and the bad. What is life if you don't live in the moment and enjoy what's in front of you? Throw out those what if's and thinking too far into the future. Life is happening right now. Allow yourself to really soak it all in.

I also: decided to stay in Alaska for another year. I will be signing a new lease this first week of March and I am very much looking forward to this new chapter!

And, these last few months I've been lucky to experience what it's like to be treated well by someone who cares about me. I think I finally found a good one.

February I :

Got a new tattoo
Made sourdough pizza dough
Went backcountry cross country skiing in the wildlife refuge
Saw a herd of caribou (the most I've seen together)
Saw more Northern lights
Ate goose eggs
Made another sourdough loaf
Made banana bread
Went to Frozen Riverfest in below freezing temps

January 2026:

January went by quickly. Full of more adventure and learning. This month I was really focused on voicing my emotional needs. Reverting to old habits makes it difficult for me to fully vocalize my emotional needs. But, without vocalizing them comes worry and intrusive thoughts that ultimately go against the way I want to live my life. Making those strides, it's much easier than it used to be, but I have a ways to go.

I also: almost got attacked by a moose! Charlotte and I were on a walk just before the sun came out fully. We must've walked by it the first time and I didn't see it. On our walk back, it jumped out of the woods and tried to stomp on her! Luckily Charlotte walked away without injury and waited at the cabin for me. However, in the middle of trying to find safety, I fell backwards in the knee deep snow and "strained" my thumb. 3 weeks and it's still not healed. I'll say I am much more aware of my surroundings now.

January I:

Stayed in another dry cabin in Hope
My sweet girl turned 11
Got more snow
Got more practice with xcountry skiing
Knitted my first hat
Played indoor soccer for the first time
Saw the best northern lights yet (yes, they were red and white to the naked eye)
Made sourdough bread rolls
Knitted a mitten
Watched an ice race
Made sourdough blueberry muffins
Successfully kayaked the Kenai

December 2025:

December went by really fast! Christmas and then the New Years! Chased a few fireworks on New Years just to make it feel more like home. In December I have learned to slow down, not by choice. But it has made me realize that I don't always have to be doing something. The weather was mainly in the negatives forced Charlotte and I to have very limited time outside. December also has taught me to go slow in figuring out what I want, not just out of life. It's not a race and nothing is set in stone. The more you plan, the more likely things are going to go wrong. Go with the flow of life and really experience what is in front of you. Alaska has taught me to appreciate what surrounds me and really take notice.

December I:

Watched moose eat pumpkins
Skated Ohmer Lake (even had a nighttime skate!)
Slowly watched the beach turn into giant blocks of ice
Experienced weeks of temperatures in the negatives (-20 being the lowest)
Skated Browns Lake
Skated Cooper Lake on Christmas
Was given more salmon
Started knitting a hat
Made another sourdough loaf
Made my way down to Homer, to a cabin on the bluff
Experienced beautiful sunsets on the beach

November 2025, part II:

The rest of November flew by! Moving down to Soldotna has been the best choice. It has really opened many doors to activities and some really great people. I have been shown such a wonderful kindness and have felt a sense of belonging in a place so far from home. Prior to this move, I felt lonely. Living in a home where I had to fight hard for attention and to be heard. Now, people have welcomed me to join their friend circles, spend time doing the things that they love with them, and allowing me to really experience Alaska. All of that WITHOUT asking for it. I am really fortunate for this experience and I can't wait to see what else is in store here! The festivities are only beginning!

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First time sledding

November I:

Faced more snow and icy roads
Saw a sun halo
Went sledding!
Was given the opportunity to witness soft sunrises and sunsets
Baked another loaf of sourdough bread
Baked more biscuits
Played more pickleball
Was gifted fresh salmon
Crossed two frozen lakes to stay at dry cabins
Felt a 6.0 magnitude earthquake from 79 miles away

November 2025:

November has been very busy so far and we're only halfway through!

I am just amazed by everything here in Alaska. I could honestly go without the snow and ice on the roads, but otherwise, I can't complain!

I was able to wild ice skate for the first time. Let me tell you, as beautiful as it is out there and having some of the proper safety gear, it is still a sport where you have to have heightened awareness. There is always the possibility of falling in!

Lady Aurora. I was worried that being so far south in the state that I wouldn't be able to see her. I had multiple nights in a row where I was lucky enough to see the magic. The green wasn't as green as the pictures make it out to be, but the red was red to the naked eye. Locals here say that it's extremely rare to see her red. It was just after sundown when she appeared. I could've stayed up all night watching, but with the cold temperatures nature wasn't going to allow that.

I have been shown such kindness since I moved down here. It is pretty amazing how people have such a love for this life and they just want to share it. They find such joy in spreading the happiness and ask for nothing in return. The universe has placed me in an awesome spot, despite these last few months of difficulty.

Let's see what else this month has in store!

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/6f0475_592c9b5c0ce141fea17449012356b381/720p/mp4/file.mp4

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/6f0475_5099d1589b95436a91c41981655d7ec0/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/6f0475_77a6fe96b83e485c928411d17f931711/720p/mp4/file.mp4

November I:

Saw Lady Aurora at least six different times (every time she was different and YES, visibly red!)
Baked two sourdough loaves
Watched a hockey game
Went for a run along the coast with views of belugas in the distance
Drove in snow for the first time!
Saw caribou 3 different times
Got to see my first sunrise here in Alaska
Went wild ice skating!
Met some awesome people (two of which gifted me fresh salmon)
Played pickleball for the first time
Watched a momma moose and her baby eat the pumpkins we carved for Halloween

October 2025:

October, so many good things happened.

I wanted to start with the biggest change: ending a relationship that wasn't physically abusive because MY needs weren't being met. I didn't leave because he hurt me, I left because I noticed my cups for my wants and needs weren't being filled even when I gave a detailed roadmap on how to get them met. I went from feeling very confused and sad to feeling free, a bit more confident, and definitely UNCOMFORTABLE. Change can be very scary. It took me months to come to the decision to leave and I fought myself hard on it, gave him extra time to adjust and make changes but ultimately I had to come to terms with what was really happening.

I moved 8.5 hours south to a town called Soldotna. It's closer to the beach and I have already made some friends being here for about 3 weeks now. I have downsized in living space, but that's alright! I hope that winters down here will be less harsh than in Delta Junction, but time will tell. No snow so far and that could be good OR bad.

The other highlight was my sister and I taking mom to her very first concert, and it was Paul McCartney. Incredible show! He performed really well and you can just feel his love for the other members of the band.

This month brought a lot of learning, a lot of firsts, and room for more soul searching. This soul searching is different than before though, I finally recognize what my wants and needs are in a relationship AND I know that bare minimum from my partner is not an acceptable place to stop. The next guy will have to really put in effort, no more fooling me!

Cheers to recognizing what I deserve