Alaska Part 2 - The Journey

Saying Alaska has been an adjustment is an understatement! Moving here from Florida has not been easy. New environment, new lifestyle, new relationship, and a new job. There have been a lot of very big changes to my life in the last four months and I want to share my journey because I know that life can sometimes feel like a challenge. During these challenging moments is when growth happens. With growth, pain does tag along which makes it feel like you're making the wrong choice.

April 2025

I arrived in Delta Junction Alaska on April 6th after driving 4,810 miles from Florida. I was more than relieved to arrive to my final destination as I was flirting with bad weather the entire drive from Florida. I left late March thinking that the weather would be better then as opposed to leaving during the dead of winter. However, this time period is called shoulder season and it's actually one of the worst times to drive during the winter season. I avoided a massive snow storm in the Midwest which cut my plans short by a few days. I ran into some slushy snow in Tok just about an hour and a half away from my final destination and let me tell you, my anxiety levels were pretty high! I have never driven in the snow before and my truck is only two-wheel drive!

I am in a strange place with a lot of uncertainty.

May 2025

May was filled with a lot.

Living with someone was new to me. It had been 9 years since I last lived with someone full-time. Sharing a space with someone you don't know too well proved it's difficulty quickly. I want to say though, communication was key here. Two different people with two totally different lives making it ONE. WOW. Luckily he is really easy going and we were able to compromise on the things that we did differently, for the most part. I would like to say it's been a walk in the park, but truthfully it has been a very difficult stage in my life - more to come on that in June.

May was very overwhelming and I needed some time away to really sit with my thoughts and understand what it was that I needed to give myself to help with this adjustment. So, I took a drive down into Seward with my pup and enjoyed the beauty of the scenery I was surrounded with. Eagles and moose everywhere!

In May I:

• Completed multiple hikes

• Changed my workout routine to better meet goals

• Finalized morning and nightly routines

• Traveled to Seward for a solo adventure

• Experienced the beauty of the wildlife and nature of Alaska

June 2025

The relationship struggle.

I have been in toxic relationships since I was 15, with the exception of one or two that treated me better than the rest.

Being with a partner who doesn't display those toxic traits feels wrong. I have been fighting my mind and my heart for the past few months because it doesn't feel like the love that I am used to. I don't receive attention in the same way - constant time with a partner because they are too insecure to trust me without them. I don't receive disagreements in the same way - belittling, yelling, arguing, physical and mental attacks.

I have been in this fight or flight mode for years and this new situation only exacerbates it.

I believe people come into your life to teach you things and they come at just the right time. If I would have attempted to build a life with him any time sooner, I wouldn't have been ready for this and our relationship wouldn't have gone this far.

He has shown me what a real partnership is supposed to be like. Do we agree on everything, no. Do we see things the same way all the time, no. But, he allows me to be my person, to communicate my wants and needs without judgement, and to show me daily that he chooses me despite the hard times.

Teaching a new behavior is much easier than unlearning an old behavior and it can seem like things are not improving, but consistency is key.

In June I:

• Completed multiple hikes

• Kayaked Quartz Lake

• Watched moose in our yard on multiple occasions

• Started a daily meditation practice

• Made Suman

July 2025

Steady rise.

July feels far better than May or June. I can see the light shining in after years of being buried. It has not been easy for either of us and I am grateful that he has given me such a safe environment to grow into who I am supposed to be. These last 3 years have been very transformative for me and this is just an extension of that initial change.

In July I:

• Completed multiple hikes

• Continued daily meditation practice

• Finished my first stained glass piece

• Tried fly fishing

• Canoed the Chena River in Fairbanks

• Baked 2 sourdough loaves

• Picked wild raspberries

• Traveled to Hope for another solo adventure

• Surfed bore tide in Turnagain Arm

I also:

• Have a better handle on this emotional journey than I did in April**

July 2025

To be continued...