The North remembers

It's been a hot minute since I published a post, and to be honest, I've needed the time away from a computer screen to figure out what I've wanted to say. In a world that's so loud with frustration, fear and unkindness, I've needed to put my feet up, watch Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones and eat some sugar cookies in order to re-evaluate where I'm at. And if anyone else out there is looking for some much needed unplugging, let me tell ya, those men in Game of Thrones are THE ANSWER. If ya know, ya know.

This past month has been a whirlwind for me. I finished my contract, road tripped back to B.C., crossed the border successfully (praise sweet baby Jesus) and completed my 14 day quarantine. I feel like I'm in the twilight zone where everything is moving so fast and I can't believe it's over. I can't tell you how many times I've woken up in the middle of the night thinking I'm still in Alaska, hearing a bull moose blitz outside my window at 2 am or being jolted awake by a 5.0 earthquake where seconds of furious shaking felt like an hour. I actually had a friend who thought a moose ran into her bedroom window she was so disorientated from the quake (hilarious, I know). But regardless, whenever I finish a contract, I always go through a period of time where I feel lost. To describe it better, I almost feel like I grieve the experience I'm leaving behind. I know that sounds bizarre, but 13 weeks goes by extremely fast. With working full time and adventuring as much as you can on days off, you hit the ground running the first week and don't stop til you're back on the road headed home. It took 5 days for my Dad and I to travel home this past November and I'm so thankful I was able to have him with me for the full drive this time around. It's a long drive to do with most of the day being dark, and not to mention, it's winter up there in the North folks. The roads aren't kind and the wildlife on the road is constant. It's almost like the game Frogger, just as you finish dodging a herd of caribou, suddenly there's a herd of bison sleeping on the road. It's quite the sight to see. Despite the many adventures of our journey home, we made it safely with my truck intact, no flat tires and a few snacks to spare. Even though it's a beautiful drive, can't say I'd ever volunteer to do it again.

People often ask me how my time in Alaska was, and I've really found it difficult to articulate my experience because it was one of a kind. Nothing about this year has been normal or ordinary, and that made my journey to, during and home from Alaska one of the best experiences of my life. Alaska was quiet. It's a beautiful, ferocious, natural frontier and its tourism was minimal. That made the trails quieter, the camping reservations easier and my experiences that much sweeter. Between being solo, making lifelong friends, experiencing "big D" in her purest forms and my camping expedition into the National Park unplugged (I truly believed I was Reese Witherspoon in Wild), this trip was what my SOUL needed. It's almost like I needed this time to get to know myself again and re-learn my independence, but also to realize how fortunate I am to have the people in my life that I do. And I'm so thankful for that time, because I don't think I'll ever get that amount of time to myself again. Brad did make it up for a few days during week 10 at the peak of my homesickness, which helped me push through the last several weeks. He then sacrificed 14 days of his life upon returning home which actually turned into 28 (I'm secretly laughing but also feel so bad), so let's all give a round of applause to the handsome man who continually sacrifices his well being and time for my happiness. He's one of kind. But to all of my friends, family and fellow nurses out there who are looking for something in their lives but not sure what it is, maybe a solo trip is just what you need. Even if it is just to your backyard...away from your children...or spouse... Who knows!

So now I'm home, working through my new normal, and wondering what direction to go next. With COVID cases surging in both the US and Canada, where should we go? What should we do? Do we chase money? Do we go back to Hawai'i, do we go back to Alaska? Well let me tell ya. It wasn't easy convincing, but like I said above, there's a one of a kind man who continually sacrifices his well being and time for the woman he loves. And in this case, also his warmth. So, as the Starks would say,

The North remembers.

Back to the Last Frontier we go.

xoxo

Kels