The Begining

So it wasn't long ago that my husband Gabe and I decided to accept a job offer I had in Haines Alaska. Haines is a small town in southeastern Alaska which is known for it's heli-skiing, hiking, snow caped mountains, summer recreation of hunting, fishing, kayaking, trail running, camping, and anything else you can think of to do in the woods. It's also well known for the Bald Eagle Festival - the annual gathering of over 2500 bald eagles in a small state park near the Haines. If it indicates to you how small of a town this is, the eagles outnumber the residents of Haines during their stay in the Chilkat Valley. The decision to take this job was one of opportunity, impulsivity, and general sense of adventure. My husband and I were married last June in Capitol Reef National Park in southern Utah. One of our goals as a couple has been to go camping/adventure at least once a month, and I must say we almost have met that goal:) For our honeymoon we went to Hawaii for 4 weeks, no no not the vacation type of Hawaii you might picture, but the trekking through the rain forest, and exploring the culture type. Knowing this about us it might not come as such a surprise that we decided to take this job in Haines Alaska, and try something totally outrageous. So more about the job: This past spring I graduated from the University of Utah with my Masters in Social Work. 20 long years of education system finally coming to an end, well too bad the economy is in disaster and much of the mental health system in Utah is in disaster. After a few long months of trying to find work, my husband and I sat down and decide some of the places we might want to live. Santa Fe, Northern California, Oregon, Washington, New England, and Alaska. Haines popped up and along went the process, after many skype interviews, a lot of anxiety, a great job offer, and more anxiety, we decided to accept and begin the relocation process. We accepted the job offer on the 10th of October, they needed us on the 16th of November giving us just a little over a month to get our shit together if you will. It's gone by quickly between spending time with friends and family, finishing up our current jobs, yard sales, packing boxes, and all the in-betweens. Here we are only several days away from the big move and the anxiety/excitement is building. There is a lot still to be packed, tons of errands to run, and people that I still wish I had more time to spend with. Let's just hope it all fits in the truck.