BIG changes coming! 2021 brings hope of good things across the nation. It certainly will be so for us.
We have lived in the Mat-Su Valley, Alaska for 5 1/2 years now, since trekking up the Al-Can and starting life in Alaska, more than half of our marriage. We’ve made friends, established jobs, a church, a school, and a CrossFit gym family. I FINALLY know my way around town taking alternate routes without using my phone 😜. We know the best parks and trails to visit, the swimming holes, canoe trails and coffee shops. But soon that will all change.
My husband, Chadd, started with the Alaska State Troopers two years ago. The AST has a requirement of working at a remote post for 2 years within the first 5 years of hire. We received word last week that his bid for Wrangell island was accepted! Which means that we will be moving in about 70 days. We have a LOT to do: Sell our snow machines (to buy a boat!), cut up another roadkill moose (yes that's a welcome thing in Alaska), pack up an ever expanding household, figure out mid-year school transition for Cyrus, work out details of continuing telehealth medical visits remotely for me, Chadd will go away for training in February, and we need to find a place to live! There’s literally limited real estate on a 210 square mile island (by comparison Maui is over 700 sq miles). Chadd is flying there this week for a house hunting trip. We are currently torn between three houses that each have great features but none have it all. Oh, and also in that time frame we are FINALLY going on our 10th anniversary Hawaii vacation, sans kids! It was cancelled to much of our sorrow last March due to COVID. We cannot wait!
Wrangell Island has a population of 2,523 people, predominantly Caucasian with the next majority native Alaskan. Everyone knows everyone. I've heard from a resident that gossip is rampant and to expect to be considered an outsiders for years. But per the Wrangell Community Facebook page it seems like a friendly town with people posting when they find a glove on a trail and when the karaoke is open at the local pub. They have fishing derbies and kids rafting competitions. And I hear their July 4th celebration is a blast. We are really excited to get involved with all of the local community activities
Life in Wrangell will be very different for us. Some call it a temperate rain forest. It rains an average 229 days a year. The average temperature range is 24 to 64 degrees F. (Compare that with our current location's average range from 8 degrees to 69 degrees). It also will be much more daylight (when it's not cloudy that is.) For example, right now here it gets light around 9:45am and there its already light at 8am. Wrangell is a mountain fishing town, and I'm looking forward to trying our hand at crabbing, clamming, and local hunting of black tail dear, elk, bear, wolf, and more moose. And mostly, just being OUTSIDE much more with my kids.
Chadd's position will be transferring to an Alaska Wildlife Trooper, which he is absolutely stoked about. Think boats, ATVs, trucks, woods, and LOTS of memorization of regulations. It's a whole new role and will be a big undertaking, but a dream come true.
Hopefully I will be able to continue conducting telehealth visits through my employer Mat-Su Midwifery and Family Health. I may also look for part-time work locally as an NP to be more a part of the community.
Cyrus will be transferring 2nd grade in the middle of the school year and Darius will be starting kindergarten this fall. It will be just me and Addy home during the school day! The boys are incredibly excited about playing in tide pools and the move.
Amidst all of this excitement, of course there is some sadness to leave so many friends and connections of the last 5 years. Life has many seasons. If we try to cling one when it's time to shift to the next we won't be prepared for the conditions. Chadd and I are both adventurers. We need to be growing, building, and moving. We also left Pennsylvania after about 5 years. I'm beginning to see a pattern... where will the next 5 years lead?
I have a feeling I'll be posting a lot more to this blog after we move, especially before I have any new friends. But, as this one took 4 days to finish with the many interruptions, I doubt there will be any in the next 70 days. I'll see you from the Island!
