People continue to ask me “Why Alaska?” Honestly, that’s a question I feel like I’ll be asking myself for a long time. My running bit has always been that last summer I happened to be a broke barista, fed up living a paycheck to paycheck life. My friend stumbled upon this very website through her college’s career page and I was like, “A job in radio?!? Sure! Let’s go! Right now!”
The truth is I’m someone who likes to run. And New York to Alaska was one hell of a run. I’ll get real with you for a second, reader. I’ve never spent more than 6 months in one job. I think the longest I’ve lived in an apartment was about a year (although I was subletting the entire time). Most of my weekends up until this point have been a blur of Megabusses and train stations and thruways and various getaways. Old friends to visit, new places to see, that heightened sense of awareness that comes from not knowing your surroundings. That’s what kept me going.
“Getaway” is not a word used lightly in western Alaska. As I round out month 6 of being in this state, month 5 straight of being in Nome, I’ve been thinking a lot about this change in lifestyle. And whether there is a “right” or a “wrong” way to do it. But I think thats honestly why I “chose Alaska” in the end. Because it was going to force me to stay in one place for a while. And when you’re surroundings don’t change for a while, you’re forced to do some exploring on the inside.
A former volunteer told us to try and embrace January for what it is. The cold, the dark, the post holiday meloncholy; embrace it. Embrace the challenge. Embrace the heartache. Embrace that little voice in your head saying “Come on! We’ve been here too long and we gotta get out!” Embrace it and remind it “This is your home, at least for now.”
