2007 was an unhappy and lonely year, my last year of college. I spent the first half of the year struggling with Christianity, trying to understand it, deciding if I wanted to hold onto it. I became an atheist that summer and spent the second half of the year trying to find the freedom to figure out who I was without God.
2008 was a restorative year of getting acquainted with nature and becoming myself. I spent half the year living in Oregon, working outside all day and spending all of my free time hiking. Then I went to Alaska, where three months of living in the wilderness taught me how to live. I found a job and moved to a small coastal Alaska town.
2009 was a peaceful year. It was my first year living alone and holding a grown-up job. I became acquainted with small-town life and grew to love it. I tried hard to root myself in my community. I loved my job and focused all my energy on it. The glaciers, forests, and rivers of Alaska became my home. I developed a comfortable routine.
2010 was a year of burning out and redirecting. I poured myself into my career, which was fulfilling, but I realized that it was not healthy, sustainable, or ultimately the career that I wanted. I began thinking about my next step. At the end of the year, I met KJ and we fell in love.
2011 was the year of merging our lives together and planning our future. We spent the first half of the year keeping Alaska Airlines in business with our long-distance relationship, until I moved and we made a home together. I started grad school. At the end of the year we got engaged, and–
2012 is the year we’re getting married. We’ll continue falling more in love with each other and exploring Alaska together. After my first full year in interior Alaska, I hope to be more adapted to the seasons and more connected to the community. I will settle into grad school life and dive into my research. And I will blog more.
This thought is not fully formed 