Alaska to Kansas
(our actual route happens to be a little more fun than this)
We've known for months that this was coming, but for some reason the emotions and reality of it all didn't hit until this past week.
My friends, who I largely met through an amazing mom's group, arranged a fancy dinner at my favorite place to eat in town. We ate and laughed until our stomachs ached. While I'm usually pretty good at good-byes, I started to realize that night how much I was going to miss them and their kids!
I've fought back the urge to cry numerous times in both memorable and random places. For example, today I was walking through Costco avoiding the crazy tester table crowds, when I got all choked up as thinking about how this was my last day in Anchorage. Who does that? When we pulled out of our house for the final time, I just kept thinking about how this was the place where I brought my baby home to...the first place that was filled by his smiles and giggles.
Beyond all of these memories, I'm just going to miss the sheer beauty of Alaska that I got to see every day just while driving.
Of course, I can't forget the occasionally surprises of wildlife which make my heart race.
Most of all I'm just surprised at how I feel like I'm leaving my home and not just another duty station. How is it possible that despite three years of record setting weather, I'm still so sad to leave?
Tomorrow morning our caravan will be pulling out and heading towards Tok for one final night on Alaskan soil...
Here comes the next adventure peeps.
xoxo
