Alaska is one of those places you either love or hate, there’s not much middle ground. It’s a land of harsh conditions, extreme weather, isolation and incredible beauty. As I type these words it is 4 degrees on my back porch with a foot of snow on the ground. Winters are long and dark and cold. The mountains are rugged, steep and unforgiving and the mosquitos are ginormous. The bears will eat you and the moose will charge you if they feel threatened. The ground shakes, the wind howls, the people are fiercely independent and you can’t buy a decent avocado. Why on earth would anyone want to live here?

One look out my window answers that question. I live in a post card. No where on earth is more beautiful, wild, and free, in my opinion. Just as many bears and moose live inside the city limits as outside. A trip to the grocery store often turns into an adventure. I’ve seen eagles, moose, bears, lynx, and rabbits while sitting at my kitchen table. The sun shining on inch thick hoar frost turns the world into a sparkly, magical wonderland. Or a raging blizzard outside makes a warm fire and cup of hot chocolate even more cozy inside.

I think life is like this too. Though dangers lurk everywhere and problems can become more numerous than solutions, beauty and growth are just below the surface. We can’t allow the bad in the world to stop us from discovering the good hiding underneath. If we continually focus on the challenges, we will miss the simple joys that surround us everyday.

I hope you’ll join me as I share our adventures in this wild land we call home.