Life was wearing us down.
My husband’s job as a soldier in the U.S. Army regularly included 14-hour workdays and long family separations. Almost 11 years in the military had brought the kind of emotional and mental baggage going to war often includes. As my husband’s health deteriorated, it became rapidly clear that what we needed was a lifestyle change, and not just any change — a really, really big change.
We wanted to find somewhere we could have a truly fresh start while focusing on our health and wellbeing. We needed a place where getting outside is a cultural priority. We needed to move somewhere we could feel far away from the busy, daily grind while still staying connected to modern society.
We needed to go to Alaska.
Without ever visiting the state, we bought a house sight unseen, sold most of our furniture and belongings, stuffed whatever would fit into our station wagon, and set off on an almost 5,000 mile road trip across the U.S., through Canada and up to America’s last frontier.
Leaving it all for Alaska is the best decision we’ve ever made. Could it be right for you, too? Here are seven reasons it just might be.