Currently living/working: We are still spinning A LOT of plates at once. Still cleaning 5 Airbnbs, Justin is still guiding for Traverse Alaska, and then we still have all that freelance work—the Leave No Trace curriculum project, my UCO history book project, my book marketing, our Backpacker and Outside Business Journal work, my Alaska Magazine articles and likely a few others I am forgetting at the moment.
Current mood: Probably spinning too many plates … My sister said to me recently, “Sometimes I admire your life, but more often, it just makes me dizzy!” Sure we don’t have traditional desk jobs or kids to wrangle, but there is a serious hustle and work-life balance battle. I wouldn’t swap our life for the alternative, and am grateful for all the freelance projects, but I’m feeling swamped lately and wondering when is the right time to say no despite all this being very good for the bank account and our future goals.
Currently proud of: My first article came out in Alaska Magazine!!! I’m so stoked to add AK Magazine to my writing rotation. I have 2 more articles lined up, and I’m already brewing more pitches in my head (goes in line with that internal debate—should I take on more???).
Current confession: We lugged our kayaks all the way up here from CO and we have yet to take them out on the lake that is 1 mile from our cabin. Nor has Justin golfed all that much this summer!!!!! How is that possible with 20-hour days?? If we don’t go paddling by the end of July, I’m going to have to have a serious talk with us.
Current guilty pleasure: The one thing we ARE doing this summer is eating out more. During the winter, we have all of 1.5 restaurants that are open in our area. In the summer, there are 20!!!!!!! So we’ve been treating ourselves and are determined to try at least half the restaurants (Side note: I have a friend in Healy who claims that eating out in the summer is one of the best Winter Survival Tips. I concur.)
Currently excited about: Recycling in Healy!! It’s only for the summer, but it’s a start!!!
Currently not excited about: Justin needs to replace his 20-year-old bridge and it is a ginormous undertaking/cost that I haven’t even begun to think through. Speaking of dental work, wanna hear something super sexy? I wear a mouth guard to sleep nowadays to prevent my apparent teeth grinding and gum smacking. I am waking up with fewer headaches, so I’d say it’s doing the trick, even though Justin keeps asking me when my boxing match is.
Currently worried about: My Nana is turning 95 this coming week and has been in the hospital/nursing home pretty much this whole year. She’s recently received a cancer diagnosis and is in a lot of pain these days. As her life comes to an end, I just think about wanting her to be comfortable in her last days.
Currently thankful for: Justin and I picked up another car, cause our driveway wasn’t crowded enough (trying to fit in with other Alaskans). But really, it’s just a beater with a heater that can get me back and forth to clean the Airbnbs when Justin is guiding. Oddly enough, it’s a Chevy Cavalier, which was my first car in 1998! This one is a 2003, but still has the windows you have to roll up and down with a handle. I know you are all jealous.
Currently amazed by: The flora & fauna! There are more than 200 species of flowers, trees, and such in our area. As a guide, Justin had to step up his knowledge, so it’s been fun to go our for hikes solely with the purpose of identifying plant life. We still use the very famous “Wildflowers of Denali” book by Verna Pratt, but we’ve also purchased the “Picture This” app, which feels like cheating, but has been golden for spot-on IDs.
Currently regretting: I mean, we already got rid of so much stuff down in the lower 48, so how do we still have SO MUCH STUFF? We are slowly going through it … again … There has to be a yard sale in our future.
Currently reading: I finished Michelle Obama’s Becoming. One word: badass. But really, she emulates humility and hard work. I was surprised how hesitant she was about Barack’s political endeavors, but ultimately she embraced it. Kind of bonkers how your life all of the sudden comes under constant judgement.
I am now reading Johanna Garton’s Edge of the Map: The Mountain Life of Christine Boskoff, which is about another badass woman (mountaineer) who flew under the radar. I am loving it!!!
Currently watching on Netflix/Hulu/Apple TV/HBO Max: We finished Season 3 of Outlander (Netflix) and moved onto Season 4. We still really enjoy the show, but wow, never met two people who had so much good fortune and bad luck at the same time.
I also have to tell you about 1 really good movie we watched recently on Hulu: Greenland. If you like end-of-the world drama, this is for you!
When will Justin have a profile on the Traverse Alaska website!?