Currently living/working: I’m ecstatic to say that I’m back in Alaska! TONS of big changes around here for all our summer hustles & beyond. Most notably, Justin is the new manager of Discover Denali, an organization dedicated to promoting tourism beyond Denali National Park and into the surrounding gateway communities. It will be sort of part-time, especially through the summer, but is a year-round position with a lot of flexibility. Obviously his tourism background is the perfect fit for helping build the backbone of our community’s revenue. Secondly, we will both be guiding for New Wave Adventures this summer! They started a hiking component of their business last year, and have been hounding Justin to help even before it launched. He finally said yes, and told them we come as a package. Finally, yet probably most importantly, we are still operating our yurt as an airbnb! So I’ll be trading my hiking poles for a swifter and vacuum to manage our yurt once again (and one other friends’ airbnb). Busy and fun summer ahead!!



Current mood: Since arriving back in AK mid-April, I definitely feel more grounded with a positive shift from my situational funk. These last 4 months caring for my mom in NJ have been the kind of roller coaster that isn’t the thrilling kind; it was the rickety one that jolts you sideways and up & down. But I survived.
Currently worried about: With that being said, my sister now holds the burden of caregiving. Caregiving guilt is a real thing, so even though I did my share, I hate that Janice now has to shoulder most of the load. I’m just trying to support her as best I can from afar. While my sister finishes out her school year, we’re paying a home health aid $32/hr to sit with my mom while she drinks coffee, watches TV & smokes a pack of cigarettes/day. All of that is bonkers, but we had to set things up for the worst case scenario of her condition, not the best. She got a second qualification for hospice in CT for another 90 days (before insurance reassesses again). I’m calling my mom the healthiest dying person I know, as it’s incredulous how long a seemingly depleted human body can hang tight to a gossamer of life. I said this before, but I’ll say it again since my mom reminds us near-daily: she’s been more than ready to rise up into the heavens and can’t understand why it’s taking so long.


Current confession: When I closed down my mom’s house in NJ, I turned off the phone, Internet & cable, which means we’re losing out on many streaming opportunities. Let me back things up & explain. My dad had the most robust cable package (“Premier”) with 420 channels including HBO and all Sports networks. When he died in 2019, I begged my mom to downgrade since she only watched channels 2-12, and occasionally Hallmark & the Game Show Network. But she didn’t want change. In order to justify spending $100s of dollars/month on useless cable, I discovered that we could log into her network from afar & access all the channels. So we—as well as Justin’s family—did that for the past 5 years!! And now it’s gone. I’m not missing it yet, but I’m sure we will in the winter, especially Justin with the golf network.
Currently thankful for: I would call my mom’s house 60% cleaned out. I’m actually grateful I had 4 months thus far to work on it methodically. I slowly combed through the personal memorabilia and spread out the horrendously emotionally exhausting episodes of doing so. Plus, I’m a reuse/recycle nerd, so while most of what still exists in my parents’ house was WELL USED, I was able to make many donations and recycle things like dead markers, pens & batteries (Staples recycling for the win!). I sent blankets, sheets & towels to local animal shelters. One program I discovered was a “take back bag” for clothing. My mom might have kept every piece of clothing she ever owned, so I hated the idea of filling the landfills with so much textile waste. Through Trashie, you buy a bag to fill, and they sort/process materials into 250 grades for upcycling fibers or down cycled to be used as stuffing for dog beds, punching bags and other things—all while ensuring minimal waste and reducing CO2 emissions from landfill diversion. I feel strongly that every bit has to help!


Currently proud of: In an effort not to spiral into an emotional pile of goo while in New Jersey, I inevitably identified quite a few hidden blessings. I regularly hit the gym (like 50/100 days! Mostly for Zumba!) & discovered backyard trails I didn’t know existed. In 2022, my doctor told me I probably needed to lose a little weight since I was having some leg circulation issues. Between perimenopause and the negative impact Alaska’s winter darkness has on my motivation to get moving, I knew I was gaining weight over the years. I am so grateful my doctor pointed out what I already knew and lit a fire under my bum. I spent the summer & fall of 2023 hiking nonstop for work, then spent my fall doing regular yoga & pilates in Mexico. Thanks to my time in NJ and my need for a lifeline, I continued to stay active & fit!


Currently amazed by: I (we) passed Wilderness First Responder (WFR) & CPR recertifications this past weekend! This was one of the main reasons I had to come back to AK by late April (besides the obvious fact that the bulk of my income relies on summer hustles). Justin & I have to recertify our certification every 2 years, and it makes me break out in hives every time. I love medical stuff & have a good handle on the jargon (I used to be a medical writer!), but having to think & act fast in the wilderness setting is not my forte. Justin thrives on the adrenaline rush from it (big surprise). The recertification involves a fair bit of self study, a written test, plus 2-3 days of in-person scenarios with instructors evaluating how you perform. In Alaska, everyone in the class has the most bonkers amount of hardcore experiences and knowledge (Justin included). And then there’s me. Can I properly diagnose a broken arm, then use traction-in-line to place it in its anatomical position, then build a splint with supplies from my backpack to keep it stable & then put it in a sling for comfort until the person can get out of the backcountry? All as quickly as possible? While keeping the patient and myself? I seriously hope I never have to find out for real. But for now, I passed!


Current guilty pleasure: After much deliberation, I upgraded our yurt Internet to Starlink. Our network gets crowded when all the seasonal workers come to the area, and I’ve had yurt guests semi-complain about the slow Internet (to which I usually say under my breath—go outside! You’re in Alaska!). Other friends in the area are swearing by Starlink, and it’s a big investment, but it feels worthy. I hope I don’t regret it.
Currently not excited for: Sadly, Justin’s Uncle Paul passed away unexpectedly, and too young at 61. We are at that stage in life where deaths outpace births. I know it’s all part of the human experience, but frankly, I’m not sure you can really be ready for losses piling up.

Currently regretting: I’ve burned my website developer out on my website management and I could never really “repay” him for all the hours from this impossible puzzle. We’re hopefully getting closer to migrating away from GoDaddy, which seems to be the culprit to the access issues some people are still having, but we don’t know for sure yet (fingers and toes crossed). GoDaddy’s customer service is atrocious, so it’s taken a suspicious amount of effort to sever ties with them!
Currently excited for: I’ll end on a positive note: I’m stoked to spend as much time getting paid to hike as much as possible this summer!
Currently reading: Three books this month! I doubt I’ll keep this trend going through the summer, but it pleases me that I’m nearly hitting my goal of 25 books in 2024, and the year is not even half over.
The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life’s Final Moments by Hadley Vlahos just came out in 2023 and has gotten a lot of media attention. I can tell why; it is so enlightening about the dying process, and how every person differs. Nearing death awareness is the special gift hospice nurses have about the dying process/the weird actions people make to die peacefully. Hospice Nurse Hadley even added her personal experience watching a loved one’s end-of-life, and how it never goes the way we want it to! I think I’m finally done reading all the books about death that I wanted to read for now …
I’m not sure why I choose to read celebrity memoirs, because I always come away with the same conclusion: I’m glad I didn’t grow up wanting to be an actor/actress. In Out of the Corner, Jennifer Grey didn’t sugarcoat her entitled upbringing nor her experimental drug & sex life. I was pretty shocked about a lot of her story. I had no clue about her relationships with Matthew Broderick & Johnny Depp, nor that she really didn’t do anything else big besides Dirty Dancing. Love the behind-the-scenes peek of filming DD.
Whenever I see another Appalachian Trail memoir, I think, “been there, done that.” My friend gifted me Paint, Sweat, and Tears: 150 Days on the Appalachian Trail by Carolyn Matthews-Daut, and I’m glad I gave this one a chance. The artwork was so amazing, and complimented the storytelling well. It’s a unique spin & well worth the quick read for hikers and creative souls.
Currently watching on Netflix/Peacock: We separately enjoyed the last of my mom’s HBO Max subscription. Justin binged some Smartless episodes (live podcast interviews by Jason Bateman & a few others that is actually really funny, but I don’t need to watch), while I finished the first season of 90-Day Fiancee. Now that we are back together, we returned to Below Deck binging! Still in disbelief we both love that show so much.
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Recycling is one of your love languages! It’s good to read being back home in Alaska is bringing you out of your funk. I admire your dedication to consistently working out and discovering new trails in NJ. Looking forward to hearing about your new job. Great post!