Now What? A List.

Congratulations!! You have just made the life changing choice to move to the 49th state, beautiful ALASKA! What will you do now?!

What to do, what to do?

1. Finish the school year. I have been in this school for 6 years, 4 in the same classroom. I have a lot of stuff to clean out.

2. Finish my master's program. Technically, I graduated yesterday, although I would have received a blank diploma if I had walked the stage. I have 2 and a half more classes left!

3. Visit NYC - going to see my peeps, and the Yankees, next week.

4. Spend time with friends, family and cat. Lots of time with them.

5. Hike often. I haven't been to my favorite state park in over a month! Hike with family and friends.

6. Save money, and beg for a gas card. Gas prices will be killer driving to Alaska this summer. I will be shocked if I have any money when I arrive.

7. Plan route to Alaska. Looks like I will have some friends going with me for the ride, so camping will definitely be in. And thanks to this wonderful woman I have a copy of the Milepost!

8. Start looking for apartments. I won't decide until I get there. But adn.com and craiglist. com have been very...insightful in the search.

9. Clean, sell and donate goods, storage. Repeat.

10. Keep working out...I have been doing fairly good. Okay, I am lying, I fit exercise in when I can.

Zoo

With just 4ish weeks of school left, here is how my 16 kindergartners are acting:

Oh, how I will miss them. They are a great bunch of kids. I tell them about Alaska, show them on the globe.

"That's far!!"

They think I am leaving them, but I tell them no, they are leaving me to go to first grade. Still, it makes me very sad that I won't be there to greet them in August.

P.S. We should have gone to the zoo on the last day of school!

Braveness

I am moving to Alaska. I will get a job, sooner or later. I think sooner, but it doesn't matter anymore. I am going.

Who does this? Who goes hiking one day and decides to change her life by moving 4,300 miles away, where she knows no one? To Alaska, of all places?

Me, that's who. I am hearing a lot of these lately:

"You are so brave."

Why? Because I am living my life exactly how I want? I think everyone should be so brave. Live your dream, I was told growing up. Okay. My dream isn't babies and wedding and careers, my dream is traveling and writing and photographing it all. Teaching as many cultures as possible. I want to see it all.

I am not really all that brave. I am scared out of my mind. But I am not going to back down. I am going. Thank you all for your awesome advice.

------

This is really none of my business, but I have to share this, speaking of braveness and all.

Some of the blogs I read from Alaska are done by people who are into biking. I read them because of the Alaska part, I don't even own a bike currently. These people blog roll other bikers, and I saw some were worried about the man who writes this blog: fat cyclist.

Unfortunately for him and his family, his blog is becoming less about biking and more about his dying wife. My heart goes out to him reading their story.

I am not the only one reading their story: Lance Armstrong sent him a picture, telling his wife to win. So insanely sweet.

Giggle

Can't you just hear her giggle?

I Heart Kindergarten (and First Grade)

Found this note in a pocket of my hoodie just now. It was signed on the back - one of my students. Too cute.

A Change in Scenery

It has been decided that IF I do not move to Alaska, I WILL move to first grade with my current kindergartners (of course, they do not know this).

Although I adore my kids, the idea of staying in Charlotte does not warm my heart like a change in scenery does. Sometimes I think of all the things I could accomplish by staying with them, but I do not dwell too long on it, my heart is still focused on Alaska.

A lot of people are telling me the Anchorage School District will hire tons in August.

Do I dare move 4,000 miles away without having a job lined up first?

Possibilities:

1. Have a job offer soon, plan accordingly

2. Go even if I don't have a job, hope to find something when I get there

3. Stay in Charlotte, NC

4. Apply to Juneau and Kenai Peninsula and the Mat-Su school districts in Alaska

5. Move to Seattle. Or Asheville. Or NYC. Or Binghamton. Or Mexico.

I Want It

I found the following quote here: SPARKLETOPIA:

8:00am Wisdom
"You can have anything you want if you want it desperately enough. You must want it with an exuberance that erupts through the skin and joins the energy that created the world." -Sheila Graham

I. Want. To. Move. To. Alaska.

Green for Anchorage

You have got to see this: 20+ inches of snow in Anchorage. This just fell yesterday!

By contrast, here is my backyard in Charlotte (well, the view from our apartment) moments after a thunderstorm rolled out today, and moments before another one came rolling in:

I had this conversation more than once today:

Friend: How was the interview (with a principal from an Anchorage, AK school)?

Me: I was nervous, they called me early, but I would have been nervous anyway.

Friend: Why did they call you early?

Me: I guess Anchorage was getting pounded with snow. 24 inches. They wanted to get out early.

Friend, with one eyebrow raised: 24 inches?

Me: Maybe more.

Disbelieving friend: It is nearly May...24 inches?

Me: Yes.

Friend: And you are moving there why?

Me: ...

Sending green thoughts out to you peeps in Anchorage!!