What have I done?

Have you ever had an idea run away from you? That’s my current situation. You plant a simple seed expecting a flower, and a massive tree sprouts instead. It’s a shock, but a good one.

The original plan was straightforward: move to the Idaho panhandle—a beautiful area surrounded by lakes and mountains, and close to my grandkids—to embrace a simpler life. It made sense. It was logical. So how did I end up planning a grand Alaskan homestead adventure instead?

One night, my husband called with a surprise: a Marine Corps buddy he hadn’t heard from in 30 years, was in town and wanted to meet up. David and his wife currently live in Alaska. That one visit was all it took to plant a seed. Before I knew it, my search for property in Idaho kept drifting North toward Alaska. I tried to talk myself out of it—after all, it’s freezing, and a world away from my grandkids. But while my head said 'no,' my heart (and my search history) had other plans. Now, one month later, my house is on the market, I’ve made a contingent offer on a homestead in Alaska, and I’ve resigned from my teaching position effective at the end of the school year.

I checked the weather this weekend and saw the temperature was -20 degrees Fahrenheit. Like I said, it’s cold. So, what have I done?

Even as I question my sanity, I couldn’t feel more certain that this is the path I was meant to walk. Many see us as 'crazy' for pivoting our careers and hitting restart so far from home in our mid-fifties, but I believe the greatest risk is never finding where you truly belong.

I’m promising to share the entire journey—the good, the bad, and the sub-zero—because I know I’m not the only one searching for a new chapter. My 'Act Two' will look nothing like my first, and in this trek north, my life truly will be reinvented. I invite you to join me; perhaps in sharing my story, I can help you find the courage to begin yours.