The Best Laid Plans

When setting out to try a little something new always expect the unexpected and be prepared to be flexible.  We set out a little over a month ago on our journey to Alaska.  All of us holding back just a little, not knowing what to expect, taking in all of our surroundings.  We were originally hesitant to make any real solid plans, unsure of what we would find.  Asking ourselves questions like: will we even like it there?  Will our job prospects work out? Will we find plenty of things to keep us busy?  There were a plethora of other questions and thoughts, I won't bore you with all of them.

As we arrived, we were dazzled by the beauty of our new surroundings, soaking in every detail like a sponge.  We traveled from town to town searching for something...not sure exactly what.  We had job prospects in a few different areas so we thought we would check them all out to see where the best fit for our family was.
 As circumstance would have it the salmon runs have been unusually poor this year, a number of reasons factoring in,  I'll go over those at a later time.  As with the bleak salmon run so went many of our job opportunities.  When a number of factors fall to the wayside it does make you face a decision, should I stay and stick it out, force the scant opportunities to work out?  Be our own pioneer with the die hard attitude make it work or die trying, or return?

We pondered as we traveled throughout the state from just north of Fairbanks to Homer and all in between.  Talking to many people along the way.  Some residents, some travelers.  I could write a whole book about those conversations.  We have met some amazing people along the way.  One lady standing out in my mind right now was a beautiful piece of walking history from Valdez.  Her sheer toughness something to behold.  Her story about living through the earthquake of 1964.  How she lost her brother in the ensuing tsunami, the destruction that forced the town to move to a new location 3 miles from it's original place.  She was the last to leave the original town site. 
A nice couple we met in Tok AK were also admirable.  They lived in Florida and one day decided to sell everything to buy a sailboat, traveling the high seas for 17 years, eventually returning to Florida.  Now rambling about periodically, by rv.  Their tales of beautiful beaches, fishing, and on the flip side having been robbed a number of times along the way.
We have enjoyed our travels and the amazing people, but we have decided to return home. 

 On this highway strewn with broken dreams, ours are not broken, but renewed afresh.  I'm not sure that we will return to Missoula after our brief respite, but we will be back in Montana.  Excited and ready for whatever is next.  Our adventures are far from over!  I will continue to share, as you know we will surely be up to something...