Four months

Four months since we stepped off the plane into the bright 11pm sunlight to which we would call home.  Four months since we checked into our dirty, mirror-filled wall, too gross to walk barefoot motel room "home".  Four months since we traded in our hot, humid climate and fast-paced city life for cold, rainy weather in a small, mountainous community.  Four months since we could jump in the car and drive to any loved one's home as our hearts desired to now needing to financially plan a 10 hour flight to get anywhere familiar.

Nothing like losing all comforts. 

Some days I realize that I live in one of the most amazing, beautiful places on Earth. 

Other days I don't know how I'm going to survive the next several years ahead of me. 

People ask us all the time how we are adjusting since moving from Houston to Anchorage.  It would be hard to beat more a diverse change within the US.  Our typical response to these people is "we love it!" - then we talk about some recent adventure we just experienced.  I believe that the more positively you speak the more positively you'll think and visa versa.  I'm not lying when I say we enjoy living up here, but I won't neglect that there are challenges either.  The problem with social media is that it allows life to be portrayed in any way you want it to appear no matter how accurate it actually is...
Life isn't perfect like it can be made out to be.
(Though complaining all the time doesn't help anything either.)

I'm one who treasures real people.  So here's my realness.

I wouldn't say moving to Alaska has been bad.  It's just been different.

Different is good.  I love change.  New places and experiences.  It's exciting.  It's adventurous. It's also humbling and challenging.  It strips routine, familiarity, comforts.  It forces me to cling to the God who in six days created all this unfathomable beauty outside my window. 
So as the days get shorter, the weather gets colder and the realities of living in Alaska set in, I have to decide how I am going to handle it.

I want to embrace it.  Live like a tourist, but invest in a community.  Keep focus on who is in control of it all and that He is good and has a plan.  It's only going to last a short while, as everything here on Earth does. I want to look back and see how God used this time in our lives to shape us individually and as a family.  Because I know He will.  And that alone will make all this worth it...and having fun while doing it never hurt anyone. :)