What a whirwind of a year this has been! Jeff and I left Nome almost a year ago. We traveled, traveled, traveled, tried to settle months later, and soon found ourselves yearning to get back to Alaska. I can speak for myself and say I didn't realize how Nome had become such a wonderful home for us. It was only in leaving that I realized I wanted still be there. Crazy how life works.
But we have had such great times on the road! We spent some wonderful time getting to know each others' families, met some wonderful lifelong friends here in Asheville, and got a dog! not to mention, we got married! Woweee what a wonderful day. I'm very happy and grateful for the experiences of this past year, even the hardships we've endured. I think it helped strengthen our relationship. I'm also looking forward to heading back home to Nome, settling for a while, and allowing ourselves to relax into our life together. So much lies ahead!
I'm writing from our one comfy chair in our house, looking out the big living room window, watching the last bit of sunlight move up the trees as the sun goes down over the hills.
Things here are good. Here's our living room!
We bought a rug the other day, and a trashcan, and a teapot. This week we've been spending a lot of time trying to economically stock up on food and necessities to get our little home together. Jeff's been really excited to make the kitchen his own. He's been in there every night cooking up something scrumptious. I put aside my free-range meat preferences in order to eat some of his roasted chicken. He was raving about it. I just couldn't make him go without getting some positive reinforcement. haha! So we've had chicken soup, chicken nachos, chicken sandwiches (with cream cheese...quite good!), chicken tacos, and tonight I wouldn't be surprised if he uses it as a topping for a baked potato.
Last weekend was his 30th birthday! We drove to Charlotte, just about 2 hours away to go see Old Crow Medicine Show. At the end of it, Jeff said that we must go see them, everytime we get the chance! haha. It was a great, SOLD OUT, fun time. We danced, and danced and danced.
As the weekend comes, we're looking forward to checking out our first open mic in Asheville. And our new friend Jeff is going to take us on a good, long hike. The farthest we've been so far, due to rain and such, is just up to the Blue Ridge Parkway. But I'm happy to report it was lovely, and only a 10 minute drive up from our house. It's nice to have that so close. So I'm looking forward to getting out farther and experiencing some North Carolina mountain hiking!
As far as things go for me, I'm still looking for a job. I'm having a hard time. The first day I checked our new mailbox, there was a letter awaiting me from the NPR station I applied to, letting me know that I didn't get the position. BUMMER. So now, I'm entertaining all kinds of other options, feeling more desperate as the days go by. My latest application went in at the local Whole Foods. Fingers crossed! I'm thinking that could get me into a community at least, and maybe some new opportunities will sprout from that! We'll see... until next time.
I was looking at pictures this morning from the last 4 months. I can't believe that we've been moving around for that long. It's been a great journey! I can say that I'm excited to be settling in our own space. It's been nice to travel, but we've been staying with friends and family, taking up room in their houses, and never having a place to call our own, besides Jeff's 2 person tent...which we haven't had the pleasure of using in awhile!
We have found a home in Asheville, NC. It's nestled in the trees, in the mountains of North Carolina. It's a moderate-sized city, compared to where we came from (Nome,) but I think it will offer some exciting opportunities, hopefully. Jeff already has a job at the YMCA. He's hoping to find something in the school system, but jumped at the chance to work with kids for now, as the Wellness Coordinator of afterschool programs. Then when something opens up in the school system, he will look into that later next year. I'm still looking around, and hoping to hear back from WCQS, the local NPR station.
(This is a view from the Blue Ridge Parkway, just a 10 minute drive up the mountain from our house!)
So here we are, feeling like adults...haha. I bought a car the other day, have my first loan!, and find myself scouring craigslist for furniture.
Jeff is the one who's getting old though! His 30th birthday is coming up, and we're going to head to Charlotte, NC to catch an Old Crow Medicine Show concert. Exciting! I'll have to post some pictures once we get into the house. We're waiting for the current tenants to move out before we can get in. Just a couple more weeks, and we can call it our home.
