Two Years Ago Today...

Two years ago today, our little family – Bruce, myself, 5-year-old Jack, 3-year-old Sabrina, 17-month-old Ellie, my pregnant belly, and two terriers - boarded a plane at Sea-Tac International Airport to relocate to Anchorage.

I can’t believe it’s been two years.

Two-years is the magic length of time we ever live anywhere. During our 13 years of married life, the only exception to that was our first house in Bothell, Washington, where we lived for four years. Bruce hated that house. But that’s another story.

Every other place we’ve lived has only lasted two years, give or take a couple months. Here’s the rundown (I’m doing this for my own sake, not yours, so don’t worry about being bored):

’93-’94 Apartment in Lynnwood, WA
’94-’95 Apartment in Seattle
’95-’97 Townhouse condo in Edmonds, WA
’97-’01 Split-level house in Bothell
’01-’03 Two-story house in Snohomish, WA
Oct. ’03-Oct. ’05 Two-story house in Anchorage, AK

Well, two years is up and I have very little desire to move. Reason alone to celebrate. I love our house, our neighborhood, and this part of Anchorage.

Last summer, I was asked to share a few words at church about what kinds of things God was doing in my life. I proposed to my pastor that I talk a little about the profundity of moving to Alaska.

Pastor Jeff paused, kindly considering his words. Then he replied, “Linda, you’ve been here more than a year and a half. Don’t you think that particular subject is old news?”

To everyone but me.

Of course, he was right. Nevertheless, the fact that we are here is still a bit of a shock to me. It hardly seems possible that we’ve lived in this house as long as we lived in our last house. Our last house seemed to be the center of the universe, anchored to a reality and clarity of mind that I had been waiting for my whole life.

Then we packed our kids and dogs and deliberately walked into the unknown.

We really like living here and neither Bruce nor I have any inkling to leave it yet, if ever. However, I do find myself daydreaming every once in awhile about other places in the world. Ireland or England would be cool. Or maybe Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Or maybe somewhere in New England…

Shake it off, Linda.

I guess, ultimately, it isn’t so much that we moved to Alaska, but that we moved anywhere. Bruce and I really are risk-averse people, and I’m realizing more and more how much I like being cozy and safe and boring. In the act of moving, we both found that it’s possible to take chances, to make a change, to breakaway from all that we thought we were, in order to grow and, hopefully, be more.

I’ll spread my wings and I’ll learn how to fly;
I’ll do what it takes ‘til I touch the sky…

Out of the darkness and into the sun;
But I won’t forget all the ones that I love…