We have such an incredible treat to share with you!
One of our dear friends
{who is also our college sorority sister}
moved to Alaska five years ago,
seeking a life of simplicity & adventure for her family.
Although a busy wife,
mommy…
{who is eagerly awaiting the arrival of baby #3!!!},
teacher & blogger…
she graciously made time to answer our interview questions.
She truly lives a life that most of us only dream about…
We hope that her story inspires you, as it has Nicole & I!
Meet our beautiful friend, Erin:
Tell us a little about your life prior to moving to Alaska…
Before we moved to Alaska 5 years ago, Mike and I lived a very average California lifestyle. We met in Long Beach where I was in school and we were neighbors. After a couple years of dating we got married in Santa Barbara, then moved to Tehachapi. We had our first son, Noah. I was a teacher and Mike was working in sales. Our commutes were horrendous. My school district and his job were not where we wanted our lives to be. We would camp every weekend and dream of a life of adventure.
What made you and Mike decide to take that giant leap?
Mike was a SoCal kid like me but went to college at the University of Alaska, Anchorage. He spent his summers in Juneau on fishing boats (i.e. Deadliest Catch) and continued to live there for eight years. Pretty much as soon as we became serious as a couple he would always tell me of his dreams to move back to Alaska. But I literally laughed about it for almost 7 years; thinking I would never leave Southern California. Then our family grew and so did our desire to be closer to nature, to have a simpler life and one that we would never look back on and think ‘what if we moved’? We never wanted to regret not taking the plunge. So once we told our families, we planned our move. I knew that the weather would be VERY different (Juneau is a temperate rain forest) so I tracked the weather and compared it to what I was used to every day for a year. I read daily living blogs and we researched schools, jobs, housing, etc. Next, around April… we literally sold everything we had, packed up our car and drove 3000 miles to Prince Rupert Canada and took a ferry into Juneau {to read the full story of their journey to Alaska, click here}.
How has your life been different?
Well, our life is pretty amazing! We both have dream jobs; I teach kindergarten at a fabulous school where our children go and Mike is a supervisor at the Youth Correction Center, JYC. Our commute is literally 5-10 minutes and we are surrounded by huge mountains, more trails than roads, a thriving downtown community and endless water and mountain ranges. I consider us pretty darn lucky!
Describe a typical {non-school, non-work} day…
For us, it usually consists of some family adventure. Here the seasons decide what type of adventure we take. In the summer we might go downtown, watch the cruise ships and float planes and end the night with a bonfire on the beach or an evening hike {remember it doesn’t get dark until almost midnight in the summer}. In the winter, we usually go sledding, try to get the boys into a ski lesson at our local resort, go ice skating on a lake or take a winter walk in a meadow. We try to get outside as much as we can, but like any family, some days are inside jammie days with a movie!
What do you love most about your life in Alaska?
I love that we literally have nature in our backyard. In the summer we have salmon spawning in our stream behind our house with bear viewings all around town. But what I love most is that I never get tired of the view. We are lucky enough to live in a place that people pay thousands of dollars to visit each year and we couldn’t be more grateful.
What advice would you give to someone, like me, who craves a simpler life and a change?
Start small, talk it out and do your research. Mike and I visited many cities before we finally decided on Juneau. We were picky and had lots of stipulations. We knew we wanted simpler but didn’t want to do it without knowing for sure. Many nights were spent talking, dreaming, planning and getting things ready to go. But most importantly don’t be afraid of change. We left all our family and friends, with job interviews lined up, but nothing set in stone. So yes… we took a risk. But we knew more than anything that this is where we wanted to be. This is what we needed in our life, and we were willing to take the plunge. Whether it be living on a boat for a year or moving across the country, don’t be afraid to do it. We miss our family… and they miss us, but they are so happy for us when they see how great our life is and they love coming to visit! Not to mention my children will grow up with such amazing stories and pride knowing their parents followed their dreams.
Tell us about your personal blog {Mike + Erin Alaska Diaries}…
It’s our personal photo journal of our life here in Juneau. One thing I loved the most, about researching for Alaska, was reading lifestyle blogs there. I wanted to know and see what people did everyday; not just on the holidays when they have their picture perfect setup. Most of our readers are people who were just like us, trying to make the plunge to Alaska and figuring out how we made our journey. The biggest perk of all on our blog… is for us to be able to look back and see how we spent each season over the years… with the family that we love.
A BIG thanks to Mike & Erin…
for sharing a glimpse of your
adventurous, inspiring & breathtakingly beautiful life with us!
Make sure to check our their amazing blog!
{Mike + Erin Alaska Diaries}
