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What Seasonal Travel in Alaska Taught Me: Build Skills and Take Them With Me As An Income Stream
I spent my whole summer doing seasonal work aways in Alaska. Working while you travel enmeshes you into the cutlure around you so that you can experience life in your destination to the fullest, but: Everyone seemed to have one common obstacle: How Do I Make Money In Order To Travel? The biggest survival skill I learned in Alaska is to be willing to serve and have a skill that can help you build an income stream, and a great community. In many seasonal travel destinations, having the hands-on skills of woodworking can earn you free housing trades, a way to make income making and selling items in booths or…
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It’s Okay to Miss Things: Learning to Rest Inside the Journey
“I’m not missing anything meant for me.”That thought slipped in quietly as I looked back on my first night in Alaska — the night I didn’t explore, didn’t wander, didn’t savor a single mountain view. The night I, quite literally, collapsed behind blackout curtains like a fainting goat with frequent flyer miles. At first, I judged myself for it.Who flies across the continent, drags 100 pounds of luggage uphill like a sherpa with emotional issues, and then… sleeps through their grand arrival? Apparently, someone human.Someone tired.Someone in a process. And that, as it turns out, is perfectly okay. The Myth of Missing Out There’s this quiet cultural lie humming underneath…
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How 100 Pounds of Luggage Taught Me to Travel Lighter in Life
There are moments in life when you pack for a trip… and then there are moments when you pack for the end of the world as we know it. I, apparently, chose the latter when I prepared for Alaska. In my defense, I had never been to Alaska, and I don’t like being cold. Also, there was a volcano warning at the time, so I tucked a chemical filtration mask into my suitcase like it was my birthright. As one does. But the truth beneath all that weight—both literal and symbolic—is that I was scared.Scared to leave home.Scared to be alone.Scared to step into a version of myself I didn’t…
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Empty Nest To Seasonal Work Traveler- Navigating Life Transitions
What does a mother bird feel when she has spent a season preparing a fledgling to fly, only to watch it spread its wings and soar away, leaving behind an empty nest? Do birds feel that mix of pride and aching emptiness that human mothers do? An Empty Nest After years of single motherhood—endless adventures, soggy kisses, muddy handprints on my clothes, homeschooling, cheerleading practice and all the magical chaos that makes motherhood both challenging and rewarding—my little Duck (my name for my only child) finally left the nest. I knew this day would come, and I was excited to see her conquer life on her own terms. Yet after…







