I’ve moved a lot in my life. Like averaged a move about every 2 years. Lived in 12 (13 now) states and another country. But this is the first big move I’ve made in my adult life. And I’ve learned a few things along the way. So thought I’d share.
- Pulling a 12 ft, fully loaded trailer does not make my H3 happy. It was a struggle! Going the speed limit now without the load is a little weird. I sometimes forget it's even an option.
- A 2 week long move is long! But with the right people, it's actually fun.
- Speaking of the right people...we all still like each other! Like we actually still enjoy each others company.
- Montana is BEAUTIFUL! It's definitely top of my list.
- I get sea sick. I had no clue. I've been on ferries before but only short day trips. Not a 4 1/2 day trip. I quickly learned if you get car sick, chances are pretty good you also get sea sick. And it sucks!
- 4 1/2 days on a ferry automatically bonds you to others living those days with you. I'm pretty sure we made life-long friends on that journey. And I can't wait to see their experiences in other parts of this amazing state!
- 15 minutes isn't very long when you have 2 dogs to tend to. However, once you get it down it somehow becomes plenty of time. Except when it comes to actually having time to cuddle and love on your fur babies. Having to be separated from them isn't easy. (Oh and that same 15 minutes is an eternity that you may or may not make if you're dealing with sea sickness.)
- Frost heaves are a thing. A thing that can wreck your vehicle and break everything you've packed. Look them up. All I can say is that driving over them at 50 mph is horrible! Especially when you're carrying a load behind you.
- It takes time for your body to realize it's no longer on a boat. Today is day 2 and I still have moments I feel the boat rocking.
- Camper life isn't for the weak! Little room. Not a lot of space for fresh veggies and meat. Cooking healthy meals isn't as easy as I thought it'd be. And you have to really like the people sharing that tiny little space with you.
- It's all been well worth it! We may have just arrived, but I have no doubt this is my state. And I can't wait to get out and start exploring! Now if the snow and ice could kindly melt away and not leave an insanely huge muddy mess, that would be lovely. (I'm asking too much, I know. But it's worth a try, right?)
I’ll share our ferry experience in more detail soon!
Well, we did it! We’ve started our journey to Alaska!
4 days of driving and 5 days waiting in Bellingham. Next up, 4 ½ days on the ferry. Then a short (all things considered) drive to Kenai to start the next chapter of our lives!
We had a bit of a rough start leaving out of Colorado. We left about 4 hours after we planned. Had lots of winds and uphill climbs (and downhill descents) throughout our journey. The H3 is not a fan of pulling big loads (a 12 ft loaded cargo trailer). Brandon isn’t a fan of pulling a 24 ft camper behind his truck. It was an adventure for sure! And while it may not be one I care to do all over again, I’ve enjoyed it to its fullest.
We traveled up through Colorado, up through Wyoming, across Montana, clipped the top of Idaho, and traveled across the state of Washington. So much country to be seen! I added 3 new states in the process. And got way too many pictures and videos! (I’m working on getting some of the videos up on YouTube. So stay tuned for those!)
I can tell you that at the moment, Montana is by far my favorite state. It is absolutely breathtaking! I couldn’t get enough. And if we weren’t currently on our way to making this move to Alaska, I may have just stayed put!
We’ve stayed at RV sites just outside of Casper, WY, one in Anaconda, MT, another in Ellengburg, WA, and ended in Bellingham, WA. Had we known we wouldn’t be running into any issues along the way, I would have voted to spend more time in MT. Seriously, if you haven’t been, add it to your bucket list now! Put it at the top and make sure you do it!
My only regret is that we haven’t had time to explore. We’ve been keeping our distance from others as best as we can due to needing negative covid tests to board the ferry. Thankfully we have been successful in that! We had our tests a couple days ago and got our negative results yesterday. Tomorrow it’s onto the ferry!
I have no doubt I’ll have tons more video, tons more pictures, and tons more to share when we dock in Whittier. I also have no doubt that this next chapter in life is going to be an amazing one! I can’t wait to share it all with you!
If you haven’t heard...we’re moving to Alaska!
This has been a lifelong dream of Brandon’s (read a little about it here). We decided, for many reasons, it was time to make that dream happen. We’ve been asked a lot here lately if we’re excited. The answer is yes...underneath the crazy running around like chickens with our heads cut off kind of stress that comes with everything that has to be done in order for this move to go as smoothly as possible.
I’ve moved A LOT in my lifetime. But this is the biggest move I’ve made as an adult. For Brandon, it’s the first real move he’s ever made. So it’s a new kind of adventure for us both. But let me tell you what that looks like. (In the event you one day want to make a crazy dream fulfilling move of your own.)
The to-do list is HUGE!
Ferry tickets secured early on. Chiropractor appointments (with dry needling for me) before we leave, eye appointment for myself so I have fresh contacts (to say I was wearing old contacts is an understatement). Health checks for the dogs (needed for the ferry trip, which I’ll address later). Vehicles checked to make sure they’re ready for the long trip. Camper prepped to be used along the way, and possibly lived in the first few weeks after arriving to AK.
But wait, there’s more!
Have you ever tried getting a job from so far away? Oh my goodness! I had no idea. Of course there’s the applying and interviewing (via Zoom or phone call). Brandon has had to send packets off via priority mail due to fear of things not all transferring correctly electronically. I’m currently in the process of doing all the preliminary stuff (fingerprints, tb test, drug screening) in CO and then sending them off (except the drug screening, that’s been taken care of on my employer’s end) via priority mail so that I can begin work ASAP after arriving.
I haven’t even mentioned the fact that we all need negative covid tests within 72 hours of boarding the ferry, and that I need a second one after arriving in AK before beginning work. Which makes seeing family and friends right up to our driving out difficult. We can’t chance positive tests.
Oh, and all the packing. Yeah, we’ve got all of that too. And some other stuff I’m sure I forgot to mention.
Y’all it’s crazy! It’s an adventure! And we’re 100% up for it! Now let’s get this show on the road!
I promise I’ll write more soon and give more detail on things like the ferry and all that good stuff. But I’ll leave it at this for the time being. I kinda need to get back to the packing.
I’d love to hear if you want to know more about anything specifically. Like I said, our heads are spinning at the moment with all there is to do! But I’m excited to share as much as I can with you all about this new chapter of life!
I’ve never been great at weekly meal prep. I try to make out our dinner menus for the week but that’s about it. Actually prepping as in cutting veggies, cooking for lunches for the week, things like that...yeah, not really my thing.
But breakfast works better for me if I have some done up ahead of time. Like overnight oats or these egg muffins.
I’ll be adding more variety over time. So be sure to come back often and check. Or better yet...subscribe to my email list and I’ll be sure you have it in your inbox when it happens!
Thanksgiving is over, which means it’s time to get into full blown Christmas shopping mode! I know, like us, many will be doing their shopping online. I mean, it’s been a thing for a while, but my guess is that it’s even more popular this year.
So, we thought we’d help! We’ve put together a few lists we hope you’ll love.
First up: Angela’s List for Her.
I can’t speak for all women, but these are some of the places I’d happily shop at for myself. If you have a woman in your life that loves health, fitness, and a little bit of hippieness, I think I can help!
Find my list here.
Now Brandon’s List for Him.
For those men in your life that love all things, well, manly. Think grilling, beer, and cigars. We’ve got you covered!
Grab Brandon’s list here.
Kitchen Must Haves.
Ok, I have to give a disclaimer here. I AM NOT recommending you get a kitchen appliance for anyone….unless it’s totally their thing and they would absolutely love it. I won’t be the one responsible if it’s not something they would ask for as a gift. Just sayin’. ;)
But if you have that special someone who would love a kitchen appliance or you want to gift yourself, we’ve got your list right here!
Fit Faves.
Ok, there may be some that wouldn’t appreciate fitness anything for any kind of gift. But I (Angela) have always thought fitness anything was a great idea for any occasion, like since I was in high school.
So, find my list of faves here.
Bushcraft Must Haves.
For that outdoorsy, survivalist type person in your life, this is a great go-to. Brandon knows all the good things to shop for and we’ve got it all ready to go, right here.
