"Then my heart turns to Alaska and freedom on the run. I can hear her spirit calling me to the mountains, I can rest there. To the rivers, I will be strong. To the forests, I'll find peace there. To the wild country, where I belong."
And so this will be the leading track on my newest playlist, the soundtrack of my travels, as I am moving from Bloomington, IN to Anchorage, AK on Tuesday, April 21, 2015.
A very familiar conversation I have had many times recently:
Me: "I have news"
Anyone I talk to these days: "Is it good news? Did you get a job?!"
Me: "Yes..."
Them: "Uh oh, are you leaving us?"
Me: "Yep..."
Them: "Are you leaving Bloomington?" (I nod) "Are you leaving Indiana??" (I nod again) "Well, how far away are you going?"
Me: "Far...I'm moving to Anchorage. Alaska."
(Silence)
Them: "Are you serious?!"
(insert any number of confused looks, intrigued questions, and unprovoked opinions)
Curiously enough, almost everyone I have told informs me of a friend or relative who lives in or has lived in Anchorage. All of a sudden, Alaska doesn't seem so far away, so unattainable, so unknown. I see and hear Alaska in everything I do these days. New acquaintances I meet on the streets of Bloomington have their stories of the years they lived and loved in Anchorage, telling me how beautiful and peaceful it is, how wonderful the people are, how they wish they were still living up there. Friends and family have called me brave and crazy, they have expressed their surprise and excitement for me, and they have been relentless with opinions and concerns, all of which I have accepted with gratitude and an open mind. I have not made and will not be making a pro/con list. I have weighed my options, considered as many intangibles as possible, and have talked through my crazy concerns with my social support system. In the end, I'm taking a huge risk and starting a brand new, grand adventure. And I'm ready. I'm ready to fly away home, to go north to Alaska, to chase the mountains and rivers and forests, and to join the land of the moose.
Aw, look at that face!
Don'tcha just wanna meet a moooose?!
And when I meet my moose, I'll be thinking about
(http://www.amazon.com/If-You-Give-Moose-Muffin/dp/0060244054)
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A little bit about my plans/an itinerary:
- now-April 15: PACK ALL THE THINGS! (as Allie would say)
- April 16-19: AOTA National Conference - Nashville, TN
- April 21: Indianapolis International Airport --> Ted Stevens International Airport
- crash/squat in a fabulous human being's spare room (aka Krystal, my OT supervisor)
- April 22-24: house/apartment walk-through appointments, car test drives
- April 24: Aunt Patty flies IND --> ANC to be with me!
- April 25-May 3: settle in, obtain furniture and do some nesting, explore Anchorage, visit work
- May 4: first day of work!
"Jessica was born and raised in Bloomington, IN. She received her undergraduate degree from Indiana University and graduated from the University of Indianapolis as a Master of Occupational Therapy. Jessica has enjoyed many adventures so far, including climbing mountains in Guatemala, surfing in Hawai'i, volunteering in Dominican Republic, and touring the south of Ireland. She is thrilled that her first big adventure of 2015 brought her to Alaska and to All For Kids. Jessica loves spending time outside tree climbing, swinging, kayaking, and camping. Her dog Roo enjoys going on long walks and to dog parks as often as possible. When she’s brave, Jessica attempts to master Pinterest recipes and DIY projects at home, while watching IU basketball, Colts football, or Netflix documentaries."
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This crazy adventure began on Friday, February 6th when I received an email from a recruiter with the subject line "OT needed for amazing opportunity in beautiful Alaska." Riding in the car with Collin, I did something uncharacteristic: I didn't immediately delete an email from a recruiter. Instead, I said Alaska out loud, let it float out into existence, and really enjoyed how it sounded coming out of my mouth. Even crazier still, I emailed the contact person, Bob, for the AK position and set the ball rolling. Thus began the ridiculous pseudo collaboration with Bob-from-Jersey-living-in-Florida-are-you-sure-about-Alaska-Schein (I'll explain later).
Flash forward 7 days: Per Collin's recommendation, I emailed All For Kids directly after scouring their website and Facebook page, quickly falling in love with the therapists and their philosophy. From that moment on I was corresponding regularly with AFK (and Bob the recruiter when absolutely necessary) to coordinate a telephone interview, followed by reference reviews and a Skype interview. Finally - rather quickly, actually - I received an offer on March 16th and accepted after a wee bit of negotiation! I did it. I got a real life, big girl OT job. In Alaska. NOT what I expected or what anyone saw coming, I'd say. Then again, I like to be unpredictable every once in a while.
Two things I have learned throughout this process: 1) recruiters have access to incredible job opportunities, so they can be of great use; but 2) professionals, Masters level graduates, human beings with common sense, really, have the skills to land the perfect position without the run-around of a recruiter. Comp Resource Group and Bob, who thinks Alaska and Indiana have the same weather, were helpful for finding my perfect Alaskan job opportunity...and the praise stops there. Bob's email correspondences made it clear that he didn't have all the details about the job, he didn't have a clue which skills OT professionals possess, and he was not going to help me get the job. In fact, I was convinced pretty quickly that if I really wanted the job in AK, I was going to have to overcome the obstacle of Bob and convince the people at AFK that Bob did not represent me and that I am a desirable young professional. That is why I contacted AFK directly, which was vitally important given the fact that Bob emailed them once and neglected to send my resume like he said he would. Bob was a step or four behind for the rest of the process...he offered interview prep, which included encouraging me to have questions for the interviewers and assuring me that Alaska isn't that different from Indiana. I'm really unsure how he thought he was being helpful. His colleague Steven, on the other hand, was a true winner. Apparently he told AFK owners that I was not interested in an on-site interview, so we talked on the phone and Skyped before they made me an offer. Bright side: Bob told me that I really impressed my interviewers, and he was shocked that they chose to make me an offer even though they were interviewing other qualified OTs with more experience. The moral of the story is that we may depend on others to help us out, but we determine our own fates and we must chase our opportunities and see everything through beginning to end in order to succeed. Then again, I'm a control freak and I can't let anything happen without doing it myself. :)
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As I bring this post to a close, I am in search of a home for Roo and me. Searching Zillow and real estate sites, emailing inquiries and requesting viewings. I know I will have people as soon as I get to Anchorage, I'm not worried about that. I'm joining the AFK family and they will care for me and love me and give me the community support and social system I seek. Plus, Aunt Patty is following me out to Anchorage to live with me indefinitely as her next big adventure! So a yard for my Roo deer and a bed for my tired body is next up on the agenda.
"Will we ever find a place, mommy?"
"Yes, my darling deer, I promise we will."
"To the mountains, I can rest there. To the rivers, I will be strong.
To the forests, I'll find peace there. To the wild country, where I belong."
"To the mountains, I can rest there. To the rivers, I will be strong.
To the forests, I'll find peace there. To the wild country, where I belong."
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