"You'll be back" she said, the mother of one of my speech kiddos. She was a fellow Texan - long blond hair, big jewelry and black Dansko's that looked like shoes one would wear on the back of a Harley. "Maybe not next month, or next year, or even this decade, but you'll be back."
That was May of 2011, when I was a in Anchorage for a pediatric therapy clinic developed by an occupational therapist and a physical therapist who were genuinely concerned about the well being of their clients and their families.
I had moved to Anchorage, sight unseen, in September of 2010 to work for a different pediatric therapy clinic that specialized in sensory integration techniques. There I met what I came to refer to as my "Alaskan Angels" - therapists and friends that changed my life.
In October of 2011, I drove from Anchorage back to Virginia and rebuilt my life, one step at a time. I returned to my previous employer, bought a house, adopted a dog and settled back in. I went to church, exercise classes and family reunions. I spent time with my two amazing adult children, took a few road trips, a couple of cruises and renovated my house. I settled back in - and that, it appears, was the problem.
"You'll be back" didn't just mean I'd return to Alaska someday - it meant that I wouldn't, or couldn't stay settled in for too long. It makes me itchy.
So, I'm going back - this Saturday. This time with my dog in tow, and no particular agenda except to get to Anchorage in the first week of June.
Through this blog I'll be accounting my adventures along the way with my trusty sidekick, Bear. I know the experience will be different this time, and that's okay. It should be.
But I'm feeling less itchy already.
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