Little Girl Under a Big Sky: Alaska, Here I Come!

Hello Blogosphere!

The summer has nearly come to an end, and as I write to you I am sitting in the Long Beach, California airport on my way to Alaska for the foreseeable future. Since we last caught up, final exams happened (lame), I graduated (woohoo), I moved out of Williamsburg and down to Florida to see family and study for the bar (bittersweet), I took the bar exam (horrific), and I started my cross-country journey to get to Alaska (fabulous). Here are the highlights:

Graduation was surreal. It was nice to have friends and family there, but it felt like it didn't really happen. Barbri already had us studying for the bar, so graduation carried the strange sensation of just another thing to do on a weekend where I had to return to studying the following day. I did, however, Tebow on the stage.

Moving in with Bubbe was wonderful. She is such a cool little woman, and I emphasize little. It was nice being the tall one for a while, especially after living with Sophia for two years. I also saw more of my family than I have seen in years. Bar studying itself was pretty miserable, but gchat and Facebook breaks made it livable, and so did have weekly Tuesday night dinners with friends from high school. Oh, and also during this time, the MIAMI HEAT WON THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.

On July 21st I flew up to Alaska for the Bar Exam. While the exam was all the horror and fright everyone describes in great detail, there are much more interesting things to discuss. I stayed with two amazing people, Julie and Gavin, who despite being eight and a half months pregnant invited me into their home, cooked meals, lent me one of their cars for the week, and gave me a ton of emotional support during the process. Gavin was born and raised in Alaska and it was really interesting to hear a lot of his perspectives on all things Alaskan. Julie is a transplant from Michigan (and an exceptional chef), and it was great to hear her perspective on living in Anchorage as well. By the time I left their home to head back to Florida, I felt I had good friends to return to when I move up permanently.

I checked out my new home, which is situated just between the Kink Arm (which leads to the Gulf of Alaska and the Pacific) and a large lake, Westchester Lagoon. I will be living in a house with three other attorneys. Brownie points to the first person who figures out how many of us it takes to replace a light bulb. The house is just about one mile from the office and there is an entrance to the coastal trail at the end of our street. More importantly, this is pretty much my new backyard:

I also test drove my new car (pictures soon to come), but let's just say it is a classic. The bar exam ended in spectacular fashion, as this was in the sky when I walked out:

After the bar exam, Gavin and I hiked Powerline Pass. Spending all summer inside in the Florida heat and studying, this hike was exactly what I needed. It was a perfect day for a hike and it reminded me of why I love Alaska.

Finally, I began my trip up to Alaska. I stopped in DC to say goodbye to friends and had a really lovely time. It was harder than I expected to say goodbye to people not knowing when I would next see them and knowing that I couldn't just drive a couple of hours and be there. Also, it was SHARK WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK.

I then went to Williamsburg to ship all of my belongings to Alaska. Many of you may wonder how one gets everything they won 5,000 miles across the country. Well, movers were ridiculously expensive and I don't own furniture, so I went the old-fashioned way and sent everything via the United States Postal Service. Thus, all of my earthly possessions are currently in the hopefully capable hands of USPS at the moment and should arrive in Alaska next week. I also got a chance to say goodbye to the wonderful people at William & Mary, Daniel, and the best new member class to ever grace the Junior League of Hampton Roads.

That brings my story here to California, my final layover on the move to Anchorage. I spent time with my Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Ritchie and enjoyed the wonderful Pasadena weather. We went to see the Vazquez Rocks, Newport Beach/Balboa Island, Santa Monica, and Pantea and I went with her boyfriend and their friends to an amazing tapas place that has a magical dish comprised of shrimp sauteed with chocolate, white wine, and red pepper. I thought I had died and gone to tapas heaven. So, all in all, it has been a decent summer and an excellent post-bar month. The next time I write to you all, I will be in ALASKA - and may have already started work (I start on Friday)! In the meantime, here are some fun trip photos of the beauty of California. Catch you up North!