Hello fans, friends, and community!
Though I'm the kind of person who strives to live for today, it's important that I talk about my plans for the future.
I've mentioned before that I'm a big space fan from a family of amateur astronomers. Even my next drawing will be space-themed.
My parents with whom I am currently living own land in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of New Mexico, about 80 km from the U.S.-Mexico border in the Chihuahuan desert biome. The area has some of the darkest, rarest remaining dark night sky in the country. On a 2017 trip, I got to see some of those dark skies, and the stars, and even the Milky Way galaxy; the artifacts scattered about the night sky were brilliant and unbelievably beautiful!
The family aims to retire there and I will follow, after spending nearly my entire life in Alaska. I will forever be a raised Alaskan though, and the natural grandeur of my home state will manifest in my personality and drawings forever.
Like many other Americans my age, I have worked odd jobs through my twenties in crushing debt. The fight with depression has been too real. Now in my early thirties, it is clear to me that I am different enough (hence the appeal of SG to me) that I may never work a "normal" job and keep my sanity. It is apparent that I am destined to be happy as a creative, artistic business owner.
The cost of living in Alaska is incredible. It is a remote, exotic destination that has an economy that charges higher prices. I hear Hawaii is in a similar situation; though I have always wanted to go there, that's another story. Living in New Mexico will take a fraction of the cost to live, allowing me to get my creative business started right.
There are many Spanish speakers in New Mexico. I know almost no Spanish. I know there is plenty of English spoken in the state, but I feel compelled to take in the culture and enrich my life with the full spectrum of diversity. My parents are learning the language now and I am, let's say, a cunning linguist. The Spanish I have encountered is very similar to French (except pronunciation), of which I know at least a basic functioning level. I even see quite a bit of Spanish written here on SG and I am already able to read some of it. It wouldn't take me long to learn if I really worked at it and found opportunities to use it.
So, now: cold winter-hardened lifelong Alaskan today; heat beating desert-dwelling New Mexican tomorrow. The nights will actually be dark during the summer. There will actually be significant sunshine during the winter. There will be 300+ days of sunshine a year, save for a rather torrential rain season. Bizarre yucca plants line the roadways. Road signs warn of dust storms instead of whiteout snow. It is a landscape that is alien to me, yet that will become the comfort I will know as home. Life is a very strange and interesting journey that takes one to unexpected places.
Cherish the time you spend in places around the world, you never know where you'll end up! And always know that even after you leave places behind, you'll always have stories to tell from the places you've been.
In closing, strive to do the things you love to do, and you'll find a way to make life work, even when sometimes, it doesn't seem that way. The destination will always be exciting and sometimes even surprising.
See you later,
J