My father lives in Haines, Alaska.
This was not always true.
My family used to live in Atlanta, Georgia. We lived there for my entire pre-collegiate life. Except for six months (right after I finished third grade) when my father quit his law firm and moved our entire family to Franklin, North Carolina. His goal was to start a career in canoeing and live there for eternity. He ended up painting for a little while and then taking us back home.
Fast forward to about three years ago. I had a phone conversation with my father that went something like this....
Dad
So, I'm not working at the law offices anymore.
Me
What? Why? What happened?
Dad
I retired. I'm an ambulance driver now.
Me
What the hell?
So then he was an ambulance driver. A year later there was another conversation that went something like this.
My Brother
So, dad bought a house in Alaska.
Me
What?! Why?! What?! What's going on??
My Brother
I'm not sure.
A few months later, my father was living in Alaska almost full time. Did he quit his job as an ambulance driver in Atlanta, you ask? Certainly not. Did he take on several other, even more ridiculous jobs? Naturally.
When he's not making the two day commute to Atlanta to drive ambulances; my father works in Alaska as a river raft guide, a EMT for a bobsled race, and a radio DJ.
'Insane', you scream?
'Par for the course' I soothingly whisper.
My father has been having a mid-life crisis since before I was born. He's an expert at it.
I will be visiting him in Alaska until August 20th. More updates to come.
-nicholas
