A tribute to the land that mirrored me back to myself. A reflection you have to see with your own eyes and feel with your own heart. I was summoned to deliver a friend’s familiar from the shores of the east coast. This majikal village lies deep in the mountains of the Kenai peninsula of Alaska. Only accessible by boat or plane, Seldovia is her name. With Russian roots and multicultural occupants, she changed the ways I perceived the world. In only 11 months, I completely shifted my reality. Solitude gave me the space to view life beyond the veil and truly love all the parts of me. I hid behind the masks as I sought external validation. The alcohol drowned my awareness, causing me to land in sticky situations. Her soil cleansed my deepest wounds, where tree roots meet the ocean. Revitalized, my soul realized the toxicity needed to be released. Unknowingly, battling addiction, my body finally rejected the chemicals I was suffocating my lungs with and submerging my liver in. After years of reckless decisions, I impulsively quit my job at the bar. I packed my house and said farewell to my newfound friends. I flew back to my roots in central California to get back to the deepest truths that lied dormant within me. Today I stand proudly with a clear conscience. 3 years and 6 months of freedom, I look back at my healing journey and give all thanks and praises to my highest self that led me to the distant lands of Seldovia. Life is so much more beautiful, with clarity comes comfort. Sobriety gives me peace of mind. That’s just a little piece of my mind.