Not a travel story. Not an outsider explaining a village. Not a tragedy episode. A love letter.

I went to Kipnuk for work, but I came home with something I’m still trying to carry correctly: gratitude, perspective, humility, and a different understanding of home. This episode is about the places that follow you home, the responsibility that comes with gratitude, and why Kipnuk became one of the few places on earth where my soul has felt at rest.

After the remnants of Typhoon Halong hit Western Alaska, Kipnuk became one of the communities facing a long road of recovery. If this episode moves you, please consider supporting verified relief through the Western Alaska Disaster Relief Fund via the Alaska Community Foundation.

Relief fund: https://alaskacf.org/western-alaska-relief/

Quyana.

After years of hosting 94x50 Podcast and Sentinel Soundbytes Podcast, I’ve spent a lot of time being the mouthpiece for something bigger than myself. This show is different. This one starts and ends with me.

Episode 1, appropriately titled, "The First One", is a re-introduction, a catch-up, and a first attempt at explaining why I’m moving home. It’s about leaving one chapter, returning to Lexington, wanting to be closer to my family, and trying to build something honest from the life I’ve actually lived while being in the middle of the decision.

I talk through the purpose of the show, the meaning behind the cover, the backwards “I love you” sign on my chest, and the strange honesty of realizing that maybe part of this whole thing is learning how to tell myself I love myself.

This episode is not the full story. It’s the front door.