The last shift of a six-week rotation is always the strangest.
Every part of your mind is already 600 miles south in Palmer, but your body is still here on the North Slope, going through the final motions. The sounds of the machinery start to fade, replaced by a mental checklist of what comes next: the packing of the bag, the long ride out, the flight, the final drive home. It’s a journey I know by heart.
Packing this bag is a strange mix of emotions. On one hand, there’s this incredible, electric feeling of knowing that in just a few hours, I’m going to see my wife and kids. I’ll get to hear about the inside jokes I’ve missed and see how much everyone has grown.
But if I’m being honest, there’s also this low-grade anxiety that comes with it. I call it the “re-entry friction.” For the past six weeks, life at home has, by necessity, kept moving forward without me. New routines have been formed. Friends have been made. And I have to walk back through the front door and try to seamlessly slot myself into a world that learned to function while I was away. It’s a strange thing, to feel like a visitor in your own home for the first few days.
This time, though, it feels different.
Because now, this isn’t just another rotation in an endless cycle. This feeling of disconnect—this 600-mile gap—is no longer just a problem to be endured. It’s the fuel. Every mile of this journey home is now a tangible reminder of what we are working towards.
This trip home isn’t just a commute; it’s a countdown. It’s one less trip I’ll have to make in the future.
The goal isn’t just to get home tomorrow. The goal is to build a life where there’s no “leaving again” in a few weeks. For now, I’m focusing on the simple things that are waiting for me. The first hug from my wife. Hearing about my daughter’s best friend who is joining our camping trip. The controlled chaos of dipnetting for salmon on the Kenai River with family and friends.
These moments are the “why.” They are the first taste of the worthy life we’re tacking towards.
Have you ever had a job that took you away from home? What did that feeling of “re-entry” feel like for you?
