Almost a year after my original move to Yukon, I find myself preparing for almost the same journey. This trip will be shorter but the route from Edmonton to Whitehorse is the same. I'm packing up all our belongings that I feel like I just unpacked. In addition I'm making a list of emergency supplies to bring in case of any mishaps on the remote northern roads including sleeping bags, candles, a first aid kit, camp saw, shovel and warm clothing.

This time I don't have my very capable husband to take care of most of the driving (he's a professional driver) so I've conscripted my mother to come along and help with moral support, child entertaining and trailer maneuvering. If she wasn't coming, I'd be much more worried about the four-day journey.

The light at the end of the tunnel is the new apartment waiting for us, a new job and hopefully several years in one place. In this last year I've changed provinces three times, this trip will make four. Finally, the plans we made when we decided to leave our business 18 months ago will come to fruition. Rich will be a certified teacher and I even got a job in my field. What's more, we've found the place we want to call home in the Yukon.

Now that the culmination of our plans is fast approaching I feel a bit like an evil villain stroking a black cat and cackling about how at last my happylifenator as almost complete. Except that I'm fairly sure I'm not evil. And I'm more of a dog person.