This week brought a little bit of everything: something to celebrate, something to learn from, a busy week at work, and one exciting step toward something new for our family.
A big part of the week revolved around hockey tryouts for Ana and Zoe.
We knew coming into Alaska that hockey would be competitive, but seeing the numbers made that very real. Each age group had more than 50 kids competing for just 15 spots on the coed travel teams. Both girls went out, worked hard, and gave themselves a chance.
For Zoe, the week ended with some very exciting news: she made the travel team!
We’re incredibly excited for her and can’t wait to see what her first Alaska hockey season brings. New teammates, new coaches, new rinks, and undoubtedly a lot of miles are ahead. After spending much of the summer away from the ice, earning one of those spots was a pretty great way to jump back into hockey.
For Ana, the news was harder.
She didn’t make the coed travel team.
Of course she was disappointed. She had worked hard, wanted one of those 15 spots, and hearing “no” hurts, especially when you’re 12 and trying to establish yourself in a brand-new hockey community.
But what happened next made us incredibly proud.
Ana held her head high. She congratulated the players who made the team, celebrated her sister’s success, and didn’t allow her own disappointment to take anything away from someone else’s accomplishment.
Then she made a plan.
Her next goal is to earn a spot on the A team for rec hockey. From there, she’ll spend the season working, developing, and preparing for another opportunity when she tries out for the girls travel team this spring.
Ana has essentially decided that she never wants to be told no again. Not because she expects anything to be handed to her, but because she intends to put in enough work that the next time coaches are making a roster, she makes their decision difficult.
As parents, we’d love for our kids to make every team they try out for and accomplish everything they set their sights on. But we also know that’s not how life works. Watching Ana handle disappointment with grace, congratulate others, support her sister, and then turn that disappointment into determination made us prouder than seeing her name on any roster could have.
Now we get to watch what she does with the no.
While hockey dominated life outside of work, Sam had a busy week inside the office.
Her boss hosted some significant visitors to Alaska, including the Commander of U.S. Northern Command and NORAD, and the Danish Chief of Defence. Visits at that level bring plenty of moving pieces behind the scenes and made for a full week in the front office.
They also provided another opportunity for Sam to see firsthand just how strategically important Alaska and the Arctic are. We’ve always known where Alaska sits on a map, but living and working here is quickly giving us a much deeper appreciation for what that geography means. The polar perspective is one we had not considered until now. Alaska isn’t simply the northern edge of the United States. From here, the world looks very different.
Amid hockey tryouts, work schedules, and everything else that comes with six people settling into a new state, we also took a step toward something completely different.
We officially filed for Bar D LLC.
For now, that’s about all we’re going to say.
Bar D has been an idea we’ve talked about and played with for a while, but filing the paperwork made it feel a lot more real. What exactly will Bar D become? We have some ideas, and we’re excited to see where they lead.
Stay tuned. There’s more to come on that adventure.
Looking back, determination really was the thread running through our week.
For Zoe, it looked like earning one of 15 spots after jumping into a brand-new hockey community.
For Ana, it looked like hearing no, holding her head high, celebrating the people around her, and deciding that no would become motivation instead of an ending.
For Sam, it looked like another demanding week learning the pace and responsibilities of a new job.
And for our family, it looked like finally taking an idea we’ve talked about for a long time and putting paperwork behind it.
Some weeks give you big adventures and incredible Alaska scenery.
This one gave us something a little different.
A reminder that sometimes the most important part isn’t what happens to you.
It’s deciding what you’re going to do next.
And this week, determination looked pretty good on us.
The Davies Herd 
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