Hi, everyone! I hope today and the beginning of this semester has found everyone well and happy. My name is Tania and I am 34 years old. Right now I am currently living in El Paso, Tx, and will hopefully be back to Alaska in less than 3 years. I miss the Alaskan beauty, Fairbanks, and my house most of all. I have been married to my husband for almost 14 years and we have two beautiful kids, Julien and Josephine. We are both not originally from Alaska; I am from Maine but basically grew up all over the place (my dad was in the military), and my husband is from Mississippi. We've lived in Alaska for a combined total of 7 years. Every time we have to leave we find a way to come right back. I started college for the first time at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks (UAF) in the Fall of 2011 and I am grateful to be able to continue on with them through the online courses available to me.

Right now I am working on an associates of fine arts degree. I want to be a writer, and though I know this is something I can accomplish without going to college, I'm trying to find my motivation and work on honing my skills and attaining as much knowledge as I can so I can do my best. I am especially excited about this class because I love the arts. I feel as if there are certain skills passed down in my family through the generations, and an affinity for the arts is one of them. My uncle, actually, has used his passion and love for painting as his livelihood. During a visit with him recently, I hadn't seen him since I was a kid, he motivated me to take my passion for writing beyond just a hobby and to make it become a part of my life. He didn't really say anything to me about it, he just talked about his art and his gallery, and I saw how much he loved painting and loved his job. I realized as I was sitting there listening to him that he has accomplished what I want to accomplish. Here is the link to his paintings and they are amazing, http://www.mainecolorsart.com/. Just like him, and the majority of my family, I love to draw, and I love to sing and play music. I played the clarinet all three years of middle and one year in high school. I was also recently introduced to the handbells about 2 years ago and began playing for the Fort Wainwright Handbell Choir, but I had to give it up last year because we were moving. I was ecstatic when I found out there was one here and for the past year I have been playing for the Fort Bliss Handbell Choir. I also sing in my church choir.
My experience on the other side of the spectrum, as an audience member, is a little limited. As a kid I have seen only a few plays, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and Hamlet. I've also attended a few entertainment shows, my favorite is The Soldier Show which changes every year and features different soldiers, selected for the cast by their singing and instrumental ability. Recently, I attended with my family a Chopin concert held at our church, played on the piano by the director of the El Paso Chopin Music Festival, Lucy Scarbrough. She played beautifully, and my kids loved it for the most part (they fell asleep halfway through).
So to summarize, my passion for singing, music, and drawing has been reawakened within the last few years, and I frequently wonder how I lost it in the first place. It took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, and what job I wanted to do. I often times wish I had followed this path straight out of high school, but then I wouldn't be where I am today, or have the experiences and family that I have now. It's never too late to start following your passion!