When you live in Petersburg, Alaska, transportation can be challenging. Located on an island in the southeastern part of the state, Shelley Hjort, her husband and their two dogs have to either fly or take a ferry to get there.
It’s all expensive — and to be able to visit her family in Seattle for Thanksgiving this year, Hjort said she’d have more money than she’s worth.
A series of unexpected life events wiped out Hjort’s savings, he said. With the rising costs of everyday items like groceries, as well as hotels and rental cars, moving to Seattle was no longer affordable for them, he said.
The previous November, Hjort’s husband suffered a “severe gall bladder attack”, and over the course of the next several months, she had to make a total of four medical trips off the island. This cut into his savings, forcing him to rely on credit cards.
Hjort, a trauma registrar, is also out of work. She left her job to care for her mother, who died in July. Now, before returning to her profession, she must take classes to update her licensing, which must be scheduled months in advance.
Hjort’s brother and sister-in-law expressed understanding when she told them she was not coming.
<a href=