Support Diane's Journey Back Home: Alaska to California

Hello! I’m Frani, Diane Nunes’ granddaughter. On June 18th, 2025, my mom Toni, my partner Kenny, and I will fly to Talkeetna, Alaska, to move Grandma Diane back to California. We will pack her belongings into a large container for shipping to CA and drive home through Canada. Why on Earth would we subject ourselves to this drive, you ask? It’s a valid question! Two main reasons: Gram’s beloved Boston Terrier, Daisy, is unable to travel by airplane, and Gram requires her car in California. Therefore, this is the plan!

To provide some background, Diane retired (yes, you read that right) to Talkeetna, Alaska—a small rural town approaching classification as a village—in 2015 at the age of 73. Her primary reason for moving was to be with her daughter, Andi, and her two youngest grandchildren. While many older individuals choose to leave the rugged wilderness of Alaska upon reaching retirement age, Diane opted for a different path. She decided to embrace the challenges of The Last Frontier in her later years. I know, we thought it was wild, too.

During this period, Diane encountered numerous unfamiliar challenges as a native Californian: Moose & Bear Safety 101, involuntary ice skating on parking lots turned ice rinks, learning to use cleats to prevent falls on the ice (and remembering to bring sneakers to wear once in the store!), chopping and hauling endless amounts of wood to maintain warmth in the winter, braving snowy and icy roads (sometimes in temperatures of 40 below!), planning activities during the 5-6 hours of daylight in the winter months, and undertaking lengthy trips to access essential services such as department stores, vehicle repair shops, pharmacies, and medical care.

Diane is proactive, self-reliant, and doesn’t like to ask for help. Despite her family’s encouragement to request assistance when needed, Diane continues to undertake physically demanding tasks such as transporting large quantities of wood for her fireplace, shoveling snow and ice from her driveway, and attempting to fill potholes with nearby ice. While this is admirable and impressive for the now 83-year-old Diane, it also makes us nervous and raises some concerns due to the unprecedented icy winters Alaska has experienced recently, and the closest hospital being at least 2 hours away, depending on weather conditions.

For those of you who know Diane, you know she has always been selfless. She has devoted herself to helping others, always prioritizing their needs above her own. She has always made considerable efforts to support her family, friends, and her community. My whole life, I have always heard about the profound impact she has had on every individual she has encountered and every community to which she has contributed.

If you’re from St. Helena and enjoyed the funky finds at Thrifty Manor, stopped to take a photo with Tilly in her seasonal garb, or dumped your junk on those rickety red stairs, you have Diane to thank for that! If you were a migrant farm worker in need of a warm and dry place to sleep at night or a hot meal, you knew who to ask! If you ever noticed how clean St. Helena Catholic Church was, she was among those dedicated to maintaining its pristine condition! If you went to the St. Helena Catholic School Carnival as a kid and played the Dime Toss game, she was the one who carefully selected and supplied all of the uniquely shaped glassware and adorable stuffed animals used as prizes. If you miss the Mouse House, we do too! But I bet you enjoyed 10 years of Mouse House fun and probably got some cool gifts for your family during Christmas!

In Talkeetna, Diane continues her charitable work, and we look forward to her contributions in Alameda and local communities here in California!

The costs associated with this move are quite expensive! For anyone who has moved to a different state, you know the cost. These are the costs we know about:

- $4,200 to ship her belongings from AK to CA with U-Pack

- $900 in gas (yikes!)

- If we drive 12 hours a day, it should take us 5 days – 5 nights of lodging estimated at about $1,000

Whether it’s a $10 donation or a $100 donation, everything will help us make sure we can get Grandma Diane back to California safely this June!

Thank you!!