Massachusetts native, Dr. Sara McPeck always thought being in the military would be life-changing, but she never thought she would end her service with a marriage proposal and a one- way ticket to Alaska. But, sometimes fate has something else in mind.

Dr. Sara met Dr. Sean McPeck, a  2010 grad of CSU while in officer basic course in Alabama. Dr. Sara didn’t have romance on the radar when she joined the military.  She had her eyes on the prize: finishing up her duty and them moving back to New England to start her veterinary practice career.

How did this  Patriots and Red Sox fanatic end up in Palmer, Alaska and co-founding Alaska’s only one stop veterinary center?  Dr. Sean tells us more:

How we met:

Sara and I met in the officer basic training course in the Army.  We met during our first rifle marksmanship.  We were a small group of about five veterinarians, and being an experienced marksman, it was easy for me to hit my mark.  On the other hand, Sara wasn’t so well trained and after showing me her marks, I suggested that I “tutor her” on marksmanship.  After that we became good friends, even after being deployed to different locations.  We stayed in touch, at first discussing medical cases and then discussing our lives.   

How I knew she was the one:

 Throughout our deployment, we kept in touch. Being through the same experiences, our patriotism, and shared military veterinary life, we bonded.  Then it hit me, she was the woman I wanted to share the rest of my life with.  I couldn’t imagine life without her.  After our second deployment, I proposed!

How I convinced a Yankee to move to Alaska

 I am a native Alaskan and I love everything about the Last Frontier state.  However, Sara hated the idea of moving here.  She was a true New Englander, she was obsessed with the Patriots and the Red Sox and was a college football fan.  She was used to four traditional seasons and the culture you have living close to a big city.  Alaska doesn’t have any of that, but I knew if she could see it the way I see it, she would embrace her new home.  So, we decided to try living in Alaska for three years, if after that time she still wasn’t happy, we would move anywhere she wanted to.

Luckily, Sara soon fell in love with Alaska, there is no place like it and we had incredible outdoor adventures like hiking, snow mobiling, and fishing.  Alaska is home to 17 of North America's tallest mountains and has more than 3,000 rivers and 3 million lakes. If you love the outdoors like we do, Alaska is definitely a place you can live your dream. Now we get to go on adventures with our kids!

Shortly afterwards, we made it official and co-founded Tier 1 Veterinary Medical Center, Alaska's only all-in-one animal hospital. Co-owning a practice is hard work and can be a major strain on a relationship, but we make it work because above all else, we make our relationship and family come first.