It Wasn’t Planned, But I May Have Finally Woken Up from Hibernation
Welcome to the part of the site that isn’t about services. It’s about seasons.
I didn’t set out to reinvent my life in my 60s. I didn’t plan to retire and immediately dive headfirst into my already ongoing PhD program. I certainly didn’t expect to launch a business, finally focus on house repairs, or start craving ocean air and balcony views more than I ever craved a promotion. But after decades of deadlines and decision memos, something shifted. It wasn’t burnout. It was something more profound. A stretch of uncertainty that turned out not to be an ending, but a kind of awakening from hibernation. And now that I’ve emerged—fur a little matted, eyes adjusting to the light—I’ve realized I’m still me. Happier. A bit more curious. And ready to live on purpose, with room for the things that matter.
The Person Behind the Bear
The communicator, the La La, the writer, the wanderer.
I'm Jacqueline Chandler, a retired federal communicator, La La on call, wordsmith-for-hire, and the person most likely to take a photo of a bear and caption it with something witty and metaphorical. My career has been a patchwork quilt stitched together from experiences in public service, media, and the private sector. I’ve been a reporter on Guam, a strategist in a crisis, a behind-the-scenes fixer for national programs, and a private-sector consultant helping customers and clients make sense of their message mayhem.
Now? I live in Juneau, Alaska, where eagles could easily outnumber people, and the availability of Wi-Fi prompts strong opinions. I split my time between running Bear Necessities Communication, working on a PhD that I'm eager to complete, and answering FaceTime calls from my granddaughter, Winnie, who I hope thinks I’m incredibly hilarious (and honestly, she’s not wrong).
Life here is quieter than the lower-48; more grounded than the corporate world, and way more scenic than any conference room I’ve ever been in. But I still carry every part of that journey with me—each press briefing, each editorial deadline, each government meeting where someone finally said what needed to be said. Those moments taught me how to listen, how to lead from behind, and how to keep it simple when everything feels like a circus.
Life In the Wild
Life now is full of surprises. One week, I will be attending a PhD seminar on organizational theory. Next, I’m crouched in a tent enjoying 'Lake Time' with Winnie. On other days, I'm in the garden, envisioning a color transformation from brown to green thumb, or I'm looking through UpWork or Catalant to find the next project for my home business, Bear Necessities Communication. I also work part-time, volunteer when I can, and continue to seek opportunities to share my knowledge, because you never really take the communicator out of the field.
My days look like this:
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Morning writing with a mug of something intense and hot
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Short walks or sitting in the garden, where I rehearse dissertation arguments in my head
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Scheduled gym sessions and time with my 'new' trainer
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World cruise planning, and review of travel plans for a visit down under, or hop over to Vancouver Island.
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And moments with my granddaughter, where the world…slows down
It’s not linear. It’s not always graceful. But it feels true. And that’s the win. Come back here often for a monthly 'Out of Hibernation' journal covering the above topics and more!
Bear Sightings
Here’s a peek at the moments that don’t always make it into the blog or the resume—just the real-life stuff: quiet mornings in Juneau, the excitement of grandbaby milestones, book piles I swore I’d finish, cruise views that reset my soul, and everyday magic from a life that’s no longer about 9-5 —but still very much about showing up. No filters. No captions required (but I’ll probably add a few, as I'm a communicator).
