You probably have more contact with them now than you would if you were closer. We have been back in Alaska for a bit over a year. We spent the previous 6 years in Texas living 4 miles from my brother (we are very close) but didn't see them typically unless we initiated something. We had other family close as well. The fact is, we were not visiting for a defined period of time. When we were, they would rerack their schedule and we did a lot together. But when we moved there somehow familiarity gave way to low priority. All my ideas of family closeness with that segment of my family went out the window. We really miss the grandparents, but phones are wonderful things. When we got the chance to come back home to AK, we jumped at it.
The really interesting thing about all this is that this very same thing happened to another friend. She moved home to be close to family and realized she had more meaningful time with them when she was visiting than when she was living there. One of my best friends told me to go back to Alaska, because she saw me and talked to me more here than shen I was living close by.
I think your sister's dreams are partly just that. If you are happy, tell her so. Tell here you love Alaska, that it is totally different than anywhere you have lived and you don't expect her to understand. There is no way for folks outside to understand unless they have first hand knowledge.
