I moved from remote North Pole, Alaska, to Florida to keep my kids safe and give them a better childhood

• Samantha Martinez is a 30-year-old mom to four children who all moved from Alaska to Florida. 
• She was worried about her kids getting into trouble in the cold, dark Alaskan winters.
• Now in sunny Florida, she said her children are kept busy and have lots of opportunities. 

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Samantha Martinez. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I grew up in the North Pole, not in the middle of the Arctic Ocean of course, but in a town in central Alaska.