Homer Alaska - Business

After your children have grown up, gone away to school and established careers in the Lower 48, how do you get them to come back to Homer?

That's the lament of many parents missing children who have moved south. Fortunately, after five to 10 years Outside, many a Homer young adult does come home.

Sarah Vance, the daughter of Coletta and Raymond Walker, is a good example of the trend. Not only has she come back to town with her husband, Vance has established a business, Renu Bodyworks, near her parents' antique shop, Ivory Goose Antiques, on West Pioneer Avenue next to the Hillas Building.

"We moved back to Homer because we absolutely love what Homer has to offer," Vance said.

A licensed massage therapist, Vance opened Renu in early June. She offers Swedish and therapeutic massage and bodywork.

"I can give a great Swedish massage if someone wants to relax, and go to a happy place," Vance said. "What I really enjoy doing is give people who have chronic pain — help work that out, offer some stretching techniques and things they can do on their own and get them back to doing what they enjoy doing in their everyday life."

After growing up in Homer, Vance, 31, moved to Illinois with her husband. In 2008 she got her national certification in therapeutic massage and bodywork at Parkland College, Champaign, Ill., a rigorous, 750-hour program. The certification program also requires a criminal background check and fingerprinting. Vance is a member of the Association of Bodywork and Massage Professionals. She and her family returned to Homer last spring.

To accommodate her clients' busy schedules, Vance does 60- and 90-minute massage sessions by appointment and can do sessions in the early evening and on Saturday.

"When you're hurting, no one wants to wait a weekend," she said.

Rates are $85 for a 60-minute session and $120 for a 90-minute session. Vance uses Alpenglow massage oil with cottonwood balm, a Homer-made product manufactured by Susan Houlihan.

Vance sells gift cards and offers massage punch cards, where the sixth session is free after paying for five sessions. She also offers referral awards, where a client who refers three new clients gets a free session.

"I love my clients," she said. "I like to be good to my people."

Michael Armstrong can be reached at michael.armstrong@homernews.com.