Challenge Yourself to Learn Something New Every Single Day

I’ve been meaning to write this post for awhile now, but it keeps getting put on the back-burner as other posts seemed more prevalent. However, it’s about one of the most fun experiences I’ve had in Alaska:)

When I found out I was coming, I was told about the glass floats that wash up along the beaches in some of the villages (google “alaska glass floats”- it’s pretty cool to learn about them). The women in the villages add beads to them, or weave nets around them in a process called macrame.

I was fascinated by hearing about this, and was hoping that I would not only find some floats, but also be invited to a villager’s house to learn how to decorate them. Surprisingly, I didn’t even have to wait until I got to my village! While at inservice in King Salmon, I was invited along to learn how to net floats with some of the other women:)

A few of us came together as a kind woman, Jenny, taught us how to weave the floats together. She was an incredibly patient instructor who took me under her wing during this process (I couldn’t have done it without her!). To weave the floats, you need to cut a ton of strings and then braid them, gather “buddy strings”, and do some other things that I honestly forget (I would need her help to do it again!). If you mess up, it can be a pain because you have to un-tie a lot of strings (not that I would know this from personal experience or anything..). Trust me, it’s worth the mess ups when you see the final product!

The best part is that you can add as many floats as you want and it’s all up to you how it comes together. When we started, I was sure that it would take me days to finish mine. However, after a few hours of hard work, I left the room with my very own macrame hanging floats! I proudly showed off my work to any of the other teachers I saw on my way back to my room (they kindly humored my child-like happiness).  It was the very first thing I hung in my apartment; now it’s the first thing I see when I wake up and the last before I head to dreamland.

I was just talking to one of the villagers the other night and she told me that there are floats on a little island in the bay. Each fall, a group of families go over and spend the day combing the island for floats and hunting geese. She promised to tell me when they are going over so I could join them! I’m so excited, and I’m just hoping that I’ll be able to find one float of my own (I love my three, but it would be awesome to know I found a float in my village!). I am patiently (okay maybe impatiently) waiting for the day they call me up to say they are heading over to the island.

My friend Annika just told me tonight “if you do one new thing every day you’ll do hundreds of new things”. I thought about it, and it’s so exciting to think about how many days of trying new things await me. I’ve already learned and tried many new things, but I have a feeling there are plenty more to come:)

Dory and Marlin Must Be Close!

After I got locked out of my house and was subsequently rescued by my new friend Bruce, I definitely needed a pick-me-up. So we decided to take a drive to the landfill. To some it might not seem fun, but to us, it was an opportunity to drive down the only road we haven’t traveled (If I’m counting correctly, there’s 7 in all). We got some great pictures along the way, and then when we were heading back, Kathy (my co-teachers friend) spotted whale spouts out in the bay!

Without question, I threw the truck in reverse and drove us down to the road that runs along the beach. We then proceeded to watch the whales spout for what felt like hours (in reality it was 10 minutes). I could have stayed forever, but everyone else was getting a little restless, so we headed back home.

Later on, Kathy and I went back down that road to watch the sun set over the water. It’s been on my list of things to do and just haven’t had the time until last night. Not only did I get to see the sky turn amazing colors as the sun said goodnight to us, but I also got to see the whales again!

We asked one of the village families what kind of whales are normally here, and they said they were probably gray, but maybe humpback. Kathy told me that humpback whales are more common and that if they were gray whales that we were pretty lucky. I guess we’ll never know which whales were hanging out in the Ugashik bay last night, but I’m glad they stopped by:)

While the whales never breached, I was just mesmerized by watching their spouts spraying out of the water. Just knowing that there were giant creatures right beneath the water, only two or three miles away from us, was enough to make my night. To me, it’s incredibly surreal to think of what lies below the surface of the water. Hopefully this won’t be my last whale spotting, and maybe next time they’ll decide to come up and say hi:)

So That Really Just Happened?

When I first got to Anchorage and met up with the other new hires, we time to shop for and ship things out to our villages. So I found myself wandering the stores during our “marathon shopping” trip trying to figure out what one needs when out in an Alaskan village. The thing we were told was “If you think you’ll crave it, even just once, get it”; which led to my purchase of things I don’t ever eat like pringles, pop-tarts, and even plantain chips(those were just out of curiosity though). My cart was filled with the things that I believed would get me through the first semester; but seriously what do I know, I’ve never moved to an Alaskan village before (I’m sure I’ll be calling home for my family to send me stuff along the way).

Besides food and other household and entertainment items, one thing on my list was to get bear spray. I still haven’t figured out why it’s called that, because I’m pretty sure it’s just pepper spray, but I knew it would be a good thing to have for going out on runs. So I made my way to that area of the store, and of course they only had two choices- a big canister that would be hard to run with, or a value pack which included the type you can carry while running. Needless to say, I left with enough bear spray to last me three lifetimes.

Of course I’m hoping to never need to use it, because in reality I would probably panic and throw the can at the bear/attacker and not actually spray it at them. But having it set me at ease. Until I went for my first run at least..

I think my chances of spraying myself are much higher than the chances of actually encountering any wildlife. They make these things so easy to access the trigger! Out on runs I find that my thumb has a mind of its own and it always makes its way past the little safety flap to sit on the spraying trigger. My brain apparently wants to see what would happen if I got sprayed, and I’m worried that it will happen; sooner rather than later. Then I’d be that girl who blinded herself when she went to Alaska (seriously these are the thoughts that go through my mind). So fingers crossed that I can contain that pesky thumb and keep my vision intact. Oh, also that I don’t need to use it in a real run in with a bear!

Not Very Kool

When you move from the lower 48 to the bush, you have to get used to many different things. Being isolated, having to order things online, not being able to dunkin donuts coffee or chipotle whenever you want, and many others. Another thing you have to adjust to is the cell service..

Normal carriers from back home don’t reach the villages, which means you have to buy a “village phone”. So while we were in Anchorage, a few of us new hires went and got new phones at GCI (a phone carrier up here). The guys working there probably hated us after we left because we’d asked so many questions, but in the end we all had our “Very Kool” phones (seriously that’s what their called).

The problem is that they are not very kool at all.. I dislike this phone with a passion. Not only is service out here pretty bad (on an average phone call with my dad, I lose the connection and have to call him back about 5 times), but the phone itself is terrible. Trying to text on it takes a ridiculously long amount of time. If you don’t type slowly, it will pick random letters that aren’t even near the letter you were tapping. To send out a text takes focus and patience, which at the end of a long day of teaching is something that you begin to lack.

Another thing that annoys me about it is my “snapchat” application. It is constantly telling me that I have snapchats, but it refuses to load them! I’ve given up trying and just accepted the fact that when I get to King Salmon in October for inservice, I’ll have quite a few snapchats waiting for me (I’m actually looking forward to it).

I know it isn’t really a big deal, because I have access to the internet from my school and a phone to use there if I need it. However, it is incredibly frustrating to spend money on the phone and the monthly costs when the product isn’t worth the price. I’d planned on having poor reception, but the fact that I can’t even text on it is the worst (I’d like to be able to talk to my friend GCI!).

Welcome to the Distillery

While I fall in love with Pilot Point more and more each day, there is one thing that I don’t love about living here; the iron in the water. Pilot Point has a lot of iron in the water supply, which means that the water isn’t really drinkable. Many of the villagers drink it, but it can turn your teeth yellow over time, and in general probably isn’t healthy.

So for those of us who don’t enjoy the metallic taste of iron-water, there are water distillers. This is a magical contraption that involves a fan sucking up the good water and leaving the iron behind. It still hurts my brain a little to think of how it works, and I’ve studied the “how it works” page from the box many times. Anywho, it  cleans the iron from the water and makes it much tastier:)

The downside to using a distiller is that it takes forever! To get one gallon of distilled water takes about 6 hours (I think, I’ve never timed it out, but it’s around there). Then you can fill up your containers and start all over again. For a person who drinks a high volume of water on a daily basis (aka this girl), this is a pain in the butt. I am constantly refilling the distiller. filtering the water (even after it’s distilled, I filter it in my brita before drinking it), and replenishing my supply.

Not only have I gotten into a routine of distilling two gallons a day (I really need to get a second distiller and some more containers to fill), but I’ve also grown accustomed to the noise. The distiller makes this humming/whirring sound throughout the whole process. It’s a good thing I am a sound sleeper, because others might not be able to run their distiller at night. I have a love-hate relationship with this distiller; I love it because it gives me drinkable water and I hate it because it takes so long (I drink a lot of water each day).

Even though it takes forever to get iron-less water, I am grateful to have access to clean drinking water. I know there are many other villages, towns, and countries that don’t have clean water, or any access to water at all. I’ll happily run my distiller 24-7 as long as it means I can stay hydrated and iron-free! Now if only I could distill my entire water supply (I’m still getting used to smelling like “clean metal” when I’m done in the shower).

Snow is On its Way

I've been told that when the fireweed blooms reach the top, that snow is just around the corner. Similarly to our Groundhog and his shadow, the bloom of the top of the fireweed plant is said to mean that the first snow is 6 weeks away. I guess we’ll have to see if it comes true, but I’d say the fireweed in Pilot Point have definitely reached their top blooms!

Since I’ve gotten to Alaska, the weather has been much warmer than I was expecting. However, our mornings are definitely getting colder, and our days have been starting to see less sun (we’ve lost about 147 minutes of daylight in the three weeks I’ve been here!) and more rain. Even with the rain and wind (I’m told start preparing for the high speeds soon), my village is beautiful. I’d love the warm weather to stick around, but snow and winter also mean no more mosquitos and other unwanted bugs!

I’m betting on the legend of the fireweed being true, and I think we’ll have out first snow by mid October (so it is written, so it shall be). I’ll be sure to take note of the day when the snow first makes its way to little old Pilot Point:)

Meet Anya:)

So they don’t tell you that when you move to Alaska you’re going to be given a dog when you get to your village! What a welcome present:) Anya is a 2 year old black lab mix. She knows a few tricks and she also likes to go for runs! This factor is perfect for me, especially because there have been some bears out recently.

Which is where I get to the part where I reveal the truth about Anya. Sadly, she’s not my dog, although I would gladly bring her home with me (we all know what happened last time one of the Norman girls brought a puppy home). She is, however, my new running escort due to the bears in the area. Anya belongs to one of the families in the village and they so kindly offered her to me as my own personal running buddy.

Once again, I find myself surprised at how kind and welcoming the members of this community have been since I’ve arrived. Within a few days of my living here, the villagers realized my love (slight obsession) with being active. They’ve seen me running, walking, and even turning the school playground into my own personal gym.  While I knew that they’d seen me out and about, I found it incredibly sweet to find out that they care so much about my safety. When I got here, I asked around  to find out about bear activity, and I’d gotten the “go-ahead” for the path around the village. But in the past week, a sow and her two cubs have been spotted close to different houses in the village.

The day they were first spotted, we had multiple visitors come to the school to specifically tell me about them. Each person said something along the lines of “I know you like to run, but you don’t want to get between a sow and her cubs” or “maybe stick to running in the gym for a bit”. It means so much to me, a stranger to them all, that they went out of their way to make sure I knew about the bears.

And that’s when Anya’s services were offered to me. She really is a comfort to me when I go out on my own and I genuinely appreciate her owners’ generosity and concern for my safety. It’s the things like this that show me that this tight-knit community is okay with me being here for a while:)

The One With the Night Off

Three weeks into my Alaskan adventure, and I was finally able to be “done” with my day at a normal time. I have basically been moving non-stop and spending approximately 14 hours a day in my school. So today it was an incredible surprise when my co-teacher, Chris, and I looked at each other at the end of the day and realized that we would have an early night.

We had our computers off, rooms tidied up, and were out the door at 4:30; I still can’t believe it really happened. We even got to have a nice dinner with her friend who is visiting. A nice girls’ night was just what we needed after the past two weeks.

I’m also looking forward to being able to read for once! I downloaded so many books on my kindle before I came, started a “tree” book in school for silent reading, and have an article that I just received in the mail today (thanks Uncle Walt); needless to say, I’m excited to get caught up on all my literature:)

Also on the agenda for tonight is to watch some “Friends”, my most recent Amazon purchase (how could I pass that one up??). Any true Friends fan will pick up on my reference to the show in this post (10 points to whoever noticed it without my just mentioning it).

I can’t believe I’ve been teaching for two weeks already! It’s even harder to believe that I’ve been in Alaska for 21 days. Actually it truly feels like I’ve been here for months already, but three weeks have gone by so fast. I’m trying to enjoy every second of every day because before I know it, I’ll be catching a plane back to the lower 48! But for now, I’ll just enjoy this rare night of relaxation and the amazing feeling of not having to set an alarm for the morning:)

Darn That Miss Norman and Her Evil Ways

I had to go into full on teacher mode first thing this morning. It’s never fun to be the bad guy, especially at school:( But when your four morning students all show up to school without their homework, you have to pull the plug on “Fun Friday”. I was planning on taking them outside for a morning recess today as a reward. Then my kiddos didn’t have their homework this morning, so as much as it killed me to do it, I had to take away that reward.

Truth be told, I don’t blame them for not wanting to get their work done; it was a really nice day yesterday. However, Miss Norman has to try to instill in them that it’s important to get your work done before doing fun things.

Students might think teachers enjoy taking away fun activities, but trust me, we don’t. I was really looking forward to getting outside and out of the classroom this morning! Oh well, this isn’t the last opportunity for “Fun Friday”, and judging by the looks on their faces when I said no morning recess, they won’t be forgetting their homework next time (fingers crossed!).

It’s also nice to know that they didn’t let this change their attitudes for the rest of the day. Later in the day, they told Chris (the other teacher) that we were the best teachers ever. I think I got back on their good sides when I brought out the Base 10 Blocks in math class (seriously they think these are the greatest thing ever, and don’t realize that their learning math while “playing” with them). Whether they like me or not, they will thank me some day:) Also, if this is the only thing that brought a damper on this week, I’ll gladly take it. I’d say this second week of teaching is officially a success!

At Least Everyone Will Know How to Find Me

I officially sound like one of Santa’s reindeer. That’s all I can think about as I carry my new “bear bells” around with me. Then again, I’d rather sound like a reindeer than get mauled by a bear..  The truth about bears out here is that you’re not likely to get attacked by a bear as long as you don’t go out searching for them. That’s not to say you want to startle one if there happens to be one close to the village; something that happens quite often.While I was at inservice talking about all the ways to stay safe out in the villages, we talked about bears and how to avoid a run in with one.

One of the most important things to do out here in the villages is to make noise whenever you’re walking around (especially if you’re out on your own). You’re supposed to sing or make noise, or as crazy as it sounds, talk to the bears. This way, if you’re in an area that does not provide a clear line of sight to any wildlife, you can warn them of your presence. Providing them with a sound to let them know you’re in the area is usually a way to make them hunker down or go in the other direction.

However, this isn’t to say that if you make noise that you’ll never have a run in with a bear. One of the session leaders at inservice shared more than one story about close calls with bears. Clearly he survived all of them, but let’s just say I don’t want to have any stories like his. So I sing, I make sure my feet hit the gravel extra loud, I talk to the bears (the day they talk back to me is when I’ll know I’ve been out here to long), and now thanks to my handy dandy bear bell, I sound like one of the reindeer on Santa’s sleigh. I don’t know how much more sound I could make while running along without the villagers thinking I’m a lunatic. Then again I’d rather they think I’m crazy and wear these bells than to face the alternative of crossing paths with a bear (although I’m determined to see one from a safe distance, in a truck, this weekend).

Two Degrees of Separation

I basically met President Obama today. Well, no not really, but I do now have two degrees of separation to him, so that’s the same right? No? Well I still think it’s pretty cool.

So how, you might ask, did this come about? Early last week, my co-teacher (Chris) and I got an email saying that Commissioner Michael O’Reilly from the Federal Communications Commissions (from Washington D.C.) would be visiting Alaska today. He had a trip planned to see some of the villages, and somehow along the way, he decided to stop in Pilot Point..

Well first let me say that I was confused at first and could swear it was the Commissioner of Education. When I thought it was that person, I went into a panic. But then I relaxed a little when I reread the email and saw who was really coming. Still, I was nervous! What would he ask? What would I say? I’ve only been at this teaching in Alaska thing for two weeks for Heaven’s sake!

Similarly to most situations in my life, I was panicked for no reason.   This afternoon, during our inservice (I’m glad we didn’t have students at the time, because that would have just been too much chaos), the Commissioner arrived. There were a bunch of seemingly important people from Alaska alongside him. Honestly, I shook so many hands and heard so many names in the matter of a minute, that I couldn’t repeat a single name back to you besides the Commissioner’s. They were really nice people though, and I got to speak with Commissioner O’Reilly for a few minutes!  They had other things to do in the community before catching their plane out, but I’m glad I got to meet them and speak to them about my classroom and students for a little while.

So I didn’t meet the President, but who’d have thought that I would have met a Commissioner from Washington D.C. while teaching in rural Alaska? I’m constantly learning that you never know what can happen!

*No picture for today’s post- I couldn’t really go up to him and ask “Hey can I take a picture of you for my blog?”. Also finding a picture online seemed stalker-ish so you can do a google search if you’d like:)

Mom Isn't Going to Like This One

Back when I moved into my house, I took a quick tour, got unpacked, and set to work making it feel like home. I was really impressed by the size and cozy layout and excited about having my own place! Let me explain the layout for a minute; within my house there are two apartments. One is mine, and the other is the itinerant apartment for the different district staff who visit the village throughout the school year. The first few days I was here, I had the help of a seasoned LPSD teacher, and she stayed in this apartment. So I never thought to lock the door, because if she needed something, she could come over to my apartment.

The night she left, I went to lock my door, just out of habit. It was then that I realized that there was no inside lock on my door.. I can lock it on the outside when I leave the apartment, but I can’t lock it to keep anyone out. I must also add that I’ve not for one second felt unsafe in Pilot Point. The villagers have been extremely welcoming and nothing but friendly! However, it helps a girl sleep at night to know that her door is locked while she’s in the dreamland.

After I told her, my co-teacher recommended that just for peace of mind, I put a chair in front of the door. Not that it’s going to keep anyone out, but I guess it would give me some warning right? I mean, it’s a really loud chair when moved along the floors in my apartment. With my luck though, I wouldn’t wake up even if the chair was making a clatter. Then I would have to use that bear spray, and again, I really think that’s just a danger to me (i’m bound to spray myself one of these times). Now don’t worry Mom and Dad, we’ve put a work order in and the lock is on it’s way! Until then, I’ve got my trusty chair to keep me safe.

Give Me Back That Filet-o-Fish

Today, on my day off, I planned to spend the day in my classroom prepping for the week. Then, however, I was kindly invited to go watch some villagers set nets to catch some salmon. I decided to give myself some fun time and quickly accepted the offer! I drove down to where they set their nets and along the way, my co-teachers’ 10 year old grandson and I stopped in awe as we saw a bald eagle sitting on a telephone pole about ten feet from the truck. I had a staring contest with a bald eagle today, something that will probably never happen to me again. It was one of those moments where I sat there and thought “I can’t believe I’m really here”.

When we got down to the nets, there were quite a few seals trying to steal all the salmon. While the villagers didn’t want them there, I was enjoying watching them swim around and play with their food:) The villagers sort of laughed and smiled at me as I enjoyed my first sight of seals and took pictures. I was jokingly told that I was allowed to point and shoot with my camera this time, but next time I need to be pointing and shooting with a gun (I think they were mostly serious though..) After standing and enjoying everyone’s company for awhile, we saw a salmon in one of the nets. One of the villagers pulled it in, and after it was cleaned, he asked if I would like it. Of course I gratefully accepted, and we made our way to the bench so he could filet it.

He got his knife and was about to do it, when he looked up and without words, handed the knife to me. Then he showed me how to cut it and I got to work. When I was done, I proudly showed off my work, and got his seal of approval (pun intended). He said I’d done pretty good for it being my first time! The few people that were there gathered around as I proudly showed off my work:) I left there feeling extremely empowered in a way (I’d gotten my own dinner!). When I walked into school and told my co-teacher that I’d gotten dinner for all of us, I swear I was acting as if I’d just won the lottery or something (my heart was racing and adrenaline pumped through my veins- I may have been over-excited but oh well)! Time to go enjoy my dinner (don’t worry, no blogging and cooking tonight). Today I feel Alaskan:)

If Only You Could Smell My Kitchen

I have to say, I’m feeling incredibly productive and accomplished right now. Today on my day off, I went over to school and got a bunch of things crossed off the to do list. But then I read my emails and had to add just as many items to the list (the life of a teacher, right?). At the end of the day when I was ready to come home, I felt as if I’d gotten a lot done. So I figured I would continue the night with a nice home-cooked dinner. Chicken and pasta was on the menu, and other than almost setting off the smoke detector (actually not really, I just panic every time I cook ever since that time last year when I set the Bennet Smith smoke alarm off at school), it was delicious:)

After dinner I decided to try my hand at some baking. Our school cook, Al (such a good man- there will be a post down the road solely devoted to his cooking) shared with me his recipe for home-made  cinnamon rolls. Now here I sit, waiting for them to be done, basking in the aroma of their deliciousness that has taken over my house. I can only hope that they taste as good as they smell! Once their done, I’m going to run two down to Al and his wife as a thank you for sharing the recipe; so let’s hope they are yummy enough to meet his standards!

*Update- So I overcooked them a little.. Guess that’ll teach me not to bake-and-blog. The outer layer is a little crispy (in my defense, the temps on this oven get super hot and really quickly- it’s only the second time I’ve used it!) but the insides are soft and yummy! However, I’ll wait until the next time I make them to take to Al. I can’t serve him less than perfect food!

Have I Mentioned the Volcano?

One of the most beautiful parts of my village is the view that we have of a volcano about 40 miles away. Mount Chiginagak is my favorite thing to look at each night:) The best time to see it in all it’s glory is later in the evening. You can even see it smoking on the left side sometimes! It’s truly an amazing and breathtaking sight. I never thought that I’d be able to say that I live near a volcano! Let’s just hope Old Smokey (as the locals call it) stays sleeping for a long long time:)

*More Info on the volcano for science lovers:

http://www.avo.alaska.edu/volcanoes/volcimage.php?volcname=Chiginagak

http://www.avo.alaska.edu/volcanoes/volcinfo.php?volcname=Chiginagak

For the Good of the Cause

The best part of my Friday was when I got to do my ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. I had told my students about it earlier in the day because I needed help and knew that they would be overjoyed seeing their teacher get a bucket of ice water on her head. I then basically gave them free reign to decide the details of how my challenge should be done. They first chose the setting: Airplane Lake. Next came the time: 8:30pm. Then they said that because I was nominated twice that I should have to jump in the lake as well. So I said I would see what happened when we got there (I didn’t know if I’d be able to handle it).

We had open gym at school from 6-8, and afterwards my students were prepared and so excited to get going. They all had their hondas (whether it’s an actual honda or not, that’s what 4-wheelers are called here) and as they lead the way, I felt as if they were the firing squad and I was about to be executed. Almost all of my students showed up to watch, and two were eager to take part in the actual dumping of the water (and being in the Facebook video).

At first I stepped into the lake and it was bearable. Incredibly buggy, but the water was not as bad as I was expecting. Then came the moment of truth when they dumped the water on my head. It was freezing! And then I followed through with their request, and walked into the lake and went under water. I was so cold that I was struggling to talk for the video. So here I am feeling like my bones are going to shatter from being frozen, watching as half of the kids proceed to jump into the lake and start swimming. While my new license says so, clearly I’m not a true Alaskan yet, thought I did earn some respect from a handful of children, the village priest, and my co-teacher:)

**Please donate to the ALS foundation! Every dollar counts!

https://secure2.convio.net/alsa/site/Donation2?idb=975723357&df_id=27420&27420.donation=form1&27420.donation=root

P. Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way

When I got my mail today, I was incredibly entertained when I saw an envelope addressed to Paige Norman, 42 Wallaby Way, Pilot Point, AK. My driver’s license has arrived and I just keep looking at it. Not just because it says my “new address”, but also because there are snowflakes on it! Little holographic snowflakes that make it look like it’s snowing on my picture. I am in love with it and occupied myself for a good 5 minutes just moving it back and forth to see the snowflakes moving. By far the best driver’s license ever! It’s the little things in life that amuse me the most. However, I think I’m going to have to carry around another form of I.D. when I go home because people will truly think it’s a fake. I’ll worry about that another time though, and for now I’ll just enjoy watching my snowflakes:) 

T.G.I.F

I survived! This has been a challenging and exhausting week, but I am proud to say that I have completed my first week of teaching! Add on the fact that every child was alive at our 2:00 dismissal today (fridays are early days-lucky kiddos!), and I’m feeling pretty accomplished:)

Not only is it challenging to plan for the students in the various levels for different subjects, but also getting the children into a routine takes work; and lots of it! I have spent approximately 14 hours a day at school each day this past week (I don’t know if it’s good or bad that I only live a few feet away). Planning lessons and making schedules and keeping everything organized definitely has me staying busy!

It’s all worth it when my students come in each morning and ask me what the new joke of the day is, or when they want to sit next to me at lunch or during silent reading. I’m even letting them help me with my ALS bucket challenge tonight as a way to further create a connection with them; also as a treat for doing so well the past few days (they are so excited!).

Teaching out here in rural Alaska is going to be hard work, but I believe that these children really deserve time and effort put into giving them the education that they need and deserve. They are great, funny kids who just need some structure and extra love.

While I convinced myself on day one that I shouldn’t have been hired or that I would be fired (blame it on being over tired and a bit overwhelmed?) I think I might make it as a teacher after all:)

It's Only a Matter of Time

When I first got to Anchorage and met up with the other new hires, we time to shop for and ship things out to our villages. So I found myself wandering the stores during our “marathon shopping” trip trying to figure out what one needs when out in an Alaskan village. The thing we were told was “If you think you’ll crave it, even just once, get it”; which led to my purchase of things I don’t ever eat like pringles, pop-tarts, and even plantain chips(those were just out of curiosity though). My cart was filled with the things that I believed would get me through the first semester; but seriously what do I know, I’ve never moved to an Alaskan village before (I’m sure I’ll be calling home for my family to send me stuff along the way).

Besides food and other household and entertainment items, one thing on my list was to get bear spray. I still haven’t figured out why it’s called that, because I’m pretty sure it’s just pepper spray, but I knew it would be a good thing to have for going out on runs. So I made my way to that area of the store, and of course they only had two choices- a big canister that would be hard to run with, or a value pack which included the type you can carry while running. Needless to say, I left with enough bear spray to last me three lifetimes.

Of course I’m hoping to never need to use it, because in reality I would probably panic and throw the can at the bear/attacker and not actually spray it at them. But having it set me at ease. Until I went for my first run at least..

I think my chances of spraying myself are much higher than the chances of actually encountering any wildlife. They make these things so easy to access the trigger! Out on runs I find that my thumb has a mind of its own and it always makes its way past the little safety flap to sit on the spraying trigger. My brain apparently wants to see what would happen if I got sprayed, and I’m worried that it will happen; sooner rather than later. Then I’d be that girl who blinded herself when she went to Alaska (seriously these are the thoughts that go through my mind). So fingers crossed that I can contain that pesky thumb and keep my vision intact. Oh, also that I don’t need to use it in a real run in with a bear!

Let Me Tell You About Christmas in the Bush

Growing up, Christmas always meant going to church, seeing family, opening gifts from santa, and celebrating my dad’s birthday. But I’ve learned a whole new meaning for this word. Christmas is going to the post office and seeing a tote with your name on it. A tote that you know the exact contents of, but are just as excited for as if it holds in it the pony you always wanted as a child.

Another thing about Christmas in the bush, is that you never know when it’s going to come. You know that you’ve got a tote or amazon package on the way, and you know that Santa makes deliveries to your village three times a week. But tracking items on their way to villages in Alaska doesn’t quite work the way it does in the lower 48. So you wait.. until the day that you get to the post office and the post-mistress says “I’ll meet you around back” (where you pull the truck up to load up totes) and that’s when you know that Christmas has arrived. And it’s especially great to open your tote and find your peanut M&M’s, bag of nail polish, and coffee supplies all in one container:)

What Does the Fox Say?

After my first day of teaching, I found myself at school until after it got dark. Which in NJ this time of the year would mean 9:00, but here in Pilot Point it means 11:00 or so. So I was shutting off all the lights and getting ready to walk home, when I almost had a full blown panic attack thinking about the many different animals that could get me on the 30 feet (give or take) walk home. But then I convinced myself that it was all in my head and that I would be fine.

Which of course is when looked out the window and saw a fox casually strolling past my front door.. taking his time to linger.. It’s like he knew I was trying to get home. So at that point, I had resigned myself to sleeping in the school. If there was a fox out there, who’s to say he didn’t have a wolf or bear friend hanging out with him?? But it had been a very long day and I wanted my own bed, so I had to take what at the time felt like a big risk. I made sure to open and close the school door a few times to make noise and flash my flashlight a few times before walking (okay jogging) to my front door. When I got inside, I felt pretty accomplished. Needless to say, I’ve got some braving up to do before we lose our daylight out here.

The Many Hats of a Teacher

I can’t tell you how many times throughout college that I heard my professors say “Teachers wear so many different hats each day”. Sure I knew this to be true, and of course I was exposed to it during practicum and student teaching. But the hats that a teacher wears in rural Alaska are the ones I was used to, and then some.

On my first day of school, I wore many different hats; I was a nurse, peace-keeper, lunch room aide, scientist, listener, and librarian just to name a few. However, the most memorable hat that I wore during my first day on the job was the bus driver hat. Yes, that’s right, I was the bus driver. (Now let’s just clarify that by bus, here in Pilot Point that means a pick-up truck, but it’s a bus all the same). Luckily for me, this meant that I was more focused on finding each child’s house that I didn’t have time to worry about how my day was going to go!

In addition to all of these other hats, an important one that I had on my head my first day was that of an experienced teacher. While I only have my experiences in college to support me, my students couldn’t know this. They need to think that I’ve got this all down to an exact science! Truth be told, I woke up that first morning wearing the hat of an extremely nervous first year teacher with butterflies in her stomach. However, I’ve learned the importance of tossing my hat to the side and picking up all the ones that my students need me to wear instead. Let’s see what other hats I pick up along the way here in PIP!

Last Minute Purchases

After a long, but amazing few days in King Salmon for LPSD inservice, a group of us wanted to go to the Naknek store to get some last minute items. I knew that prices would be higher in the bush, and I was prepared to forgo my fresh produce addiction in order to not spend a fortune. But then that last minute in the checkout aisle of a grocery store panic set it, and the next thing I knew, I had spent $27 on 5 bananas, a bag of carrots, and a head of cabbage.. I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated food as much as when I ate those items.

Little did I know that there was major progress on the store that was rumored to be being built in my village. The opening is set for September 1st! But I have a feeling that the $27 I spent on those produce items in Naknek will not be my last high priced check-out in the name of fresh fruits and veggies..

Airport Friends

My first day of the journey to my new home was mostly spent on airplanes or in airports. Along the way, I had some great seat mates and friendly co-fliers. However, it was during my layover in Seattle that I met a really nice woman named Karen. Karen and I happened to be at the “Alaskan Lodge” during the lunch rush and were asked to sit closer together to make room for other hungry fliers. We made some friendly small talk, and then we started talking about our different travel plans.

Which is when I found out that because of her job she has flown out to Alaska over 50 times, and even knew about the villages that I would be traveling to and through! She spent half an hour offering advice and tips that I hadn’t even thought of before. I felt so appreciative of this woman that I had just met taking the time to make me feel more comfortable about my trip, as if she were a friend I’ve known for years. 

As I was leaving to get to my terminal, she told me that while in Anchorage, that I absolutely had to eat at a restaurant called Humpy’s. Of course I said I would try, but I knew my days in Anchorage would be spent marathon shopping and shipping items to my village. So imagine my delight when on my second night in Anchorage I was told we were going to this hot spot of a restaurant, only to ask the name and to find that it was the same place that Karen told me I had to try. I only wish that I had a way to tell her that I went and that it was just as great as she told me it was!