Freaky Friday

Another week has come to a close and I can say that this has been our best Friday yet:) We started our Halloween off with a nice snow shower that ended up continuing into the afternoon. It just wouldn’t be Alaska if it weren’t snowing on Halloween! Sadly as I write this, the snow has already melted and the remnants are slush and ice. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted!

As for the rest of our day, it was filled with nothing but tricks and treats (alright so there was some actually learning thrown in there too).  I started off my morning by freaking my kids out with my mustache that "appeared out of nowhere". I swear these kids fall for everything and I had them convinced them for 20 minutes that it was real. From the moment they walked int the door I kept mentioning that my face was ichy and then when they weren't looking, I stuck on the mustache. If I could have captured their reactions to my turning back to look at them it would have been perfect. I continued on with class and then I started quietly handing out mustaches to them as well. One of my third graders was so freaked out by the time I got one on her face. Oh we laughed so hard and I’m smiling just thinking about it now. 

Our day got even better this afternoon when we gathered all of the kids up and showed them the movie "Halloweentown". While this movie defines my childhood Halloweens, not one of my kids had seen it! They all loved it which I figured they would. As we were watching, I brought out jelly-beans that my aunt had sent. They are the Harry Potter ones where there are two that look the same but one is a good flavor and one is gross (i.e. black could be licorice or skunk spray).. The kids were so funny as they bit into them. My sixth grader almost threw up twice which I felt bad about, but he kept coming back for more. Their faces were priceless and I will not soon forget them. These I got on camera and you can tell who got good flavors and who didn't get so lucky..

Tonight, the village had a haunted house set up in the town office.  While I wasn’t expecting it to be much, it was actually pretty great. The kids all had a blast and I even got scared which they enjoyed. They got to break a piñata and go bobbing for apples too! It was great to see them all dressed up in their costumes, hopped up on sugar, knowing that I wouldn’t have to deal with them afterwards:) Then I came home where I am currently waiting for the last of the trick-or-treaters. They are so adorable in their costumes and they all act like I didn’t just see them twenty minutes ago.

One of the best parts of my day was knowing that I got to open up three letters that my aunt, sister, and best friend had sent that were designated for today. I have their cards hanging on my wall and sometimes it’s so hard to wait until the set dates to open them, but I’ve been good. I opened the one from my aunt and best friend in the morning and saved Nikki’s for tonight. Being away from home is really hard, especially on special days like today, but it helps having letters and notes from home.

All in all, I could not have asked for a more exciting Halloween. I got to spend the day with some of the sweetest kids and it doesn't get much better than that. My 9th grader even came to my house to trick-or-treat and she seemed happy to see me (it must be the sugar) so I can't ask for much more! Hopefully all of the excitement from today will lead into a fun-filled weekend (of doing what, I have no idea, but I hope it involves more than watching movies in my house)!

Another One in the Books!

I can officially add parent teacher conferences to the list of things I have survived as a first year teacher! Granted, I only had four families show up, but they were conferences nonetheless. Also, to be fair I have multiple kids from each family, so I had seven different conferences by the end of it.While I was really nervous as I prepared for them, I could not have asked for them to go more smoothly. 

Just like so many things out here, conferences go a bit differently than in the lower 48. One of the moms joked that they should be called parent-teacher-student conferences. This is because we have the students come in on the conferences so they can hear how they are doing. They are also able to share what they think they are doing well and what needs work. I was hesitant to do this with some of my students, but it went surprisingly well. My students were excited to show off our “Proud Wall” where we hang assignments or things that they are proud off; kind of like a big refrigerator! I’m happy to have my first round of conferences under my belt and can’t wait to keep working with the kids so they can show more improvement as we go along!

Oh the Places You'll Go!

This is by far the most difficult post that I’ve yet to write. In all honesty, I have been putting it off and wondering whether or not to write it. However, to not write about this would be as if I’m hiding part of my journey when in fact what I want to do is write about the reality of my situation. It wouldn’t be fair for me to keep the hard things to myself just because I have difficulty writing about them.

Back in May when I was offered the position in my school, I was given a four month contract. Pilot Point was looking really low on numbers and it was unknown whether they would make the October count. It was mentioned that should I like it out here that there might be an opportunity for me to finish out the school year. However, if I chose not to that I could go back to NJ with a once in a lifetime experience to tell my grandkids about.

Insert the hard part here. From day one in Alaska, people have spoken as if I was going to be in PIP for the whole year. I haven’t shared it much, but I have been incredibly overwhelmed by the pressure that I felt from the beginning. I was just trying to adjust to the time difference and already my colleagues were making plans for the spring. It was with the best intentions, but at the same time, it was an added pressure. So how could I possibly let them all down when I knew in my heart that I was not meant to stay in Pilot Point past December?

While many of the reasons for which I came to this decision I would rather keep to myself, the main reason for my deciding not to stay was my mental health. When it comes down to it, I am lonely and in the village I am without a support system of any form. My off site colleagues and friends have been an amazing support system for me, but day to day, I don’t really have anyone to go to. This when added to the list of other factors just became too much for me. Could I stick it out and finish the year? Yes. Would it take a major tole on my mental well being? Without a doubt.

Coming to a set decision on whether to stay or leave was the hardest thing that I have ever done. How can I not feel defeated or as if I am quitting? Can I withstand another four months of this? What about the kids? How can I do this to my students? But can I do this to myself? Wasn’t it I who spoke of the need for structure and stability in their lives? How could I say that and then leave them? Day in and day out my head has been filled with these difficult questions. 

Feeling conflicted, I reached out to some family and friends, both in Alaska and in the lower 48. They were each able to give me some advice on how they had approached challenging decisions in their life. From there, I had to decide on my own what the best decision for me would be. After many pro and con lists, phone calls, texts, and emails, I had come to a decision. I told my boss at the cross country meet in September that I would not be able to renew my contract in January.

The moment I spoke those words to him, a weight was lifted off of my shoulders. I still feel guilt and sadness about my decision, but I knew that it was the right thing to do for me. I have yet to tell my community as I fear the backlash of my telling them that I will be leaving. While I have been told that my safety will not become an issue, I worry about what the reaction to my decision will be. The community has welcomed me, but I truly believe that I will lose what little support that I have out here when I tell them I won’t be staying. At the end of the day, even if they treat me kindly now, I am an outsider. Leaving their children will not be perceived well, and the consequences of my decision will most likely be trying for me. I would greatly appreciate prayers for the rest of my time in Pilot Point, especially for when I do tell the locals of my decision. 

Throughout inservice, my decision became public knowledge to some of my friends and colleagues. Their reaction though has been an overwhelming amount of support. It was without a doubt an emotional time at inservice as I realized that it would be the last time that I saw some of these people. Again, the guilt and the sadness set in, but then I thought of returning to my site and my decision remains steadfast. I came out here for a reason and I believe that I am meant to leave Pilot Point for a reason.

With that said, I had expressed to my boss that I would be interested in tutoring in the spring should they need an extra tutor. I felt that maybe if I were able to experience a bigger site or even a fully functioning one that things might be different. I had taken him off guard in my decision not to stay and I understand that while I had every right to my decision, that I would be making things tougher for him as he has to find two replacements for PIP. However, he was supportive of my decision as well because at the end of the day, everyone out here knows that being supportive or not-supportive can almost make or break a person.

Yesterday at inservice, Mr. Luthi sat down with me and told me of a tutoring opportunity in Nondalton which is a village up north. I wasn’t expecting him to present this to me during inservice and it happened quickly. I asked if I could have some time to make my decision and I have been given a short deadline in which I need to decide. The benefit of being at inservice was that I was able to talk to the principal and some of the teachers from Nondalton. Should I choose to tutor there, I will be staying with an older woman who in her own words promises not to “mom” me too much. I quickly told her that to be able to be “mom-ed” would be worth it. I have also had different conversations in the past with other teachers from that site and have really enjoyed visiting with them. My final talks of the day were to some of the teachers who are my age. Yes, there are people my age out at this site! I asked them different questions and from their responses, I feel as if moving to Nondalton would be the right thing for me. 

While it will have its challenges and struggles as any village does, I feel like this will be the experience that I deserve a chance to have. When it comes down to it, I really think that I got the short end of the stick as a first year teacher. I owe it to myself to get to experience a site where there is a great support staff who works together for the kids and to help each other. I love my district and I love Alaska, plain and simple. I miss my family and friends, but knowing that I will be able to see them over winter break will be great. I think it will get me through the tough times in my next placement. But at the end of the day, this is my journey that I need to take on my own. Similarly to deciding to come to Pilot Point, I feel in my hear that this is the right decision to make. I hope that you will continue to follow me on my adventures as I finish out my time in Pilot Point and begin my next adventure out in Nondalton! 

Where's Waldo?

There are so many things that I mean to have written about sooner but I lose track of my posts and forget what I’ve added and what I’ve yet to cover. I know I talk about the villages all the time, but I have never shown a map or anything to highlight the area in which our district covers. LPSD is part of the Lake and Peninsula Burough which is along the southern Peninsula.

Our school district is comprised of 13 schools at the current moment (I double checked but I apologize if I missed one!). There have been more in the past but it all depends on the number count of each year. The law requires there to be at least 10 students in any given school or else it will shut down. One of our schools was shut down last year and just re-opened this year; I think they actually have 17 kids this year. We have been on the edge of our seats in Pilot Point because it was touch and go for awhile as to if we’d make the count. The count took place this week and we are safely through with 13 students! 

The villages/schools that are within LPSD are:

• Chignik Bay 
• Chignik Lagoon 
• Chignik Lake 
• Egegik (I was on the runway here today but haven’t set     foot on Egegik ground)
• Igiugig (I got to walk around the runway and go in the visitor center this past weekend)
• Kohkanok 
• Levelock 
• Meshik School, located in Port Heiden
• Newhalen 
• Nondalton 
• Pilot Point
• Tanalian School, located in Port Alsworth
• Perryville

Not to be quoted, but I believe our largest schools would be Tanalian, Newhalen, and Levelock while our smallest schools are Egegik and Pilot Point (I could be wrong, but from the numbers I’ve heard this would be about right). Travel between some of the northern villages can be easily done with a honda, a boat in the warmer weather or a snow machine when the lakes freeze over. The southern villages all require planes to travel in between. You would think that it wouldn’t cost much to get between the different villages but I called the other day to get an estimate for a trip up north and was told that it would be $1,400. This was for one way and I was looking for a roundtrip! There’s so much more I could get into for each of the villages but I just wanted to highlight which schools are part of my district and to show a map so it’s more visual so people know where I’m talking about if I mention them in the future:)

Eat, Pray, Love

 This week was the week that I’ve been counting down to for the past two months. I finally got to be reunited with the whole LPSD staff for October inservice. For a few days I was surrounded by my friends and some great colleagues. It also meant socializing with people in general which was what I had been looking forward to the most.

Although I was a day late because of the trip to town, I hopped right into inservice when my plane landed in King Salmon. I was lucky enough to be rooming with two of my friends and we were able to catch up and talk about our respective sites and experiences so far. One of the things we talked about was what it feels like to be a teacher in the villages. While our family and friends back home try to be as supportive as possible and are so helpful in offering a listening ear, they don’t understand nor will they ever know what it is like to teach or live out here; this is through no fault of their own, it's just the way it is. 

Life in rural Alaska is incredibly challenging and can be overwhelmingly lonely at times. I found that I was not alone in saying that one of the things I miss the most is physical human contact; whether it’s a hug from a friend or a kiss from your parents or even a handshake from a stranger. When you live alone in a village, the most you get is a high five from your students but even those are rarities. Being deprived of physical contact is challenging. At inservice, it’s completely acceptable to walk up to your friends and just give them a hug or put your hand on their shoulder or anything. I took advantage of this every second that I could because I’ve got to add it to the cache in PIP to get me through the next two months of non-contact. 

Another great part of talking to my friends was the feeling of unconditional support from people that I haven’t had more than a handful of conversations with in the past. In just a short two and a half days, I became much closer with one friend because we were able to share our stories and joys and frustrations. On my first night, she asked if I would mind if she prayed for me which I gratefully accepted. As I sat there listening to a girl who I’d had one or two prior conversations with pray for me, a friendship was formed. Through the rest of the week it was strengthened and I am so thankful to have her as a support and as someone who understands the challenges that I face every day. 

In addition to having great conversations with people from each of the villages, there were some great meals thrown our way. We stay at Bristol Bay School which is a school that we partner closely with. The cook there keeps us well fed with healthy meals that are also comfort foods that we don’t often get. We also got D&D pizza last night which is always a great treat! After eating some meals in Anchorage that I’d been craving and then getting Tonya’s cooking, I came home feeling like I’ll never have to eat again. 

While the inservice was about working and joining together to collaborate, it is also a time to remember one of the teachers who passed away a few years ago from a wolf attack. She was out on a run, training for a marathon when she was killed. Each October there is a run in her honor. While I didn't know her, it was an honor to be able to run in her memory and to help support her memorial fund. Just like anywhere in the world, tragedy brings people closer together and running for her during inservice seems like a fitting tribute to her. 

As a whole, inservice was a great way to catch up with friends as well as to get advice and help with different classroom questions. My brain is filled to the brim with new information and strategies to try in the classroom. This weekend will be spent decompressing and sorting through it all. While most teachers back in the lower 48 probably dread inservice, I can truly say that it was the best three days  I’ve had in a while (okay the EY conference was awesome too, but this week beats all of the days before that). Thank goodness for inservice!

Get Up, Stand Up

"Get Up, Stand Up"; that's the theme for this year's EY Conference. I can't count the amount of times I have heard that phrase over the past two days; nor can I imagine how many times it will be uttered tomorrow. This year's conference is meant to get the natives to take action towards their goals. They've been in a circle of stating the problems and talking about the importance of changing them, but nothing is changing. The languages are not being learned or taught, traditions are not being upheld, and communities are not doing their part to take a stand. This isn't to gather all villages or communities by any means, I'm simply stating some of the problems that were repeatedly discussed.

Today however, action was taken. It might not have been tangible action but it was so much more powerful than a visible change. Never did I think that the most powerful part of today would come in the form of seven young girls walking onto the stage. These young girls are a part of the Tanana 4H club and their leader introduced them and talked a lot about how important it is to start change within children.  Their community is still reeling from a fatal shooting that killed two Alaskan State Troopers last year and how this tragedy motivated these girls to make a change for a better future. Their leader said how if even one child is drug and alcohol free that when they grow older and have children it means that even one baby might be born without alcohol or drugs in their system. Each of the girls on the stage are drug and alcohol free; this means that a future generation of babies born will one day be born with clean systems. Again and again she reinforced the knowledge that it is not too late to change or to speak out about hard issues to take a step toward change.

Once she was finished, she turned the microphone over to the girls. The first few gave great speeches about how their lives have been affected by drugs and alcohol in their community. I was moved by their strength to talk about some of the things they have gone through in their lives. However, I got chills as the next young woman began her speech. This brave and strong seventeen year old girl got up and spoke of being a victim of sexual abuse. She talked about the importance of taking a stand against predators, even if they are related to you. She urged victims to break their silence. I was amazed by her courage and yet saddened to know that are so many victims who do not feel safe enough to speak out against their attacker. After her speech, these girls took a pledge to stop suicide in Alaska and the audience stood with them and took this pledge as well.

Throughout the rest of the day, I thought about her speech and how brave she was to get up there. Not only did these girls come to stand in front of a large group of people to share their stories, but they were on camera as well. The EY Conference is being aired across the country, and these girls were well aware of this. They are so invested in making a change for their future and the future of their loved ones and community that they were willing to speak of the injustices in their own community. I commend them for standing up and speaking out against the wrong-doing even when their community is as small as it is. Not only were they speaking for natives but the young woman who spoke about sexual abuse was talking to victims everywhere. Please listen to her as she urges you to speak out, if not for yourself then do it for your younger siblings, cousins, nieces or nephews. Get up. Stand up. Protect the children.

* In researching a fatal shooting that occurred in Tanana last year (which the young girl speaks about in the video), I was able to find a video showcasing two of the girls giving their speeches. It is worth your time to watch, these girls deserve your time. I also attached the article which discusses the shooting in Tanana last year.

http://www.adn.com/video/video-tanana-alaska-4-h-group-speaks-out

http://www.adn.com/slideshow/photos-two-alaska-state-troopers-killed-tanana-shooting

**The picture with the word cards is their stance on the issue of legalizing marijuana use in Alaska. Due to the extremely negative impact drugs have been in their community, these young girls urge all Alaskans to vote against legalizing marijuana.

Quyana Native Alaskans

When I woke up today, I was expecting a day filled with learning about different cultures and meeting new people. I was excited to hear from the many different elders, keynote speakers, and various other people who were on the agenda. What I was not prepared for was to be so incredibly overwhelmed with emotions throughout this day. When I woke up this morning I was a teacher chaperoning two students on a school trip. However, things changed when we walked into the Dena’ina Convention Center.

The moment I stepped into that building, I became a minority. I became one of a handful of white people among the crowd. As I walked around I realized that everyone in the building shared something that I was not nor will I ever be a part of. I felt as if I had no right to be in the same building with this amazing amalgamation of people. I was an outsider; a welcomed member of the conference audience but an outsider nonetheless. 

Not wanting to draw attention to myself, I observed most of the day quietly from my seat. Sure I talked to people and had great conversations, but the speakers were not talking to me. They reached me in many ways, but their material was not prepared with me in mind. Their speeches and presentations were meant for many generations of native groups across the state. So I did my best to simply witness quietly and be a courteous guest. 

In my observations, here is the cliff-notes version of what I witnessed. Throughout the span of eight hours we spent together today, I heard and saw many things. For example, I witnessed hundreds of people coming together to celebrate their culture. I watched as native dancers shared stories through their steps. I listened as Alaskan Senators and representatives spoke about advocating for the native groups. While I do not watch professional basketball, I got to hear Shoni Schimmel speak about following her dreams and it leading to her becoming the first Native American All-Star in the WNBA. Schimmel plays for the Atlanta Dream, and while she is not an Alaskan Native, she is a Native American from Oregon whose pride in her ancestry shines through and is an inspiration to Native youth everywhere. Raina Thiele from Intergovernmental Affairs at the White House spoke of her own Alaskan Native upbringing and how it’s affected her role in the government. I clung to every word spoken by the elder keynote speaker, Fred John Jr. who spoke of his role in preserving Alaskan Native traditions. In doing so, the 71 year old (at the time) walked 375 miles from Delta Junction to Anchorage in a matter of thirty days stopping at villages along the way. He did this to stand up for his way of life and to protect the legacy set by his mother who fought for subsistence fishing rights. 

While each and every one of these speeches was amazing to listen to, there is one in particular that stood out to me. When the youth keynote speaker stepped on stage, I was expecting a nervous young boy. However, as he got to the podium, I was amazed by what a powerful speaker he was. Devlin Anderstorm is a senior in high school who spoke fluent Tlingit (phonetically pronounce Klinket) which is the language of his people. While this might not sound like an achievement, I will add that in many communities the native language has all but died out. However, this young man is among a growing group of youth who refuse to let their ancestral roots become forgotten in history. He is the prime example that it is possible to continue native traditions in today’s modern world. Jokingly, he spoke of how he is still a typical teen who spends half his time on Snapchat and Instragram; but still he has kept his culture alive. He urged his fellow peers to take a stand and to ask and even demand that their elders share with them their language and their stories. I was amazed by how strongly he spoke and how confident he was in delivering his message. 

Anderstorm’s speech was inspiring, but what hit me was later in the day when a group of elders stood to talk. Maybe it was their plan originally or maybe they changed their message because of this young man’s speech. Perhaps they noted the similar ones which all stated that there are youth out there who want to learn the ways of their ancestors. But this afternoon, I heard a public apology (which was broadcasted nationwide) from an older generation. This group of elders apologized for not doing their part to pass down their language, their stories, their traditions. I was blown away by their ability to admit that they had done wrong by their youth. They stood there and proved that it is never to late to change. Today, promises were made to fight for the revival of native languages and ways of life. 

By this point, you might ask why I was so touched by all the speakers or why I am taking the time to write about these things. But let me ask this “what language do you think they were speaking the majority of the day?”. If your answer is English you are correct. The reason for why their languages are dying out is because the "white man" came and took their land and their resources. The natives are a people who would share their last catch with someone to help fill their stomach; they are not selfish nor are they mean hearted people. But they gave what they had and the white people came in thinking that they knew what was best. What I learned today is that the people who came to Alaska may have had the best intentions (I’m not claiming to know the full history behind this issue so history buffs please don’t take my understanding to be fact) but they stole from so many people. Not only at the time but for many generations since and even more to come.

 I live in a village of seventy Alaskan natives and not one of them speaks fluent Aleut (which is the language of this area). I found it incredibly disheartening to hear the facts of how the Alaskan Native way of life was taken from them quickly in some aspects and slowly in so many others. The hardest thing to hear came during a breakout session where a Yupik woman said that her grandparents 

wanted what was best for her parents so they refused to speak their native language in front of them. The Yupik language began to die out because these people believed their was something wrong with their way of life because the "white man" told them so. An entire languages downfall was caused by a generation wanting what was best for their children and who can fault them for that? Today however, I watched as this group of hundreds became united even more than they already are. They came together to decide that it isn’t too late to take back what was stolen for them. A promise was made that the youth would try harder to learn the languages and traditions while the elders would do their part to share their stories and language before it is too late.

Today I witnessed an amazing gathering between high school students and an older generation. I learned more today than I have in a long time. More importantly, I felt a connection grow between myself and the land in which I currently live. You might not believe it, but this truly was the short version of the movie replaying itself in my head. Eight hours were spent in the convention center, but generations worth of wisdom and stories were shared and discussed. Today I was an outsider, but I am so thankful to have been a part of it. Quyana (thank you) Alaskan Natives for allowing me to be a fly on the wall of this inspiring, emotional, educational, and personal day. 

Elders and Youth Conference

Before I go any further with my posts about my chaperoning trip, I want to give a quick overview as to what the Elders and Youth Conference (EY) is about. Hosted by the First Alaskans Institute, it is a pre-conference to the Alaska Federations of Natives Conference (AFN). Once a year, people from all over the state come in for AFN week and it is a huge gathering of many different native cultures. This year marks the 30th for the conference.The EY pre-conference is meant to bring together the younger and older generations of the different native cultures. The youth and elders come together to discuss the important cultural traditions that should be passed down and why it is important to do so. Native dances and songs are celebrated and shared with the audience as well. It is two and a half days packed with story and information sharing between the generations!

Back on the Grid

Holy moly, I feel like I’m in some strange foreign land. From the moment we saw the city lights from the plane, by brain was over-stimulated. As we landed and got our things together, I had a handle on everything. That’s when I got to the rental car counter and they started asking me questions I didn’t know how to answer (A. I’ve never done this before and B. It’s not my money so I didn’t want to mess up). 

Insert amazing timing from my Superintendent who just happened to be on the same flight as us for other district reasons. He came up to the rental car counter just to check in on me and then he took charge. The reason there was some confusion was because we have a new travel coordinator who is getting used to the ropes and of course this means there will be some bumps (but seriously, it would be me who got the bumps). Thank goodness Mr. Mase showed up when he did because I was starting to panic. Not only did I not know which insurance option to choose, but it also turns out that the charge was going to be on my card when it was supposed to be pre-paid. That would not have been fun! 

Thankfully Mr. Mase stepped in and came to the rescue and before I knew it, we were headed to the parking garage. That’s when I got really excited at the prospect of driving a car again. Sure I drive the school truck, but my max speed on that is 15 miles an hour and that’s only to get the mail or the occasional drive down Dago. This is the big leagues though. Let me tell you, it was like riding a bike. If you haven’t ridden a bike in years. I got behind the wheel and didt know what to do with myself. I was completely out of my comfort zone because not only isn’t it a truck, but it also it’s an unfamiliar car. It took me a few minutes to get comfortable enough to drive out of the garage which lead M to ask “Ms. Norman, do you drive in New Jersey?”. I then explained that you just need to take a few minutes getting used to new cars to see where all the gizmos and gadgets are. 

After that, we were on the road. Not dirt road. Not the two lane road system in King Salmon or Naknek. I mean multi-lane roads and stop lights and merging and crosswalks and other vehicles. I can’t really express how I was feeling, but it wasn’t pleasant. Those from home know my anxiety levels and let’s just say I was nearing a full blown panic attack. I was so scared that I would blow through a red light just because I’m not used to seeing any form of traffic light. If I didn’t have the GPS telling me where to go, I would have been in trouble. I knew generally where I was going, but just getting back into the swing of driving was a task in itself, but add on figuring out directions on top of that and I would have been struggling. 

Luckily the boys didn’t know this inner-conflict going on as I drove them through Anchorage. After a few minutes, it all came flooding back and I became much more comfortable. Before I knew it, I was back in Jersey driving mode. Okay maybe not fully up to that, but I feel so much better. I was even able to manage a drive-through to feed my two hungry students (taco-bell as per their request). I can honestly say I never thought that driving would become a challenge after living in the bush, but I was wrong.

 It feels so strange to be in a city and to hear engines revving outside the window of my room. I can also see so many lights that I’m not used to seeing at night. While I am happy to be sitting on a bed that feels like it’s made out of clouds in a beautiful Inn (post to follow), it feels unsettling in a way. I can’t explain it, but it is a definite culture shock to be back in a city. I’m sure tomorrow during the day when I’m not tired from a day of traveling it will all become more natural. You know what they say, it’s just like driving a car (actually I don’t think they say that at all, but you know what I mean). 

And We're Off!

Today’s the day! I was so excited when I got up this morning that I didn’t know what to do with myself. I got a text from the pilot giving me the e.t.a. and then we were on the move. My student, M, and I got picked up in PIP around 10:45 and then we got to fly up north to Igiugig where the other student (we’ll call him G) lives. It was beautiful to see the tundra change from snow to clear to more snow and lakes that are beginning to freeze as we made our way north. It was smooth sailing all the way to IGI. 

The slight snag that we hit was that our second student got the dates confused so he didn’t know we were coming to pick him up until 15 minutes before we got there. We gave him a few more minutes to get packed up and then we were good to go! Thank goodness that was our only issue (so far) and it actually worked to my benefit. While he was getting ready M and I got to walk around at the airstrip and they even have a small “airport”-like building for us to go into. Inside we got to see some pictures and read stories about different elders or deceased locals and their lives. Once G was back and all packed up we climbed back in the plane (I invoked chaperone privileges and called shotgun for this leg of the trip) and headed to King Salmon. 

Knowing that I haven’t traveled around much, Pat (the pilot) was sure to point out different rivers and lakes that are well known. He also took us past “Gooney Bird” Hill which is named that because a plane (whose nickname was Gooney Bird) crashed there in the 40’s. He didn’t know much of the story behind it or if anyone died, but it was still a fun fact which I enjoy. Then he made it so much better when he flew down closer to it and on the side of the hill we could see remains from the plane! Not only was it a great sight, but nothing beats a small plane turning on its side to make these turns. I swear sometimes it feels like an amusement park ride (my student laughed at me because I was grinning from ear to ear as we were making the turn). 

Shortly after, we were back on the ground in King Salmon being taken to get some yummy food. It was so strange to be in a dine/restaurant. Honestly, I just kept having to read the menu again because even though it wasn’t a huge menu, I’m not used to having choices of foods (let alone foods that I don’t have to cook!). It was a delicious meal to say the least. 

Once our tummies were satisfied, we headed to District Office where we have spend the afternoon playing games and watching Harry Potter. Again, we’re watching t.v. which is something I never get to do so that’s been nice. The boys kicked my butt in Monopoly and were kind enough to keep “buying” what little properties I had just so I didn’t go bankrupt and lose miserably; which I did anyway. 

While I was able to keep them occupied most of the day, they are starting to get restless. If I don’t get these boys on a plane soon or out of D.O. at least, they are going to start wreaking havoc (G has been pacing around and is getting anxious from being cooped up all day). It’s been a great day so far and we are all looking forward to getting into town and grabbing a bite to eat (Subway according to the boys) before getting some shut-eye. Fingers crossed that the rest of the trip goes as well as today has:)

The Name Game

Anyone who knows me would be able to tell you that my little sister owns my heart. She has me (and everyone else in our family) one hundred and ten percent wrapped around her finger. Oh and she is completely aware of this and uses it to her advantage. I don’t know where my life would be had ourfamily not been blessed with our crazy girl, Katie.  One of the most important days of the year is Katie’s “Gotcha Day” where we celebrate the day that her adoption was finalized and she was able to  come home to her forever family. The adoption process was long and because of many political factors in her birth country, until her gotcha day, it was uncertain. My mom and step-dad were patient and optimistic and it oh how it paid off when Miss Katie came home to us. 

What does this have to do with my Alaskan journey you may ask? One of the students in my school has been fostered by a family in the village. Our student (who I’ll call B) is a sweet young boy who has not had an easy or stable life. He is with a great couple now and they are finally going to become an official family this week. His gotcha day is in a few days and I am so excited to welcome him back to school when he returns!

The past few weeks, we’ve really been embracing his upcoming adoption and the changes that will come with it. Not only will B be changing his last name, but he has decided to change his first name as well. This, to me, is an amazing thing. It will signify a new start for him and bring a clean slate for his future. That he made this decision on his own, in third grade, makes me so proud of him. This young boy deserves a happy life and he is taking part in making this happen for himself. 

While Katie was not born with the name Katherine, the family that fostered her did call her Katie; it’s the only name that she’s ever known. But for B, his decision to take on a new name comes eight years into his life of being B. However, he has chosen to become R and so we’ve been trying to shift gears and begin calling him by his new name. This is something that Chris and I have taken to doing in the past few weeks and it gets easier by the day. The process hasn’t been without its slips though. The poor kid gets called B one second and R the next only to get called B again two seconds later; but we're getting better. 

Not only do Chris and I try to call him by his chosen name, but we’re trying to get the other students to do so as well. This has been incredibly difficult because many of our students just can’t grasp the concept of why his name is changing. One of my little girls said “but I like your name better when it’s B.. I like R too, but I think B is nicer kind of" to which R patiently replied "well I'm going to be R and that's the name I like better". Our students aren’t exposed to much diversity in lifestyles or scenarios, so this has been a new thing to them. I don’t think anyone has yet to call him R, but we’re working on it. 

Another thing that I’ve noticed as we gear up for his gotcha day is that I’ve now experienced the adoption process through two completely different sets of circumstances. The first time around, I followed it as a high-schooler who was eager to have a little sister. We didn’t get to have life with Katie until she was home with us, we watched her first year and a half pass by through monthly pictures. Now however, I’m seeing it from the other side, as a teacher who knows that this boy is getting a better life in the family he is becoming a part of. Watching his transformation over the past two months as he realized that this will actually be happening has been amazing. 

There are times when I can tell that R didn’t want to trust the certainty of his adoption in case it got taken away from him. Just like the many times that it seemed Katie would not make her way into our arms, R is hesitant to trust that he has found his forever family. I’m incredibly happy to say that B will officially become R in two days! Chris and I are planning a welcome home dinner for the new family upon their return to PIP. Even on his worst days, this boy completely owns my heart, much like my sassy little Katiebell. Congratulations Mr. R on finding your forever family and on your upcoming gotcha day:)

*I couldn't post a picture of R, but this picture reminds me of the during and after of the adoption process. The house looks identical in the reflection, except there is a small yet noticeable difference. The difference in R's general being is almost identical to the light shining in the reflection, it's bright and captures your attention. 

Chaperoning Round 2!

Mondays are never any fun. Except when you get a phone call asking you to chaperone a trip to for a conference, in Anchorage! Ahhh I am so excited to be able to go to the conference and also to be in town! Yesterday it almost got taken from me, but we were able to find a sub so I still get to go (I would have cried to have this offered and then taken away). 

The current plan is that on Saturday one of my students and I will fly to King Salmon and then Sunday we’ll fly out to Anchorage and pick up the other student from Igiugig (a school in the north part of the district). We’ll be there until Wednesday morning and then I will get the boys on their planes home and then I’ll hop a plane to King Salmon for in-service! Of course these flights and this schedule are all dependent on the weather because that factor rules our lives out here. 

While I am super pumped to get to be part of the conference, I am also nervous to chaperone. I will be the only chaperone, and luckily I only have two students. But their lives and safety and well-being are all in my hands! Of course I care for them and keep them safe at school, but this is four nights and five-ish days that I will be like their mother (seriously I’m not going to be able to sleep). This is the big leagues for a 22 year old teacher, who by the way is only  5-6 years older than these boys. Oh geez, I hope they don’t try to sneak out or anything.. Fingers crossed and prayers for a safe and fun trip for the three of us would be appreciated! More posts and lots of pictures to follow:)

This Darkness Has No Name

The time has come when I reveal one of my secrets in an effort to explain what I want to get across in this post. My mother is truly one of the only people who knows the depth of this secret and she can attest to my succumbing to the fear on more than one occasion. I, a 22 year old girl living in a remote village in Alaska, am afraid of the dark.

 Maybe I can blame it on growing up next door to a cemetery or having a sister who talked to ghosts when she was a baby. Whatever the reason, it’s a fear that doesn’t go away. There have been countless times where I psych myself out of walking between my car and my house when my mom or step-dad forgot to leave the porch light on (I’ve stayed in my car for twenty minutes before trying to get the courage to get out). Then, when I get in my house and face the darkness in there, I run from my front door up the steps to the safety of my room, certain that someone watching me (again with the ghost-talking-to sister). 

So now that we know that the girl who decided to move into a village straight out of “30 Days of Night” is afraid of the dark, maybe I can try to paint a picture of the darkness here. For example, tonight it’s incredibly cloudy and I can’t see the moon or stars in the sky. There are a handful of streetlights throughout my village, but that’s it. Other than the lights from people’s houses, which there also aren’t many of, it’s pitch black. On night’s when the moon is out, it isn’t so bad. It can even be calming and peaceful.

However, there’s night’s like tonight when it’s cloudy and you can’t see more than two feet in front of you. I must also add that it’s not a darkness that your eyes adjust to; it’s just dark. Picture standing outside your house with the lights off. Then take away the street lights. Then take away the lights of cars driving by. Oh and don’t forget to turn out the lights next door and down the road. Make sure you turn off the lights in your town and the city and the next city over as well. Actually take away the lights from your whole county. But don’t forget to take away the twinkle of the stars and the light of the moon. Close your eyes and then add a blindfold. Ta-da, you’re close to picturing what darkness in rural Alaska is like.

Out here in the villages, we don’t have the lights of the next town over to light up the sky or the lights of cars shining in the the windows of our houses (sometimes you can hear a honda driving by, but even their lights can’t fight through the darkness). It’s simply pitch black, just like the scene in Finding Nemo when they drop the goggles (I’m just praying I don’t run into the Alaskan version of that scary fish) So that’s why I continue to find myself spending about five minutes standing in the building I workout in just staring into the blackness before I run the three feet to safety. As if I could see anything out there.. Oh and did I mention the wind? Because when that’s blowing against your house it sounds like there’s someone coming to get you. Alaska-1, Paige- 0. 

And I Thought Pilot Point Was Small

Throughout many of the villages in rural Alaska, populations fluctuate often with families moving in and out. Most families hop from village to village because anywhere they go the seem to have family. However, there comes a time when more people move out than move in. The school numbers drop below the cutoff and schools close. This causes more families to move to villages with schools. Before you know it, a village has come to an end. But what happens when some of the residents do not want to follow the pact?

Welcome to Ugashik, a village that has all but died out. The population at last count was 5 (from what I’m told at least). Five people who didn’t want to leave when the rest of the village slowly moved on. Ugashik is all but a ghost town these days. On sunny, clear days we can see Ugashik from Pilot Point. The village sits about halfway between Pilot Point and Mount Chiginagak (which is about 40 miles away). In the picture, you can make out the village at the base of the mountain range. 

To think that there is a village in which only a handful of people live in is something I can’t wrap my head around. I’m told by locals that the residents of Ugashik don’t get along with each other very well. I was able to meet two of Ugashik’s remaining residents on the day of our store opening after they had flown in. When I met them, they were kind enough and asked about the school. But to know that they make up almost half the population in their village just blows my mind. 

While they are alone in living there, Ugashik is a great place for smelt fishing and hunting, so many of the people from Pilot Point travel there in the winter. I’m told that when the lakes freeze over, it’s a great honda ride and that when you arrive, you’re bound to see many families from PIP there. I hope to get the chance to go out with Al and Sue sometime, but the eeriness of it also makes me want to leave well enough alone. Another thing that I’ve heard is that there is supposed to be a road being constructed to connect Pilot Point in Ugashik. I’m not sure what the progress is, but I don’t think it will be done anytime soon.

I understand having roots and not wanting to leave them, but I have to wonder what they do with their time. Sure I get lonely in Pilot Point, but I can go visit any of the families whenever I need some socialization. To live in a village where you don’t get along with the other people you live with just seems incredibly lonely to me. One thing that I know for certain is that I will never again complain about the smallness of my hometown!

Saturday Morning Staring Contest

All I wanted to do was get a nice run in to start my day. Thirty minutes of mind-clearing solitude. Despite the snow on the ground and the wind blowing outside, I bundled up and forced myself to get out the door. It was cold and the wind certainly wasn’t helping matters, but I kept going. Within a few minutes I was rewarded by the warmth of the sun. The wind was at my back pushing me along, and I was happily channeling my inner Forest Gump. As I was coming into my last half mile stretch of my run, I was looking forward to the breakfast and coffee that awaited me. It was then that I saw him. 

My first glance was just antlers and my country girl ways said “oh look a deer". At the same time, my Alaskan instincts kicked in and reminded me that there are no deer in the bush. Standing in between me and my warm house was a moose (which don’t come into my village often). He had ambled along into the road maybe 10 yards away from me and stood there watching me. I swear I must have looked like a cartoon the way I slammed on the breaks. I didn’t get the chance to get more than a glimpse of him before I was running in the other direction.

Had I not made direct eye contact with the giant creature, I would have tried to take a picture. Unfortunately he was looking into my soul and that freaked me out so I ran. I put some distance between us before turning around to get a better look. He had disappeared into the bushes so I didn’t get a second look at him. There was no way I was going to risk going past where he had been, so I had to continue on away from him.

The disadvantage of living in a village however is that there are no back roads or any roads really that I could have gone down to avoid him. My only option was to run back the way I had come which meant I had another two miles to go. This wouldn’t have been a problem really if the wind wasn’t now at my face (I think my 9th grader put a curse on me..). This was not the way I wanted to spend my morning.

I grudgingly ran home and went straight to Chris’ house to tell her. My phone wasn’t working on the run so I wasn’t able to call her when I saw it (shoutout to GCI for having my back on this one). We went out to see if he was still hanging around, but he was nowhere in sight. While I did get a longer run in, it wasn’t quite the peaceful workout I had in mind. Never a dull moment! 

Killing Her With Kindness

She loves me. She loves me not. She loves me. She loves me not. She loves me not. She loves me not and she has no problem letting me know this. Every. Single. Day.

Oh I have met quite the unhappy high school student. A girl who, I might mention, is very vocal in letting me know that she dislikes my very existence. I ask her how her distance class was and I get a look like I killed her dog. I ask her to watch a video for Social Studies and the eyes roll. I ask her to be back from lunch on time and she just doesn’t come back at all (seriously this is a three times a week kind of thing we’re talking about). I say she can’t drink coffee in school because it’s the school policy and she writes me fun little love notes and sends one to the District Office as well (but this one was just funny because she forgot the stamp and it ended up getting put in my mailbox. Don’t worry, I didn’t read it.). Truly, I don’t know that I’ve done one thing that she’s approved of yet. She is the daily reminder as to why I never wanted to go into secondary education in the first place. 

However, I am not one to back down from a challenge; and she is without a doubt my greatest challenge at this time in my life. So I continue to smile when I talk to her. I ask her how her class was. I charge her computer for her when she leaves it lying around when she leaves for the day (or morning depending on when it is that I say the magic words to make her mad enough to leave school for the day). I politely remind her why she can’t drink coffee and why teachers can. I prepare her work for when she decides to leave school early. I tell her daily that I care about her and her school-work. I share with her the treats that family members are sending for me and my students. I explain her work to her in a courteous manner no matter how many times she rolls her eyes, says “are you serious?”, or tries to walk away from me. I will not back down from my killing her with kindness tactic, and I can see that I’m weakening her defenses (maybe that’s all in my mind though).

Today I got a smile from her about an hour before school ended. It was fleeting and maybe accidental, but I will take it and put it in my pocket for the days when I don’t want to be kind. Somewhere in there is a girl who has had a tough go of it in school. A girl who doesn’t have many other female friends in this village comprised of young boys (most of whom she is related to in some way). Somewhere deep down, I think she might like me a little bit. Sometimes I think she's just so stubborn that she refuses to back down from her hatred of all things Ms. Norman. Oh how I can’t wait for the day when that girl shows up in my classroom with a positive attitude. That day will be one for the books. I might even throw a party. I’ll be sure to update when the day comes (when, not if, because I am a firm believer that positive thoughts lead to positive results). So please won’t you think positively with me?

The Bloody Moon Visits Pilot Point

“Miss Norman I saw the bloody moon last night!”. This was the first thing I heard from one of my 3rd grade students this morning (she was close enough so I didn’t correct her). The big event of this week was last night’s lunar eclipse which we happened to be in prime viewing location for. Yesterday after school, all I could was cross my fingers and say my prayers that no clouds would be in the sky between 1:15 and 4:30 in the morning.

Someone out there must have heard my request, because when I woke up at 1:45, there was not a cloud in sight. Half-asleep, I grabbed my coat, shoes, and camera then headed out the front door. I didn’t have to go far (which was good because the temperature was about 20 degrees) because the moon was right outside my house as if it was putting on a show just for me. I honestly could have watched it from my bed, but the glass made for a bad glare in pictures. When I went out, the eclipse had already been in motion and the moon was slowly being overtaken by a dark shadow. As I watched, it became more and more covered until just a tiny sliver of white moon was showing. I continued to watch until it reached it’s peak at 2:25. I have quite a few pictures of it’s progression that I used to teach lunar eclipses to my students today. I will try to upload them soon but it is just one of those things that you really need to see to get the full experience!

 Content with the beauty of what I’d witnessed, I climbed back in bed and tried to get as much sleep as I could. Despite my efforts, I was unable to stop hitting the snooze button this morning. Just another day that I’m thankful that I live twenty feet from school and that I don’t need to be dressed to the nines. There was a lot of coffee consumed by this teacher today, but it was more than worth it:)

Technology Tuesday

One of the greatest inventions ever created has to be the Smartboard. It is by far the best piece of technology that any teacher can have in their classroom. When I found out I would be teaching in a remote village in rural Alaska, I never expected to have one in my classroom. But then I got here and low and behold I have this beautiful board in my classroom. I was one happy lady when I found this out. 

Sadly, during the second week of school, I got a message on the screen that said the lamp life was ending. So began the seemingly never ending quest to get Ms. Norman’s Smartboard working again. Since then, I've been asked at least once a day by each student “When will the Smartboard be fixed Ms. Norman?!”; it was torture for us all. I was able to get a replacement for the lamp pretty quick, but then things went downhill. You need to have a remote to reset the lamp timer and I had no remote in sight. So I went about borrowing one from a colleague which didn’t work. Finally, we found the one that belonged to my board but this did not work either. I tried new batteries, switching batteries, googling, and playing around with it all to no avail. I am on a first name basis with two people from the company that we buy parts from (shoutout to Jeff and Jose from The Chariot Group). The moral of the story after working with them was that the remote I need is obsolete, and they recommended me upgrading to a newer Smartboard (yeah okay, because they’re so inexpensive..).

Over the weekend however, the tech guys from our school came to do updates and fix any problems. On a whim I asked if they had any clue how to reset my lamp timer without a remote. Not even ten minutes later both my remote and my Smartboard were back up and running (it was some kind of black magic that I didn't question). This has now indebted me to these men for life. Seriously, my kids have been completely different students since we’ve had the board up and running again. They love being able to do their work on the board and it makes my life ten times easier. The list of people that I need to repay is never ending, but the tech guys are taking the cake on this one (well maybe it will be cookies, but you get the picture). 

Tisha

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. I have gone against everything I have ever believed in when it comes to books this week. Yes, I dog-eared multiple pages in a book (insert gasp from fellow book lovers here). Oh it killed me to do it, but I refused to underline or highlight the pages of my book. So what book has me going against my beliefs to do such a thing? 

Within our first few weeks of being here, the book Tisha was recommended to me. The front cover itself says it is “the wonderful true love story of a young teacher in the Alaskan wilderness.” If you omit one four letter “l” word from this, it’s basically a book written about my life. While it is about a teacher who moved out to the bush for the first time in 1927, there are so many things that I relate to. Which is why my book has so many dog-eared pages. I have been trying to read this book since early September and just haven’t had the time. However, on Sunday I was able to pick it up and get through a big chunk of it. Thanks to my Alaskan-born insomnia, I might even finish it tonight. 

For anyone who is following my journey or for anyone who just wants a good read, I highly recommend this book. Written by Robert Specht as it was told to him, it really does show what it is like to teach out in the bush. Sure technology and teaching methods are much different now, but the basis of Tisha’s journey is parallel to many thoughts and encounters that I have had.

In a “this is such a small world” spin, I found out that my 7th grade cousin will be reading this book with her class. I also found out that the Chief Operating Officer from my district once met Tisha before she passed. Just some fun facts for the day:) If you’ve got the time and want to get more of a feel for what it’s like in rural Alaska, it’s definitely worth a read. I’d offer my copy up, but I’m ashamed of all the pages that I’ve bent in the name of text to self connections. 

A Gift a Day Keeps the Insanity at Bay

As my walls and every surface of my house become covered in letters from friends and family, I have to say a big thank you. Living alone in a village can become very lonely. There are some days when I wonder if I’m going to lose my sanity because I haven’t talked to another human my age in days or weeks (I talk to myself quite often- it's becoming an issue). It really isn’t bad most of the time, but there are definitely days when I’d give anything to be back in New Jersey listening to my friends talk about anything (honestly when I see them, I won’t care what they say as long as I can hear their voices). It’s gotten to the point where I cried twice last week. Once was because I heard my best friend’s voice on the phone (this is the longest we've been separated since in 17 years) and the other was when I saw another of my best friend’s on Skype. I didn’t realize how much I missed just hearing their voices or seeing them. 

What has made my journey much better has been getting countless care packages (many of which are unexpected which makes for an extra treat). My family and friends have continued to show their support and I can’t thank them enough. One of many things I have learned since I’ve been out here is to enjoy the little things in life because they truly are the big things. So thank you to all of those who have sent me letters, care packages, texts, and well wishes on Facebook. Your encouragement, curiosity, and support has gotten me through some lonely days<3

The Snow Miser Paid Us a Visit Today!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Halloween Christmas (it is October right?). As I write this, millions of tiny presents fall from the sky. The fireweed legend was right and snow has finally arrived in Pilot Point:) Yes, when I woke up and saw that it was snowing this morning, I ran right outside. I truly felt like a little kid on Christmas, and I’m happy that no one was there to see me as I ran to the different windows around my house to see the snow from every possible view. It was a very good way to wake up on a Sunday:) 

While it won’t accumulate to much this time, it makes me so happy to look out the window and see a blanket of white covering the ground! The kid in me might be excited, but the Jersey girl in me is having terrible flashbacks to shoveling out countless cars in the Centenary parking lot last winter. Winter 2013-2014 will remain in the history books of worst winters ever. However, like all things in Alaska, the snow makes for a beautiful village and I don’t think I’ll get tired of the serenity it brings. Happy fall to everyone back in the lower 48:) 

Baby Beluga

While I don’t have pictures to share, I have to write about my first whale spotting(actual whales and not just their spouts)! Yesterday, Chris and I had to go to the airstrip and on the way back we drove down Dago. As we were getting closer to the water, I could see white objects surfacing and then going back under. I pointed them out to Chris, and as we watched, more and more appeared. Chris told me that they were Beluga whales! I was so excited to be seeing them! Last weekend, there had been hundreds out in the water but we couldn’t see them. Yesterday however was my lucky day. Just watching them swim out there and popping out every so often was breath-taking. It was as if they were showing off for us. I would give anything to go out on a boat and see them up close. 

It does make me sad to think about the locals going out to hunt them though. As I was watching, I couldn’t stop from thinking about how the whale that was caught last week was traveling with these other whales only a week earlier. It’s one of those times when you think about how majestic these animals are and how amazing it is to see them. What gives me comfort though is that the villagers do not hunt them for sport. There was no entertainment please gained from their hunt. They hunt solely to provide food for their families and respect animals and nature more than any group of people that I’ve ever met. So while it would be nice to have seen one more whale out there yesterday, I know that the whale they caught last week will provide meals for many of the families in the village. 

Don't Yuck Their Yum!

One of the things I said when I decided to come to Alaska was that I would try every food item offered to me. My thought is that if I’m in a small village, I have to at least try to live as the locals do. There are some things I've heard about that if offered to me would make me regret this declaration, so hopefully I don't encounter those delicacies. This past week has been the height of my exposure to native foods and I feel like I've tried a new food each day!  

On Sunday, I was able to try moose for the first time because Al and Sue had gotten one while I was gone. They generously shared it with Chris and I. Chris wasted no time in putting together moose stew and invited me over to dinner to try. It was delicious! Then today at school, Al made his own stew so I got to eat it again which was a nice treat:)

Not only were the locals happy about their moose hunts last week, but the villagers, my kids especially, were excited when a Beluga whale was caught over the weekend. It was over 22 feet long! So it was cut up and spread throughout the village (thankfully none was shared with me though). When it is cooked to eat, it is called muktuk. Yes, for those wondering, it is made from the skin and the blubber of the whale (I know I know, but I had to try it). Last night, I got to try muktuk for the first time, and boy were the locals entertained at watching me taste it. Many of them seem surprised at how willing I was to try it, and they watched in anticipation as I took my first bite.

While I was pretty nervous about what it would taste like, it surprisingly had no distinct taste. You could tell that it was seafood but it didn’t have an overpowering taste. The texture is what I couldn’t quite stomach. I did eat a few small pieces of it, but it has a very slimy/oily texture that my tastebuds did not enjoy. Well at least I can cross it off the Alaskan bucket list! I also got to taste goose, which isn’t incredibly exciting, but I’ve never had it before so it was a first. I can only imagine what other "taste tests" await me throughout my time here!