S.O.S.

Out for a walk in King Salmon

After my whirlwind trip to Pilot Point, I spent the weekend at my district’s “home-base” in King Salmon. As I would be spending the following week in Naknek, it hadn’t made sense for my to fly home just to turn around and head down south again two days later. Though there are often people coming and going at District Office, I was the only one there for the weekend. On Saturday, I was able to have dinner and a nice long visit with my friend Kasie. Though she used to visit Pilot Point monthly when I lived there, we’ve not seen much of each other since my move to the north. It was great to sit down and catch up over a delicious meal at one of the local fishing lodges. I then hunkered down and got a bunch of things crossed off my to-do list on Sunday. 

Family reunion at Eddies:)

During the day on Monday, I worked at District Office and was planning to grab a ride to Naknek at the end of the work day. Some co-workers and I decided to grab lunch at Eddies, but little did I know that I was in for a big surprise. When we sat down, there was a group of men sitting at the table next to us, one of whom was in uniform. Being lunchtime, Eddies was busy and menus were hard to come by. The men at the table offered us theirs, and as the man in the uniform handed his to one of my friends, I felt that his profile looked very familiar. I wracked my brain trying to think of how I could know this man, when it hit me. I spent the rest of the lunch considering whether it was possible for my cousin to really be seated at the table next to me, at the only restaurant in town, in rural Alaska. When the men got up to leave, my suspicions were confirmed when I saw his face and the name badge on his uniform. I quickly called his name and was excited, yet also in shock, as I got up to
greet him. Have I mentioned that I hadn't seen this cousin since I was about eight years old? Though I knew he and his family had moved to Anchorage over the summer, I hadn't known that he would be visiting King Salmon. I then learned that he was just visiting for the day, and thought about how this was one of those "small world" moments. Had we gone to lunch just thirty minutes later, our paths would not have crossed! I still find it hard to believe that we were both in King Salmon at the same time, and I feel grateful that I was able to run into him.

Just another airplane picture

While I was busy having my family reunion, many of the schools from my district were sending their 7th-12th graders to Naknek for our first SOS Meet. In the past, there have been a few different events held in the fall for academic and athletic purposes. While it may sound like a distress call, the SOS (Sciences, Occupations, and Sports) Meet was held to combine the different activities into one jam-packed week, as opposed to holding a few shorter events. As we now have an SOS Meet and an AA Meet, my friends and I joked that we need to stop letting the person in charge name our gatherings. All joking aside, last week was a busy and educational one as we spent our days in sessions where students were led in activities by upcoming teachers from the University of Alaska. During my first year in the district, I was able to see the development of a collaborative effort between my district and the University. It has been great to watch this relationship strengthen and to see the effect it has had on our students and their understanding of, and interest in, the world around them. 

One of the rainbows
from our flight

During the week, teachers and other chaperones were put in charge of groups which contained both LPSD students as well as students from Bristol Bay School District. Bristol Bay School was also where LPSD students and staff were housed for the week. It was fun to be able to work with students from my district that I don’t often see, and also to get to know some of the Bristol Bay students. As our AA meet is usually the first time that 7th graders are allowed to travel, the SOS Meet allowed them to have an earlier start to their traveling for LPSD events. It was easy to differentiate between which students had been to a jamboree before, and which had not. Some classes that we attended included “Choreography”, “Amazing Glaciers”, and “Beauty of Nature". Throughout the week, students made “flubber”, learned how to identify a variety of birds, competed in different track and field events, and took part in a few other interesting activities that were relevant to the communities in which we live. I think it is awesome for our students to have the opportunity to attend events such as the SOS Meet, and I was glad to be a part of the fun. 

Some artwork on
the Alaska Peninsula Highway

While I enjoyed the daily classes, as the coach of our school’s Cross Country team, I had most been looking forward to the day of the race. It was a bit chilly and windy outside, but other than that it was a great day for a run. Due to some students needing a modified course,  I was able to get some fresh air and walk the course with a colleague. This allowed us to be able to cheer on students as we saw them along the path. Though none of my students placed, it was exciting to watch as the top three runners for both boys and girls came running across the finish line, knowing that they would get to travel to Anchorage to attend the state championship in a few weeks. At the end of the day, I considered it to be a victory that my students got out, participated, and put effort into completing what they had started. 

We were excited to get home!

By Friday morning, I think everyone was feeling the wear and tear of a week’s worth of long, tiring days and nights spent sleeping on the floor. With last year’s jamboree in mind, and the fact that we got stuck for two extra days, I wasn’t getting my hopes up for an early flight home. We watched as most of the other schools took off early in the morning, and then we awaited our call to load up. We made it as far as getting packed up and seated in the van before we were told that our plane had been running behind and that our departure would be delayed by about two hours. Thankfully, the weather was favorable for flying which meant we actually were able to take off about two hours later. Our flight home was a calm one, and we even got to see a few rainbows along the way. After more than a week away, it felt so comforting to touch down in Nondalton. 

We hiked to the top
 of the peak on the left

Though I had enough time to unpack, I quickly had to gear up again for my weekend commute down to Newhalen. I was ready for a relaxing weekend, but was also hoping to get outside to soak up some sunshine. It is becoming just a little bit darker with each passing day, and I know that our days will soon be darker for much longer than they are light. While it wasn’t the sunniest of days, Sam and I got out on Saturday to take a ride on my favorite trail. We took Bear Creek Trail all the way up to the base of Roadhouse Mountain, which we had planned to hike to the top of. However, we soon saw that we were not alone and spent some time watching a brown bear sow and her cubs traipsing along the mountain-side. It was my first up-close bear sighting near home, and even after they had gone over the other side of the mountain, I was a bit anxious that we might run into them on our hike. My desire to hike won out though and, after allowing the bear family to move on, we made our way up to the top of one of the peaks. 

Walking on top of
Roadhouse Mountain

Once we made it to the top, Sam’s GPS showed that we had climbed 2,313 feet up. I couldn’t believe how incredible the view was, and I loved that I was able to see Sam’s village and my own, at the same time. We took in the scenery and enjoyed the peacefulness, but didn’t stay long as we could see rain clouds approaching the mountain. We carefully made our way back down (the rocks were steep and a bit unsteady), and I think we both felt accomplished when we made it back to the honda. On our ride back to the village, we were able to see a bright rainbow which I had an overwhelming feeling was a sign from our friend Ryan, letting us know he had been with us on our adventure. 

A Rainbow from Ryan<3

Believe it or not, as it is mid September, I am typing this after having just taught my first Monday of the school year. Our first few Mondays were teacher inservice days, and last Monday had been the first in which students were to be in school. However, because of the SOS Meet, I had another Monday out of my classroom. It feels strange to be six weeks into the school year, and to be just now experiencing my first week in which I will have students for the entire week. To be honest, the hardest thing to believe is that we are already in our sixth week of school! Let’s hope it passes by quickly and without issues, because Miss Paige is in need of a hibernation-style nap, and it is only Monday..

Pilot Point: Round Two

My morning flight! 

When I left Pilot Point about a year and a half ago, I was uncertain as to whether or not I would ever return. As much as I love this little village, it is not an easy place to come visit unless you have a specific purpose for doing so. Luckily for me, the itinerant special education teaching position opened up in Pilot Point last spring, and I quickly asked to be considered to fill the spot. My summer was spent knowing that this possibility was on the table, but not wanting to jinx it by talking about it to many people. A few weeks ago, I got the official notice that I would be taking on the role for this school year, and I could not have been happier. Though the reality didn’t hit me until earlier this week, I have been looking forward to returning to my first Alaskan home since the opening was brought to my attention. 

Another day, another plane

Yesterday, on Thursday, I had an early morning commute and I honestly became rather anxious as we began to land. I was overwhelmed with many different emotions when the plane touched down, and as I got my bags. My time in Pilot Point was filled with many challenges, but also brought with it triumphs and incredible memories. Fortunately, I was a bit early and had to wait a few minutes for someone to come pick me up. This time alone at the runway allowed me a moment to take a deep breath and focus myself on what I was here to do. As eager as I was to return to my “kids”, I couldn’t help but worry that they would not be as excited to see me. After all, I had left them to work in a different school, with different students, and I would not have blamed them for being unenthused to see me. 

However, all of my worries washed away the moment I stepped into the school and saw the faces that I thought I might never see, in person, again. I have gotten to Skype with my kiddos a few times since I left, but watching as they ran across the gym to greet me is a sight that video calls cannot come close to providing. I hugged them all close, and did my best to answer the many questions they threw at me. Seeing as how no one else has told me, my kids were quick to inform me that in the past year and a half, I have gotten taller, my voice has changed, and my eyes have become a different color. In that moment, I wondered if they truly remembered me;) The rest of my day was spent observing in one of the classrooms and accepting the numerous random hugs that students offered me as they passed me by. My afternoon in the school was a much needed tank filler, and it made my “engine” run on high for hours afterwards (that one’s for you LPSD counseling team!).

Loon Lake 

Last night, during a long walk around the village, I was able to process all of the emotions I was feeling. In addition to my positive feelings about returning to the village, I was able to reflect on and fully come to terms with something that has been with me since last winter. I don’t know that I have mentioned it in a previous post, but in February I received news that one of my former students had been killed in a car accident. While I was in Pilot Point, this student was on an independent track as she neared the completion of her schoolwork. I might not have taught her directly, but I spent time with her, tried to keep her motivated, and shared her excitement as she reached the finish line. My heart aches over the loss of this young girl whose future was bright, and who had so much life ahead of her. It has been bittersweet, and healing, to return to a place that was once a home we shared. 

Sunrise over Loon Lake

After a low-key, hug-filled day today, I again went for a walk around the village. On today’s walk, I was joined by one of the new teachers and a few students who wanted to tag along. It was nice to be able to visit with them outside of school and to soak up a little more time with them until my next visit. Being the itinerant special ed. teacher requires me to make monthly visits, something which seemed to please my former students. I am hoping my future visits all go as smoothly and positively as this one. Tomorrow, I will fly to King Salmon where I will spend the rest of the weekend. I am looking forward to visiting with some friends and grabbing a meal from Eddie's or D&D; or maybe even both! On Monday, I will meet up with Caitlin and my Cross Country runners so we can enjoy a week in Naknek at Bristol Bay School. Stay tuned to hear more about our district’s first SOS (Science, Occupation, and Sports) Camp! 

Village Hopping

One of the many
sights along the way

Another weekend brought with it another exciting adventure. After school on Friday, Sam and Racquel (our district’s newest guidance counselor) boated up from Newhalen to pick Caitlin, Emily and I up for a trip to our district's northern most village, Port Alsworth. We were looking forward to the trip as none of us had ever boated up there and only a few of us have been to Port Alsworth before. To get there, we had to boat up Six Mile Lake into Lake Clark. There are a many cabins along the way and it was fun to finally see the places that my students so often tell me about. We even made a couple pit stops along the way, just to stop and enjoy the scenery. 

Sunrise by the fire

After making it to Port Alsworth, we were invited to listen to a concert that two members of the band Kutless were preforming. Though I had not listened to them much before, I was aware that Kutless is a very well known, famous even, Christian rock band. I’m not sure how they became connected with Port Alsworth, but members of the band had stopped by last year as well, so they seem to enjoy their Alaskan getaways. It was surreal to be in a small room with less than fifty people, in a rural Alaskan village, listening to them play and hearing of their most recent trip overseas. 

Just some friends from Newhalen,
Nondalton, and Port Alsworth

Once the concert had ended, we met up with a few of our friends who are also teachers in our district. After visiting for a few minutes, we looked outside and simply could not resist the beautiful weather. Our original plan was to spend the night in the school, but we had camping gear with us in case we had to stop on the way home for any reason. We made plans with our friends to meet up the next day and hopped back in the boat to find a place to spend the night. About a mile north of the village, we found a little spot on the shore where we were able to make camp. Before long, we had everything set up and had a fire going to make a late dinner and to help us stay warm. I myself have never been camping before so it was an exciting, yet somewhat nerve wracking experience. I kept fearing that a bear would smell our food and come looking for us, but luckily we never saw one!

The Northern Lights
with my favorite<3

One thing we did see after being out by the fire for a few hours was a show being put on by the Northern Lights. Caitlin, Emily, and I had seen them the night before while we were in Nondalton, but that was nothing compared to this. Aside from our fire, we had no light pollution and therefore we were able to see them brightly and clearly. We watched them dance in the sky until we couldn’t keep our eyes open and then settled in for the night. I had a tough time sleeping soundly because our sleeping quarters were rather crammed, and also due to the fact that every little sound I heard put me on alert. I am used to hearing salmon jump in the water, but hearing that every few minutes led to a restless night. 

So pumped for
my burger and fries!

On Saturday morning, we watched the sun come up while sitting by the fire and then packed up camp to head back to the village. We spent a few hours at school before heading out to “The General” for lunch. This is a seasonal lodge and restaurant, but is no hole in the wall. Walking through the door felt as though we were stepping into a contemporary rustic cafe in Anchorage. We almost didn’t know what to do with ourselves as we looked through local-made art and jewelry that they had for sale; we were then salivating over our choices on the menu. I know it has only been a few weeks since I have been out to eat, but a cheeseburger and fries (that I didn’t have to cook) has never tasted so delicious. 

Tanalian Falls

After eating more than our stomachs could handle, we met up with our friends Abbey and Asha for a hike up to Tanalian Falls. Our eight mile (round trip) hike seemed to fly by as we all caught up along the way. I have wanted to visit the falls for a long time now, and was bummed to have been in my “boot of shame” (pre-surgery) last year when I was in Port Alsworth for the district’s volleyball jamboree. My excitement grew when I could hear the roar of the falls, and my heart skipped a beat when I finally rounded a corner and saw them. Once again, I was amazed by the sight in front of me. After climbing around for a bit, we decided to hike a little bit farther to Kontrashibuna Lake, which proved to be incredibly serene place to stop and rest; it was a spot that I would frequent if I lived in Port Alsworth. 

Kontrashibuna Lake

Once we had made our way back to the school, we were all feeling accomplished and in great spirits. We all would have liked to explore more and visit longer, but we had to make our way back down to Nondalton and Newhalen that afternoon. We had checked the weather and had also spoken with a pilot who had recently flown over the lake, and we were prepared for a bit of a choppy start which would quickly became calm water for the remainder of the trip. However, when we got out on the lake we all knew that it would not be choppy for just a short time. The waves were at least five feet tall and showed no signs of calming down (yes, we were all wearing life jackets). The first forty five minutes of the ride were ones in which I planned my escape route (kicking my shoes off and swimming to shore), should we take on water and need to make it to safety. Sam kept calm and in control though, and we eventually made it to calmer waters. Had we been in real danger and not just in unfavorable conditions, we were close to shore and could have easily pulled over to wait out the worst of it. However, we all just wanted to trudge through and make it home to warm, dry clothes and comfy beds. After the scary patch, my knuckles were white and my whole body tense, but I had also been at the front of the boat where the view is different and you feel every bump more strongly than in the other seats. I was overjoyed when we finally made it back to Nondalton to drop off Caitlin and Emily, and again when we were finally in Newhalen and done with our travels for the day. 

Our path for our weekend adventure

After our incredibly long and eventful 24 hours, I was perfectly fine with spending the rest of the weekend relaxing and being rather lazy. It has been rainy and dreary outside which helped us decide to stay indoors and not go out on adventures. I also needed to rest up as my next two weeks will be filled with long, busy days. I am excited to finally be able to say that I will be the itinerant special education teacher in Pilot Point this year. This role requires me to travel down to PIP once a month to monitor student progress, and I have been anxiously awaiting my trip down to my first Alaskan home! I will be there this week from Thursday until Saturday, and then I will spend the rest of the weekend in King Salmon. Next Monday, all of the 7th-12th graders in the district will fly down to King Salmon and then head to Naknek for this year’s first SOS Meet (more to come on that soon!), and also for the annual Cross Country jamboree. As long as the team doesn’t get weathered in Naknek for two extra days like we did last year, I will be back home next Friday. I am hoping the next two days pass quickly so that I can start my week of traveling, and finally get back down to Pilot Point! 

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Blueberries, Cranberries,
and Crowberries

The Good- 

This weekend, as I was out picking berries in the tundra, I once again found myself overcome with emotion as I took in the vast expanse of my surroundings. Then, as I made blueberry pancakes for breakfast the next morning I couldn’t help but think about how awesome it is that I can go into my “backyard” and pick more blueberries, crow-berries/blackberries, and cranberries than I know what to do with. Since I don’t much like crowberries, and cranberries are best after the first frost, I can focus my picking to one type of berry at a time. Besides the pancakes, I made a blueberry crumble which my co-workers seemed to enjoy. I am eager to use the berries to try out some more recipes that I’ve found, and maybe I'll be able to make jam to bring back for my family at Christmastime! 

Blueberry Crumble 

Another good part about the weekend was when I went out with Sam and a few friends on Sunday. We took advantage of the seemingly perfect weather to take one of the newbies on a tour of some of our favorite spots. Along the way, we stopped a few times to pick blueberries as there were hundreds of patches ripe for the picking. I appreciated the fact that I was able to be with someone as they experienced their first trip around “the loop”. I couldn’t help but remember the first time I’d gone on that trip and how amazing it had been, and still is. We stopped by an overlook to see the Newhalen River, rode on Bear Creek Trail, and got up close to Tazimna Falls. The beautiful weather, great company, trailside snacks (so many blueberries!), and numerous pit-stops made for an incredible day. 

The Newhalen River

The Bad-

Bears like berries too!

As much as I love summer, it seems as though our first frost is still months away. Believe me when I say the bugs are enjoying every warm second of summer. I wake up each morning hoping for wind, and get excited when I hear a breeze against whatever building I am in. You see, with the wind comes a break from the always present No-See-Ums and other winged critters that like to feast on humans. I am not exaggerating when I say that I can look out my window on a still day and see the swarms of bugs. However, at the same time, I also see mountains and tundra trails that are always calling my name, even on the calmest of days. 

In Alaska, going outside on a day when there is no wind means that a majority of the time your eyes will be closed and you will look a bit odd as you constantly have one hand swatting away the blanket of bugs that are trying to eat you alive. In turn, the locals will laugh and tease you, but then you reach a point where you would gladly take their kind hearted joking rather than suffer the agony of a No-See-Um bite. I’ve long since hit this point, and swat away the bugs without shame. Did I mention that putting on bug spray out here is somewhat of a placebo effect? Quite personally, I am convinced the bugs are immune to it; then again, this does not stop me from spraying myself down and hoping for the best. Needless to say, I cannot wait until the first frost brings a reprieve from my ever present flying enemies. 

Tazimna Falls 

The Ugly… 

The device that collects
water from the lake

As I type this, I’ve just gotten home from school where I showered for the second day in a row. Starting a little over a week ago, the village began to experience some difficulties with it’s water supply. I have yet to fully understand the issue that is causing the problem, but I do know that last week I woke up every day wondering if I’d be have running water that day. It was also a week in which sending or receiving the text “Water!” was something to look forward to. Fortunately, I have gotten used to there being problems with the water every now and then and I have been able to fill two five-gallon water jugs for the times in which we are without water. However, this time is by far the worst it has been since I moved to Nondalton, and from what I’m hearing, it might continue throughout this week. 

Luckily for us, the school runs off of a well, and there has been a consistent supply of water in the building. There also appears to be a device that is siphoning water from the lake, and the city has invited community members to go to  a place called “the watering point” to stock up on water. I am grateful for the school having water and for being able to get more from the city if I find that I need to do so. At the same time, I am looking forward to the problem getting fixed so that I can shower without wearing flip-flops and wash the growing pile of dishes in my kitchen sink. 

The Winner-

Six Mile Lake 

While “the Bad” and “the Ugly” may seem bad and ugly, “the Good” truly outweighs these two negatives. I would gladly bathe in the lake while being swarmed by No-See-Ums, than be anywhere else. Alright, my last statement may be an exaggeration, but I think it paints a nice picture. Everything in life comes with positives and negatives, but I have learned that in every situation we also have a choice as to which we will let control of us. Some days, the negatives weigh on me and bring me down, but then I look out the window of my lake-front apartment or spend a few hours in the tundra picking blueberries and I am quickly reminded of how fortunate I am. Here’s to hoping for endless adventures, running water, windy days, and an early frost! 

School is in Session

My ginormous classroom is ready to go! 

Last week, as I began my third year of teaching, I realized that there are many things that occur out here in the bush that very rarely happen in the lower 48. For example, our first day of school began with myself and another teacher, Emily, chasing a student's dog around the building because it had snuck in the front door. As we were following it from room to room, our principal and another teacher were unfazed as they conversed about something and students continued on with their morning recess; once we finally got the dog back outside, Emily and I didn’t give it a second thought and we both went on with our days. In thinking about that moment, I can’t help but laugh at the thought of that happening at a school in New Jersey. A dog running into the building would cause a terrible commotion as students and teachers saw what was happening. Yet here, it was just another morning and not the first time this has happened to me in the past two years. Still, I wonder if this happening on the first morning of a new school year is a preview of the year ahead of us? 

I'll never get sick of my view! 

Though it started with a bit of an adrenaline rush, the rest of the week was a rather calm one. The nice thing about teaching special education out here is that I have the same students that I taught last year, so our first day was a reunion rather than a day spent getting to know each other. It was great to see my students back in the school, and I loved to hear about their summers spent at fish camp, swimming in the lake, and visiting with relatives in different villages. I showed them some pictures from my summer vacation, as I find this is such a great way to expose them to places and activities they might have never even heard of. Another perk of having the same students is that planning is a little bit easier because I know what they were doing well with in May, and what skills they still need to spend some time working on. Our first few days were spent getting back into our routines, adjusting to our new schedules, and diving back into classwork. While our first week was only three days long, the shift from summer mode to school mode can be tiring for everyone and we were all looking forward to Friday afternoon. 

An after school berry picking trip:)

To celebrate the completion of our first week, my co-workers and I gathered for a barbecue Friday night, and again I took into account that this is not something that would happen elsewhere. Sure, co-workers get together every now and then for birthdays, special occasions, or to just hang out. Here, however, we form friendships with those that we wouldn’t expect to and rely on staff get-togethers to provide us with the non-student social time that we, as adults, need. I must admit that as much as we try not to, we usually end up discussing how our weeks went, talking about our students, or sharing lesson ideas. With that said, it is still nice to be able to decompress from the week over a potluck of delicious foods. 

Friday night on Six Mile Lake 

In other news, Cross Country practice begins this week, and I am excited to once again be the coach and to see my runners give it their all. They are still in summer mode though, so I might need to bribe them into workouts with the promise of a pizza night at the end of the season (who doesn’t love pizza?!). Whether they admit it or not, we will all be looking forward to the jamboree in a few weeks where we will get to spend a few days with teachers and students from all over the district. Until then, we’re going to pick up speed with school work and see what adventures the year has in store for us. It is shaping up to be another busy year, but I wouldn’t want it any other way! 

Back In Service

The water level is so much
higher than this time last year 

Though it feels as if I have been back in Alaska for months, it just dawned on me that I got back only one week ago! After I flew in last weekend, I spent two days shopping with a few other friends. It was great to visit with them while we ran around trying to get everything we might need for the next four and a half months. One of the downsides to life out here is that I rarely get to see my friends that work throughout the district, so it’s nice to soak up friend time whenever I can. We even got to meet up with some of the district’s new hires for dinner one night, and it brought back many memories from my first trip out here. I never thought I would be in my third year, offering advice and suggestions to a group of Alaskan “newbies".

2 out of 8 bears spotted at Katmai

Once I shopped, shipped, and packed up all that I needed, I was able to get on another plane to get home to Nondalton. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t want to cooperate, so I had to spend some time in Iliamna waiting for the sky to clear up. For awhile there, I was a bit worried that I would have to spend the night. However, after a couple of hours, the fog lifted and a plane was able to take me home. As I unpacked, I couldn’t help but feel lucky to have the chance to experience another year out here. I spent my first night back at home curled up on the couch, looking out on the lake and enjoying the fresh air blowing in through the window. I wish I could bottle up the air and send it to people, but everyone will just have to take my word for it when I say that the air here smells and feels cleaner than anywhere else I have ever been. 

The salmon Caitlin caught!

While I wanted nothing more than to sleep for two weeks straight, my friend Caitlin had other plans in mind. She went out fishing Tuesday and brought home some salmon for us to fillet up. I wish someone had recorded the experience, because we were a hot mess. Neither of us had cleaned or filleted fresh salmon before and therefore we had our work cut out for us. With improper knives and Youtube "how-to" videos on replay, we got to work. Somewhere upwards of two hours later, we had butchered I mean neatly and properly cleaned and filleted six salmon. I was even paid for my labor and got to take home the three fish I had prepared. It was one of those experiences I will never forget, and we proudly showed off pictures of our fillets even though they were nowhere near up to par (“A” for effort, right?). Our friends who actually know what they are doing grimaced and laughed at our final products, but applauded us for giving it a go and being willing to try to do it on our own. For the sake of us and the fish, we have decided that next time we will reach out to some more knowledgable friends for lessons, and also find ourselves some proper filet knives.

My first Alaskan-caught fish! 

As most teachers know, each school year begins with teacher work days, or in-service days, in which the staff gathers together to get things in order for the year ahead. Because of the unique situation my school district is in, all staff members travel to a common meeting place to complete these work days. Last year, we skipped traveling for August in-service and instead worked from our school sites through online meetings. However, this year we were all lucky enough to be able to travel to Katmai Lodge for our in-service. I had heard great things about the lodge, but actually getting to stay there was a whole other story. We worked during the day, and had the opportunity to take part in different activities at night. 

Our fishing group with our guides:) 

On Thursday, a bunch of the girls and I went on a guided fly-fishing trip. Just imagine fourteen girls who have no clue what they are doing, decked out in waders, and hoping to catch some salmon; our three guides were very patient men who laughed both at us, and with us. Again, it was a night to remember and I caught three fish (but could only keep two as they let females go) so I consider it a success. Not only did we catch some fish and have some laughs, but my boat group and I saw four bears, a wolf, a moose, and an eagle. Our guide knew we wanted to see some wildlife and he did a great job of making that happen. Throughout the week, we saw four other bears, which brought the total to eight beautiful brown bears! I had never seen a bear up close in Alaska before so I was excited with each one we spotted. 

A few of the fly-ties I made 

Friday was our final night, and while some people went fishing again, my friend Shelby taught me how to make some fly-fishing ties which I will hopefully be able to use to catch some salmon in the next few weeks. After a sauna trip with a few of my favorite ladies, the rest of the night was spent at a bonfire that the lodge workers had built for us. We ended the inservice on a relaxing note and I think the trip made for a positive start to the school year. I wish I had been able to spend more time with my friends and other colleagues, but school starts Wednesday and I have a bit of work to do before I get to see my students! 

Summing Up Summer

Annabelle and I love Dr. Seuss

As my time on the East Coast winds down, I’ve spent the last few days thinking about how I should write a summer recap. However, packing up and visiting with friends and family members has taken precedence and my blog has once again been put on the back burner. This morning, though, my dad and I were out on a run when he brought up the lack of blog entries I’ve had this summer, so I thought I would finally take some time to sit down and reflect upon the past few months.  

Surprise!

Much like last year, this summer has been one in which I have lived out of a suitcase and have hopped from state to state. In the past two and a half months, I’ve traveled my way up and down the east coast, from New Jersey down to Florida, hitting all of the states in between. Along the way, I crossed Georgia and Tennessee off the list of states I’ve never been to, though I didn’t spend much time in either. In my travels, I was able to meet Sam’s adorable niece Annabelle, snorkel in a natural spring, tour some tiny houses, and go to Universal Studios (Harry Potter World!). Two highlights from summer include getting to see Luke Bryan and Garth Brooks in concert, both of which were amazing shows. Another experience I will never forget is when my best friend, Shawnee, and I met two of our favorite actors, Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder. And while it makes me want my own dog even more, I have loved getting to know my family's newest pup, Dakota. Oh, and my siblings and I even managed to surprise our mom with an early 50th birthday party (surprises are so hard to keep!). Over the past few months, I've spent time with old friends, new friends, and a lot of family members. This has been a summer filled with countless adventures and unforgettable moments. 

We're missing you Ryan<3

Though a great portion of my summer was filled with happiness, it has unfortunately also been impacted by a great sadness. A few weeks ago, Sam’s best friend Ryan passed away, and though I didn’t get to know him for long, my heart aches for his family, friends, fellow Marines, and for anyone that had the fortune of meeting this genuinely kind person. I am grateful for the time I got to spend with Ryan and for the memories that I have of him. I have spent the better part of the last hour beginning to type and then deleting everything because no words seem right; however, this blog is about my life, and losing a friend is unfortunately something that can, and will, happen in life. Something I also know is that I have the choice to cry and be sad, or I can go out and try to live my life to the fullest and do crazy, exciting things in Ryan’s honor; I know that Ryan would choose the latter, so that’s the path I’m going to take. 

Forever adventuring with this guy:)

As for right now, I have a few days left in PA/NJ and then I will be hopping on a few planes and heading back to the bush. Though I love being able to come home for the summer, I also miss the home that Alaska has become to me. I yearn for my lakefront apartment and for the quiet, slow pace of village life. Though my excitement will probably fade once school starts, I am even looking forward to my five a.m. float plane wake up calls! It is hard to believe that I am about to start my third year of living and teaching in Alaska, but I am ready to see my “kids” and to have some more blog-worthy adventures.