Alaska: The Last Frontier

Greetings from Kotzebue, AK! 

First: it's 3:38am and it's the FIRST TIME I've seen night since I arrived on the 23rd of July. Seriously. I have fallen asleep for the past 2+ weeks before the sun disappeared, and that's so cool! I need to absorb as much natural vitamin D as possible before the sun starts disappearing and everything gets cold... 

... Although, from what I've heard, all my friends back in Central NY are getting rumors via press that there's a polar vortex coming through in September, which will jettison Syracuse, NY into a long and cold winter.

Enough of that, though! I'm sure you all want to hear about what I've been up to! Here's a timeline for you (incorporating my history style). :)

July 23rd - Traveled from Syracuse, NY to Anchorage, AK (two layovers: O'Hare and SeaTac). Syracuse flight was delayed, so the layover in O'Hare was *just* long enough for T & I to make it to our next gate and the connecting flight to Seattle. The flight from Seattle to Anchorage was delayed for about an hour or so, so we were actually able to eat dinner! Finally made it into Anchorage at around 10:30pm AK time (so that would be about 2:30am EST) and checked into our hotel at 11, promptly fell asleep. 

July 24th - I bought a phone from AT&T, thus ending Verizon's death grip on my communication style (to the tune of a $245 early termination fee. Vultures.) Visited Walmart to stock up on some food and had it shipped, went to Mr. Prime Beef and ordered a budget pack with T. Went back to the hotel solo and took a nap, then took a cab (which got hit by another car at an intersection! No injuries, though.) to the Moose's Toothe, where I met a bunch of people from C3 (Creating Culturally Competent Rural Teachers). It was spectacular!! (They have really good pizza & the company was terrific.)

July 25th - moved out of hotel 1, into hotel 2, showered, met more people, had class 1, and some super fun times with new buddies. 

July 26th - flew from Anchorage, AK to Kotzebue, AK! Debrief all day & prepared for camp! Ate 2 kinds of whale (black and white mukluk - bowhead & beluga. Bowhead was raw, beluga was cooked),  seal, caribou, moose, and various dried fish, as well as homemade donuts, a warm raspberry drink, and pilot crackers. Yum!

July 27th-31st - Camp @ Kiana Elders' Camp!!! I: separated salmon roe from a thin membrane so it could be marinated and used with sushi, and processed a fish with an ulu (a traditional Iñupiaq blade - curved piece of metal with a short handle. I'll upload a picture later.) We also went seining, which is a subsistence-style way of fishing for large amounts of fish. I waded into the river (I can't remember which river it was) up to my hips and brought in one part of the net - it was SO much fun. The next day, I stayed at camp and made a knife handle for a fillet knife (took about 6 hours) and played with the kids at camp. The day after that, we decided to go on a hike up the mountain, but I got stuck in some muck and tripped / fell over a tusisk and dislocated my left ankle. Luckily for me, one of the elders used to be a tribal doctor and she popped it back into place! (Yes, I cried. No, I didn't swear - there were kids present!) We went home the next day - but before we left, I was given my Iñupiaq name, Siqiñiq, which means "sun". :) 

July 31st-August 1st - C3 debrief and presentations! Lots of information, happened so fast, I'm still not entirely sure what happened. :) 

August 2nd-8th - New teacher inservice training. Received the mac laptop, class list, and curriculum + standards! I'm going to be teaching P.E., U.S. Government, Iñupiaq Studies, MS Language Arts, MS Social Studies, and U.S. History for the first semester (so far)! I'm very excited and looking forward to meeting my students! It's going to be an excellent and challenging year. :) 

August 8th-10th - GOING TO SELAWIK!!!!!!!!!! Seeing my apartment, seeing my classroom, meeting my fellow villagers!!!!!!!!!!!! HALLELUJAH! I have been waiting for forever! 

I have pictures, but I'll edit this post and include them later. 

Basically, I am loving Alaska and I'm hoping that Alaska loves me back. I miss my family, my friends, and I especially miss J <3, but BH was right! I have been so engrossed in meeting new people and learning more about where I'll be that I have barely had time to be homesick. Maybe that'll happen when the dust settles? Hope not! 

Enjoy the day & learn something! :) 
-Meg