Prep for teaching in Marshall at the downtown Anchorage Hilton was a whirlwind week of meeting new people, learning district coding rules and computer systems, shopping for the “bush,” and a ridiculous amount of food. Everyone was very welcoming and excited about the school year. We got to know each other quickly and very well!
Anchorage is a beautiful city, surrounded by Cook Inlet and Turnagain Arm, as well as the Chugach Mountains. It was quite the nice welcome to such a vast and varied state. I was able to view some of the sights and eat some amazing seafood with my mom and dad, who both welcomed the 65 degrees sans humidity bliss with open arms (as did I).
In preparing for living in a dry village (that is, no adult beverages are permitted anywhere in the town), we teachers chose to make the most of the Woodshed, a karaoke and dancing bar across from the Hilton. Cramming a busy week of nightlife into the already crowded and information overloaded week made for some long days, but it was time well spent. I think I have even determined my best karaoke songs for the future. Friends, be warned!
Leaving for my village, Marshall, started out better than it ended. I gave up trying to sleep at about 4:00 am and got ready to board the plane to Bethel at 6:50 am. A bonus: on the trip to the airport, a lone moose ambled through a major intersection, taking her sweet time finding the other side of Spenard Avenue. Good thing traffic was pretty light!
I arrived in Bethel at about 8 am, not worried about my hour-ish layover. Soon enough, I was on a 6-seater Cessna plane that stopped briefly in Russian Mission, then took off for Marshall. Unfortunately, we had to turn back to Bethel due to fog. The next few hours were frustrating, as my flight was moved to 11:00…then 4:00…then 4:30…and finally at about 6:30 I got on another little Cessna. I greeted many of my friends during the day – who had wisely taken later flights - and watched them take off to their respective villages. I tried to fill the time with reading, Facebook, and chatting. To give a better idea of the, um, treasured Bethel airport, picture a little building with an area no larger than ¾ of a basketball court, one coffee pot, countless cell phones going off, and one blaring TV that ran only reruns of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Pizza was ordered in by some passengers, as the only food source was a standard vending machine. After several games of Sudoku and lessons in “Mac tricks” from the new math teacher, I was so thankful when the K-2 teachers from my village busted out SkipBo and Uno. One quickly realizes how we depend on technology to entertain us and food to be easily accessible when they are scant. The last two flights finally took for Marshall, and the scenery flying in was amazing! I saw a couple moose and a black bear.
Finally arriving in Marshall, I had mixed feelings. First off, the "airport" in Marshall is really just a cleared landing for the plane. A few pick-up trucks met us and we bounced along the mud roads to the village. All of a sudden the daunting job to which I had committed became crystal clear. I thought, do they really trust me to teach these kids? How did I get here? What the heck am I doing? But my longer term fears subsided as I encountered a more immediate one.
Mud. Everywhere.
So, muck boots are an absolute necessity for walking around, and a returning teacher handed over a pair of hers willingly (Of course, I thought I could get by without them for a few days...nope). After finally getting fed by our wonderful principal, seeing the brand-spankin’ new school, and getting a bit settled into our houses, I’m feeling excited for the year. We met some giddily excited students and saw our classrooms, breathed the pristine air, and I knew that somehow, this is where I am supposed to be for now. Wish me luck!
Oh, and one last thing---please feel free to ask questions or make suggestions as to what you’d like to know. Most of you have my email :).
Pictures! We want pictures.
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