Its all about the people

A shot of the crowd
As I write, I stand out like a sore thumb. I am writing from my school's gym where there has been a tournament going on over the weekend. I stand out because I am one of the few (if not the only) kasaq (white person) in the gym. I stand out; I feel right at home. Over the course of the tournament I have had the chance to get closer (and laugh A LOT) with friends, and meet so many other more people. To me, that is what it is all about. My teaching skills will only get me so far; the thing that will enable me to impact my students is the relationships that I am building. Several of my students are here watching basketball, and they have all seen me. They know that I am not the teacher who is here to just be a teacher; I am here for the people and experiences. To me, that is what bush Alaska is all about: people and experiences. As the tournament is wrapping up I cannot help but smile when I think of how many more of these I will get to experience, and the people I will get to know and develop relationships with! I am excited to go home and relax for the summer; I might be even more excited for August to get here!