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!

Distance Education-Alaskan Style!

Chevak teacher aides work towards certification by distance

A Chevak Birthday

My room all decorated

Exploring the science of static electricity

My 5th graders Skype-ing with Iditarod champs Martin Buser and Deedee Jonrowe

Martin and Deedee

Time for birthday dinner @ Matt and Becky's!

My first birthday in Chevak was awesome! The day started with me finding my room decorated with balloons and streamers courtesy of Misty Nelson! Later in the morning my class got to have a Skype meeting with my mentor Kathy Chapoton and her husband Martin Buser (who is a 4-time Iditarod Champion) Deedee Jonrowe (an Iditarod champrion in her own right) and Magnus Kaltenborn (who has just completed his first Iditarod race). During the meeting Kathy and the three mushers sang happy birthday to me, that was a really special treat! School passed by quickly because we released at 1:30, seventy minutes earlier than a regular Friday! Since school got out early I was able to catch a nice nap before getting a present from my dad. After my errands I was treated to an excellent dinner of french fries and a turkey-cheeseburger before watching a movie to finish out the night! I had an awesome birthday in Chevak and look forward to many, many more!

Northern Lights

On my walk home after an interesting (and frustrating) night, I finally saw the aurora; clear, bright, and stunning!

After a unique series of events, I got to thinking about my future in Chevak. I love it here and plan on being here again next year. But living in rural Alaska is difficult and sometimes after a night like tonight the future needs to be contemplated. I have said that I would like to stay 7 years, to see my first class graduate; but it feels like being in a time capsule, the world goes on changing but Chevak remains the same. Do I want to be single for 7 more years? Do I want to live in just-OK apartments (possibly with a roommate) for 7 more years? Do I want to be far, far away from my family and a lot of friends for 7 more years? Maybe I'm just a little bummed from a disappointing and frustrating night, but I think these are all important questions (and a lot more could be asked). Today is Ash Wednesday so all I can do is pray that things will work out for the best and that answers will be shown to me.

"Everything will be OK in the end. If everything is not OK, it is not the end."
How true indeed!

March

Holy geez! March is here!  While it may be starting to warm up and unfreeze where you are (depending on where you are reading this) it is still cold and snow-covered here in Chevak. I've even heard that March here can be one of the worst winter months.

Regardless, I think this month will fly by. It is crazy to think that my first-year of teaching has gone so quickly and I will soon be "Back Home Again, in Indiana" with my friends and family! Here is a quick run down of my month:

5th-Anchorage for the beginning of the Iditarod race!

11th-End of the 3rd quarter

17th-St. Patrick's day (Mom and Dad's anniversary)

18th-MY BIRTHDAY

Okay, so maybe only the first half of the month will fly by, but before I know it it's going to be May and my first year in Chevak will be over. I'll keep you posted with pictures and writings throughout the month.

On Friends

I'm so grateful for my friends; today was definitely a day for friends new and old. Here is today's after school experience:

One of my best friends from Indiana called me from her bother's house. We chatted a bit but the weather was nasty and I was on my way out of the building, so I needed to put my phone away. I apologized for, "Not being a really good friend lately." She understood and said, "You are busy being a grownup doing grownup things." The 4 hr. time difference can make it difficult to talk regularly, but we know that we are still friends. It is good to have friends who understand.

Recently several friends returned from conferences in Anchorage. I am happy they got back because they are integral in my experiences here. We were able to get together at another friend's house and talk, laugh, have a great time, and catch a documentary about Alaska's Statehood. It is so nice to have friends to sit with.

After,--at a different house, and after i melted the butter lid on a still-hot stove, the power went out 3-4 times in a 45-minute span. We got to talking about some of our life experiences, and i talked about my college experiences. All of my Ball State experiences are priceless and all of the awesome people I met there are unforgettable! Although, in Chevak, we don't have any bingeing inspired activities, the crazy night of losing power was entertainment to us. It was fun we just sat around and laughed and talked. It's fun to have friends to go crazy with.

What a week!

What an exciting week! Starting with Valentines, followed by an awesome day of training (with NO STUDENTS!), a new teaching contract, and finalized with solidifying my trip to Anchorage to watch the start of the Iditarod dog sled race!

I already wrote about Valentine's Day, and I don't think my day of in-service training would be very interesting to you readers, so I'll skip straight to the good stuff! Mid-week I was offered another contract to return to Chevak school to teach for another year! As some of you may have known, I was nervously awaiting this time of year because I so badly wanted to come back to the village. From what I was told new contracts would be offered in March, so I was contently waiting for next month to come, but this year the news came early! I'm excited to be coming back to the village for another year, I have heard that I may be teaching 4th grade next year with a team teacher; I would teach math and science, my partner teacher would teach reading, grammar, and social studiesI can't wait to begin year 2!

Second piece of exciting news...I reserved my hotel today in downtown Anchorage, blocks away from the Iditarod action! I will arrive in Anchorage the evening of March 3rd and leave in the morning on March 6th. I think that this mini-vacation could not come at a better time. If you are in Anchorage you will probably find me at a local downtown bar, come find me! During the week I will be shopping, eating out, and relaxing around Anchorage, and hope to have a day trip to Big Lake to see my mentor Kathy, her husband Martin Buser (multi-time Iditarod Champion), and their 100+ dogs at their family kennel. I have been told there are all kinds of activities around anchorage such as ice sculpting and other Iditarod festivities.The main event, however will be the beginning of the Iditarod race on March 5th, when the dogs and mushers leave from 4th Ave. in downtown Anchorage.

I hope to keep this page updated frequently during my vacation so be sure to check back often!