Itinerant-ing and Raving

My first view of musk oxen, wishing me well on the day I flew out of Nome

I have always felt that teaching is the “renaissance-man” of occupations.  During a typical school day teachers complete work as an actor, a judge, a therapist, a comedian, and even a lawyer pleading the case for a student.  The job I’m doing now has expanded my repertoire tremendously.  This week I kept asking myself; “Is this really part of my job?”, and the answer was always yes.  I have become an administrative assistant, scheduling career exploration mini-field trips to local businesses in 45-minute slots.  I am a journalist, designing and writing two publications; NACTEC News and NACTEC News Jr. outlining each of our 17 sessions.  I am a housekeeper, washing and folding 26 sets of bed sheets and towels, replacing them neatly on beds for the next group of students. My favorite new job however is that of a traveling salesman and public relations worker.

Happy to start recruiting!  And look at those trees!

As I mentioned before, the district I work for includes 15 separate villages spread across 80,000 square miles.  And when I say separate, I mean that these remote places have no connecting roads and can only be accessed by small plane; some only in the dead of winter when the ocean has frozen enough to act as a landing strip.  The students that attend NACTEC are selected from each of these schools, so an important aspect of my job is recruiting out in the bush.  The first two villages I was tasked with were White Mountain and Golovin.  Despite the fact that they are only 15 miles apart, there are no connecting roads so a 5-minute plane ride was the only way to get between the two.

The village of White Mountain; the school is the big building in the foreground

The village of Golovin; the school is the big tan/red building on the left

Equipped with a suitcase and a backpack stuffed with promotional swag, I made my first stop in White Mountain, which is undeniably one of the most beautiful villages in the district, and the only one with trees.  After getting accustomed to the endless tundra and scrub brush willows, it made me a little homesick to see trees again.  The community consists of about 200 total people, with dirt roads navigated only by 4-wheelers as cars are unnecessary and impractical.  I arrived at school during their lunch hour, and was surprised to find that only one table was occupied by all of the students, jam-packed together to include everyone.  The tables that were left empty made me so happy; it’s hard to imagine a school with no cliques, and no one left out.

White Mountain School, K-12

The teacher parking lot is all 4-wheelers

The cafeteria; and yes there are only 3 tables

Once I got situated, I met with the high school class; nine students total, with only one senior.  If he studies real hard, he might help his school achieve a 100% graduation rate this year!  Due to the small enrollment, classes are not designed for a specific grade, but rather all high school level students are taught together.  I was fortunate enough to speak with them, and after a couple weeks of office work it was inexplicably good to be back around kids again.  The only differences I can detect from students I’ve taught in the past are that they tend to speak softer and more slowly, observe more than they act out, and they’re all related in some way.  Other than that, they laughed at my jokes, asked me questions (Do you think our village is small?  Do your parents miss having you in NY?  Why don’t you have earrings?), and reenergized my teaching spirit.  Kids really are, and will hopefully always be, the best part of my job.

I’ll admit I came to Alaska thinking that these students couldn’t possibly be getting the quality education that I’m used to in New York, but I found it’s quite the opposite.  In fact, these students were some of the brightest, most high achieving and inquisitive I’ve ever met.  Small, grade grouped classes allow for more personalized education with opportunities for both enrichment and remediation, while the socioeconomic needs and demographics of the community invite ample grants and outreaches not available to most populations.  It’s the best of both worlds; top of the line technology and resources meeting individualized small-group education.  Schools here do incredible things that just couldn’t happen anywhere else.

Many villagers collect rainwater to use in their homes, because they have no indoor plumbing

The doors on every house I passed were literally wide open, talk about welcoming!

Rain brings rainbows!

After my workday was finished, it was time for my favorite part; walking around town to explore the village.  I’m still amazed by the hospitality of Alaskans; every 4-wheeler that passed me offered help or a ride.  My jaunt always led up to the airport (which is actually just a runway), because it has the highest elevation and the best view in town.  The weather may not have been pleasant, but it allowed me to see double rainbows and the phenomenon of lifting fog; one minute everything would be white, the next minute there would be cliffs and mountains for miles!  I also took this time to peek into the village stores, which made me appreciate Nome prices.  To give you an idea: there was nothing fresh, everything came in a box, can, or bottle, and a box of rice crispy treats cost over $20.  Each item must be flown in, which was made even more relevant to me during my plane ride between villages.  I was the only passenger on a cargo plane, and every available space was packed with items for the village store.  I can only imagine the other places these packages had to travel before making it here.

The plane to Golovin; packed with cargo!

Packages were stored in the wings, and also the nose of the airplane

The village store, where all of the packages arrived at their final destination

My experiences in Golovin were very similar to those in White Mountain.  The entire school consisted of a gym, library, and two hallways; one for primary school and one for secondary.  I got the chance to eat lunch with the students, and as soon as I walked through the cafeteria door they all ran up to me asking my name, and squirming to sit next to me.  There’s no concept of stranger danger in a community of only 150 people.  Even in Nome, it’s been sort of fun becoming the “mother goose”, having children follow me around whenever I leave the house.  They’re always ready for a hug or a game of “Caribou” (a mix of tag, red rover, and reindeer herding).  Although it’s important to set limits; I’m pretty sure these kids would stick around forever if I let them!

The view right outside of school; welcome to Golovin!

Golovin School, K-12

These kiddos roped me into a game of "Caribou", and one rascally girl made off with my new coat!

One thing that takes some getting used to as an itinerant, or travelling teacher, was sleeping in the library.  Growing up I always imagined that my teachers lived in school, and now it’s become a reality!  As I was putting my belongings next to the mattress in the library, one girl ran over and invited me home with her to sleep in her Auntie’s bed because she sleeps in a full-size with lots of room.  While I didn’t take her up on this generous offer, I’m telling you, these people are accommodating.  Needless to say, sleeping was tough for a few reasons.  I love libraries and felt compelled to explore and read every book instead of sleep.  Also, as it’s still light enough outside at 11pm, children were making a joyful and not unpleasant raucous on the playground until it was too dark to play anymore.  And there’s the fact that I’m completely alone, bunked in a library, in one of the most unfamiliar and isolated places I’ve ever been.  All things considered, I suppose I slept pretty well.

Pretty sweet digs, if I do say so myself!

Playing in the puddles on a school night

My excursions in the bush completely reshaped how I view Nome.  I feel as if I left a small town, and came back to a HUGE city.  My appreciation has grown for our three grocery stores, restaurants with live entertainment, movie theater, bowling alley, and recreation center with saunas and yoga classes.  No, we don’t have a Wal*mart, but most of the 3,500(!) people that live here have indoor plumbing.  I loved my visits to rural Alaska, and I can’t wait to venture into other villages.  But it’s good to be home.

Rainbow on my way home to Nome!

Gaining my "Bering"s

My first full week at NACTEC was a success!  My mug and bio is front and center on the website, and it’s a little surreal seeing my face each time I open my browser.  I am now officially certified as an American Red Cross First Aid/CPR/AED and Babysitting instructor.  I will share my training with all of the students that come to a session, and by the end of their two weeks they will leave with at least one certification in hand.  I also spent time working on the CAT heavy machinery simulators, which are just plain cool.  All of the seating, controls, and foot pedals are true to life, with a huge flatscreen tv in front serving as the “outside view".  Some of the bigger machines even have a rearview flatscreen.  I am now familiar with the controls used to operate a hydraulic excavator, hay bailer, and mining truck!

Just doing some work on the ol' mining truck!

If these trainings weren’t enough, in the coming months I will be trained as a lifeguard, become an adjunct professor at the University of Alaska (so that my students can get college credit for the courses they take with me), receive my bus driver and chauffeur license (so that I can cart the kids around town), and have the option of getting an additional master’s in school administration, all paid for by the district.  I knew that working in Alaska would look good on a resume, but I can’t believe the number of certifications and licenses I have access to!  A whole new world of professions is now open to me; I will even have the credentials to become a cab driver.

Our district spans 80,000 miles, so we often meet by teleconference

So besides work, there are many things I’m slowly getting used to.  The weather has been absolutely beautiful; 60-70s each day with plenty of sunshine.  We lose about 10 minutes of daylight each night, however it is still light out until around 11pm.  These two elements factored together have wreacked havoc on my sleep cycle.  Each day after work Rod and I will enjoy some sort of outdoor activity, and when it’s so warm and bright out it’s very easy to lose track of time.  It’s not uncommon for me to look at my watch and realize that I should’ve been in bed sleeping 3 hours ago.  It may be light out, but ready or not, work still comes at 7am.

There is a surprising amount of color to be found in the Alaskan wilderness!

I’m beginning to break myself of the habit of always locking vehicles, as it really is a hassle to those that have to constantly unlock my door only.  Especially if they are Alaskan; they can’t fathom why I would ever lock a car door.  Last year in NY I remember leaving my car unlocked for ten minutes to hop into the grocery store, and came back to a missing GPS, iPod, and phone charger.  Here, people leave their trucks completely open with hundreds of dollars worth of tools, bikes, and even a reindeer (!) in the back without blinking an eye.  Most of the time the keys are left in the ignition.

This reindeer is living the life; even has a velvet lined house of its own!

It’s a simple, small town life up here and I love it.  I love that I can walk across town in 15 minutes, and that on my way I’ll pass children bouncing up and down in a broke-down 4-wheeler, imagining that they’re on a grand adventure.  What happened to shooing kids out of the house and letting them play until they’re hungry for dinner?  I love that each person I pass gives me a smile, a wave, and a hearty hello.  I love that random objects like gold dredging equipment, boats, trains, and oil pipes are just lying out in the fields and speak to the history of this area.

Old dredging equipment, with current gold dredgers hard at work out on the Bering Strait

Similarly, I love that houses and vehicles are in various states of beautiful disrepair; things may be rusty or peeling but nothing is neglected.  The signs of wear and tear are from being lived in, used, fixed repeatedly, appreciated, and loved.  Nothing is discarded or changed for aesthetic reasons, as practicality and usefulness are of most value here.  On my way to work I pass 3 big houses with manicured lawns and attached garages (all of which are quite commonplace in NY) set apart from town, owned by doctors and dentists.  While clearly attractive, they just seem out of place, excessive, and unnecessary in Nome.  I’d take a shabby, cozy hunting shack in the mountains over those any day of the week.

A typical house; notice the antlers, snow machine, 4-wheeler, and 4x4 vehicles.  What you can't see is that this house is set up on blocks to help keep it leveled in times of thawing and freezing ground shifts.

Which brings me to my living situation.  My first roommate didn’t work out, but fortunately my coworker Rod, a native Alaskan (who teaches engine repairs, welding, aviation, and green technology) welcomed me into his spacious 2-bedroom apartment with open arms.  Now I never imagined living with a 43 year old man, but it has worked out incredibly well.  He’s very protective of me, making sure that no one is looking in the windows, that I have a full belly, and that I get to and from wherever I may need to go.  He even introduced me to the joy of shooting, teaching me how to fire a .22 caliber semi-automatic.  I got so good that I shot 2 CDs right off the bushes they were hung on!

Firing a gun for the very first time!

If only these were unsuspecting ptarmigan resting in the branches...

I have to yet to find a vehicle to buy in Nome, as there are no roads connecting us to the outside world and the only way cars get here is by barge (which adds $3,000 to any price tag).  Rod’s been great about letting me carpool, and I’ve learned very quickly that any road trip outside of town is equivalent to an off-roading expedition.  I automatically brace my feet every time I get in the Ford F-350, because it’s not uncommon to hit a pothole that will shoot you in the air so far that your butt leaves the seat and your head hits the roof.

I need a pogo stick to get in this truck!

The hours of operation for anything in town is hit or miss, and usually miss due to the fact that I work 7am-4pm.  For example, the DMV is only open 1-4pm, banks close at 4pm, and nothing is open on the weekend.  Most Nome residents don’t hold typical 9 to 5 jobs, working mostly in the fishing or gold mining industries, so business hours are tailored to the needs of these folks.  Because of this I dedicated one of my lunch hours to obtaining an Alaska Driver’s License.  The questions on the written test were a little tricky;  If you hit an animal, whom does it belong to?  Should you honk your horn before passing another vehicle?  Do you have a better chance of survival in a burning or submerged vehicle with or without a fastened seat belt?  (The answers are the state, yes, and with).

Anvil City Square near downtown Nome

I passed the test, but honestly taking Rod’s truck to the exam challenged my driving knowledge and abilities to a much greater degree.  I mentioned in the last entry that Rod is driving the NACTEC truck originally purchased by the school for $1.  What I quickly realized upon driving the beast is that the steering wheel only drives straight when it’s turned 45 degrees to the left, that you must hold down the directional for the signal to stay on, that both side mirrors are one screw away from falling off completely, and that you can’t shift into gear unless you jimmy the shifter for a couple minutes (which isn’t ideal when you’re switching from reverse to drive in the middle of the road).  Needless to say I passed the test, and lived to tell the tale.

My eating palate has also expanded since my arrival to Nome.  My boss and his beautiful wife invited me over for dinner one night, where I tried strawberry rhubarb pie for the first time.  The administrative assistant at NACTEC, Sherri, left after finding a job more aligned with her career goals this week, so we went out to Milano’s, an Italian/Japanese restaurant in town to celebrate.  It was there that I tried sushi for the very first time, and the spicy tuna roll was outstanding!  Sherri also introduced me to a native standby; oogruk, or seal meat.  I was expecting it to taste like venison jerky, and while it had the same texture it tasted surprisingly like fish (but in a good way).  I’m not sure that I would eat it in the traditional way, dipped in seal fat and salt, but it was quite a yummy munch.

Also known as black meat, this was my first taste of seal

I continue to learn new and fascinating things, and I really am enjoying settling in to a new culture and a different way of life.

Some catching up to do!

The glorious view from a nameless peak in Nome

I’ve spent 1 full week in Alaska, and I feel as though I’ve fit a month’s worth of excitement into the past 7 days.  Let me rewind a bit…

264.1 pounds.  This is the total weight of the 12 packages I sent to Nome to get me through the year, containing just about everything.  A random sampling includes a 4 month supply of old fashioned oats, 16 pairs of wool socks, 5 bottles of shampoo, and my home-sewn comforter made out of my favorite t-shirts.  Getting these packages into the post office was an adventure in itself.  Each unsuspecting customer that walked through the door had a physical reaction to my mountain of boxes.

After letting a few lucky folks take care of business ahead of me, I decided enough was enough and I didn’t want to spend my entire day waiting for a lull.  The mustachioed postman helped me through the process and after 15 minutes or so of weighing and toting boxes, he handed me a 3 foot long receipt with a $312.08 price tag.  To alleviate the initial shock I tried to put it in perspective; I must’ve shipped over a hundred things.  This means it only cost a few cents to ship each teabag, maybe a dollar per sweater and a few bucks for each container of laundry detergent.  Not so bad.  Now I just can’t wait until the boxes actually get here; wearing the same four outfits is getting a little tired and my electric toothbrush is in desperate need of a charge.  And I’ve forgotten what’s in the boxes so I guess it will be like Christmas when they finally arrive.

The plane I took from Chicago to Anchorage

My travel from Albany to Nome was comfortable and uneventful, despite the fact that it was my first time flying alone.  I flew first to Chicago in a single seat with no one next to me, which was canceled out by my 7 hour flight to Anchorage surrounded by 5 children under the age of 3.  One particularly feisty girl spent the trip kicking the back of my seat.  To maintain my sanity, I closed my eyes, took some measured breaths, and pretended I was receiving a luxurious Swedish massage, free of charge.  Believe it or not, this line of thought worked out quite well and I think she even worked out a few kinks for me!

My first view of Nome

Once in Anchorage I spent my 4 hour layover walking outside to get a breath of fresh air, then going back through a few extra levels of security as I had forgotten to empty out my water bottle before re-entry.  I was taken into a special area for questioning and water bottle analysis, and eventually set free sans-water.  I’m sure my travel etiquette will improve with experience.  The final leg to Nome was an almost empty plane, and a great end to a long day.  Upon arrival, while we were taxiing to our gate the pilot made an announcement that made me smile; “Welcome to Nome, welcome home”.

The NACTEC house where students stay during a session, with Anvil Hill behind

After spending a night in Nome in the NACTEC residence house (complete with heated floors!) I was bounced back out to Unalakleet (pronounced you-nah-cleat), the hub of the Bering Strait School District, for new teacher orientation.  During check in at the airport I was surprised when the desk clerk asked my weight.  I was told later that this was meant to ensure that the plane was adequately fueled, but I still think he should’ve offered to buy me dinner to be privy to such information.  I flew out in a 9 seater, with only 3 passengers onboard and the back half of the plane filled to the gills with cargo.  I was concerned about turbulence having never flown in such a small aircraft, but it was the smoothest, and most beautiful flight I’ve ever experienced.  My breath was taken away by views of mountains, cliffs and ledges, streams and the endless ocean without the distractions of roads, houses, or any sign of human occupancy.  Alaska truly is an untouched natural paradise.

View from the puddle jumper plane

Once in Unalakleet, I was immediately surrounded by likeminded, enthusiastic, and positive people.  The first man I was introduced to was the principal from Stebbins, a man named Piq.  He was smoking a cigarette with long grey hair, and a feather earring in one ear, yelling “WE WANT YOU!”, grabbing my arm and dragging me away from my boss.  He proceeded to tell me about the importance of Family and Consumer Sciences in his village, and how all of his students need someone like me in their lives.  What a stark difference from the belittling comments and assumptions I’ve encountered professionally in the past.  And this trend has been consistent since my arrival in Alaska; how refreshing to be surrounded by student-centric people that understand and relate to why I took this job, and place a significant value on the skills that I share with my students.

All of the teachers attending orientation stayed in classrooms at the school, and slept on air mattresses crammed into corners, closets, and even under the teacher desk.  Twelve girls stayed in the small kindergarten room with me, and I had to keep reminding myself as I wandered the hallways with my shower caddy and towel in hand that in a week this facility would be full of kids!  The building was brand new construction, and consistent with all facets of the district; extremely modern and progressive.  The breakout session that impressed me the most discussed the district’s 10+2 plan.  Students receive all of their core content in their first 10 years of school, leaving the final two to customizable plans.  Line item paths for their future are developed on an individual basis, and their progress can be monitored online to ensure that each student leaves high school with a specific job certification (and oftentimes an actual job) or admission to a college with ample scholarships.  Not a single student is left to wonder, “What do I do next?!” or “How do I get to where I want to go?”.

So as enlightening and inspiring as this conference was, my favorite part was undeniable; our first staff development activity.  Jay, the principal of Unalakleet took my boss Doug, the other new hire at NACTEC Rod, and myself out on the river in his boat, recently flown in from Anchorage, to fish.  As a greenie to Alaska, I naively set up my New York pole and began fishing.  It wasn’t long before an Alaskan silver salmon bit and ran, and boy did it ever!  My drag was set so low that I’m pretty sure that fish took my line out at least a half mile before I reacted.  After a serious struggle and my pole almost breaking in a half, the danged thing spit out the hook and I was left in bewildered awe; this wasn’t New York fishing anymore, that’s for sure!

My first Alaskan Silver Salmon!

Once I was hooked up with a more suitable rod and reel I was back in the game, and ended up landing 3 beautiful and bountiful silver salmon, without a hint of streaking (the longer the fish are in the river, the more streaks they get in their coloring, and the less pure their meat).  If only I could say that my success carried over to my boss.  Throughout the evening lines got tangled, fish escaped out of nets and dove under the boat, too many people hooked fish at the same time, and except for a couple foul hooks and throwbacks my boss left with one trout.  It was almost comical.  Needless to say we ended up with ten salmon between us, and started filleting around 10pm, with full daylight.  The reward of our adventure was peppered and smoked salmon, right out of the river, straight into the smoker, and smack dab into our bellies.  To say that it was delicious would be almost insulting.

Learning how to fillet; this was at 10pm with 2 more hours of daylight left!

Other highlights from my stay in Unalakleet included the annual district fun run, which was 5 miles down a mountain in the cold pouring rain with a million dollar view.  I passed hundred foot wind turbines, mountains, roaring streams, the Bering Strait, pens of sled dogs, and curious villagers; and I took second place to boot!  Also during some down time from meetings, Rod and I wandered by the playground and watched some of the local kids playing.  We stood by the fence, and it wasn’t more than a minute before a few of the bolder children came over to investigate.  Soon we were deep into a game of tag with those few brave kiddos.  Three kids turned to five, and five to ten, and pretty soon our game of tag had erupted into a town event with kids young and old joining in.  This simple occurrence was amazing to me; it was clear that our interaction with these kids was rare and special.  I can’t imagine this type of innocence and pure joy occurring in New York between complete strangers from such different cultures.

I ran right past these windmills during the "fun run"; wind turbines are common and lucrative in Alaska

Despite my past enjoyment of my new travel experiences, it was totally trumped by my flight back to Nome.  Our travel plans were delayed due to heavy fog, as planes could not safely take off due to the weather.  A ubiquitous mentality when discussing Alaskan bush travel is “Hope for the best, plan for the worst”, because travel plans are at the mercy of Mother Nature.  After waiting in the small airport with over 20 other stranded teachers for hours, Rod and I were suddenly called and rushed to a plane as the conditions had momentarily improved.  Flights had been reshuffled as the weather at each final destination was varied, so we were put on a different flight than originally planned.

The airport!  A little different than Albany International...

Due to the impromptu nature of our new travel plans, we were the last two people to fill the seats in the plane; requiring me to fly in the copilot seat.  The view was incredible, but I must admit that I was terrified of bumping the foot petals or yoke accidentally and sending us into a death spin.  Christian, the same pilot that flew me up to Unalakleet only a few days prior, was manning the plane and hooked me up with a headset so that I could listen to all communications between the airports and pilots.  He even set it up so that I could speak with him without interfering with other transmissions.  It was actually quite entertaining.  I heard pilots talking smack about who could fly in which type of conditions best, who was going on vacation when, learned some fun facts about Nome, and got a full dose of expletives.  I guess pilots talk like sailors.

I got to sit in the co-pilot's seat, shown on the right!

Back in Nome at last, the weather continues to be glorious; 60s, sunny and clear.  Everyday after work Rod and I take advantage of this and go hiking and berry picking.  We take the NACTEC truck (purchased for $1 from the oil company, beat to all heck) and traverse roads with potholes at least two feet deep (a few bumps cause me to leave the seat completely!) and drive until we see a mountain we’d like to climb.  The first time we were walking over tundra (which feels like walking on a spring mattress) I was quite worried.  My only experience with this type of terrain was when I climbed Katahdin in Maine, where it is illegal to step on the tundra because it is too fragile an ecosystem to be tromped on by the many hikers of that trail.  I couldn’t believe that I could just walk on the Alaskan tundra without a worry or care!  It still boggles my mind that I’m able to pick a random peak to climb, gather berries, and walk in places where it’s entirely possible that no other foot has ever fallen before; all without ever seeing another person or any indication of developed life.  I’m honestly jealous of myself.

On the summit of a mountain on one of our daily hikes

It’s amazing how much I’ve learned about Alaskan life just by talking to those that know it.  So far I’ve learned how to use an ulu (a traditional rocking knife) to process animals, the fact that a brown bear, grizzly bear, and kodiak are all the same animal, that dried fish can be used to soothe teething babies, and that Chicken, Alaska was so named because we outsiders couldn’t spell the name of the state bird, a ptarmigan.  I am completely surrounded by good hearted, supportive, funny people that genuinely care about my wellbeing.  As much as I plan to give and share with my students, I know that I will learn and experience more than I may ever be able to give to them.  It’s been one week and already I feel that my life has been forever changed for the better.  What a positive start to what will undoubtedly be an impacting and lasting adventure.