Weekly Reflections - Week 1

I've decided to make a weekly reflection feature on my blog. Just cause it sounds cool. :)

So today marks my first week in the village, not counting the week I was here in June. This week has been very different. I don't have many gnarly stories. Or any for that matter. This week has been a work week. But I do have some musings to share.

For one: I have armed myself with bug spray and I am so much happier this time around than before. I was warned that the gnats are out & are worse than mosquitoes. But they respond to bug spray so I'm doing good. I have two bites, but two is waaay better than 30, so I am way ahead of the game!

I don't find the village quite so intimidating. I have been walking to the stores (there are two) and I stick to main roads...okay, there's one short cut I take but it's right past the jail where nobody every goes. People have been very friendly. Yesterday a bunch of kids swarmed me & gave me hugs & held my hand. One boy was shouting "She's my teacher! She's my teacher!". It was awesome.

Today has been a busy day with bush planes....they have been flying over my house. It's very windy & I wonder if that has something to do with it. Last night it rained really hard. I found the sound of the rain falling on a tin roof very soothing. Okay, this was a random paragraph.....whatever, I'm reflecting.

Last night, I dreamt my brother & sister-in-law came up for a surprise visit and they brought my niece. I miss her tons. I wish my family could come out and visit me but it's very expensive, so I understand. I'll be sure glad to see them for Christmas. Both my brother and my grandfather are moving to Benicia this month. Fate works in funny ways. As soon as I leave, they come!

So back to Akiak. I am really liking it up here. I find there's a rhythm here that seems to fit me. The way time flows, the wind blows, I don't know. There's never a hurried pace. Maybe it's because you have to walk everywhere. So you say to yourself, "I have to get to the post office before 4:30." So you do but there's no hustle about it. Maybe it's also because there's a chance that the post office is closed anyways. For no reason whatsoever. Actually, there's probably a reason having to do with the guy's private life, but I'm not here to make accusations of government workers on the internet, that and he's a nice guy.

I am having a hard time with not having all of my stuff. My bush order still hasn't come yet. I have four tubs with items that I was using up to the last moment from home that I'm still waiting for too. I got mud on my new jeans and don't have laundry soap yet. Little things like that make me feel isolated from the rest of the world. Which actually aside from the shopping, I kinda like that feeling.

I like that the weather has become so much more important to me. Not bad, just different. One day you have clouds, rain , and a Arctic wind. Today is clouds, very windy but it's a warm wind. I also like that I can read mud. As in, which mud is slippery and which mud will you maintain your balance in. I like that my commute to work now involves a mud puddle obstacle course. I like that a cloudy day with patches of sky & sunlight can be a beautiful day. Which everyone comments about, "Enjoying the weather?"

I am getting used to having a roommate. This is a new thing for me. I am actually an introvert. Which means I have to been alone to recharge my batteries. My roommate is an extrovert, meaning she needs to be around people. Today she's duck hunting in Akiachak (the next village over) and I am here having a quiet day to myself. So far it's working out. I think it's a good idea that I have a roommate, especially in a place as harsh as this one. But it takes some getting used to.

I've been away from home for two weeks as of tomorrow. It feels like longer. Having my cats here makes me feel like I am home. They don't cuddle with me as much, but they have more space & Daisy's still mad at me. Lola's cat toys are in those missing tubs....so I really hope they come soon.

My school schedule seems really long. I get there at 8 a.m., class starts at 9 and gets out at 3:20. It's really only like 20 minutes longer than my old schedule but it seems longer.

My school is a k-12 school. One wing is for elementary school the other one is for high school. Which means I see some major teenage drama unfolding. That and I got a funny comment from one of the high schoolers. "I didn't know this school was hiring supermodels...." Uh-huh! That one made me laugh! I think I'll be sticking with my little ones thank you very much!

Okay, that's my reflection for the first week. I do think it's gonna be a good year. I will have some hardships, sure, but I think I'm gonna like it here!