Back to the Bush!!

Well, I've had a nice little vacation. I went to California and played around San Francisco and my hometown. I had arrived in Bethel 12 hours before my flight left to Anchorage. I was prepared: rented movie on itunes, kindle, laptop, ipod...and two hours later, i was bored out of my mind. But that's when a group of my co-workers walked in. And I found out that they had shut down the bush planes due to weather. So I made a good call getting there early. And it turns out I had company! A teacher from another village (same district) had the same flights as me all the way to Seattle. So I ended up spending the next 20 hours hanging out with him....our seats weren't together, so there were a couple of hours where we didn't hang out. But I was glad for the company.

After 10 days in California, where I loved seeing my family & friends, I spent the night in Anchorage. And I went bush shopping! So we'll see how long this one takes! It was nowhere as expensive as last time. $400 at Sam's Club...instead of the $900 I spent back in August. Yay me!

Coming home was a bit of an adventure. The flight started out normal and the plane started to land. I noticed that I couldn't see anything through the thick fog. I was glad the pilot had all those fancy gadgets to see better than me! But I guess those weren't working either, because just as we were landing..the plane suddenly shoots back up. Then we fly for a bit while...and I'm thinking: Did anyone else just notice that????

I'm not sure anyone else did, because when the pilot came on and said that we were gonna try for Bethel a second time, but if we can't make the landing we have to fly back to Anchorage, this seemed like news to everyone. I was kind of expecting it.

But thankfully, we made the second attempt...although, if there was any doubt, I would have been okay not trying to land. But now my problem was getting home. The planes were grounded. I went to a little bush plane airport, hoping to at least drop my baggage off and do some shopping (dairy & produce). When I got there, the sky had cleared up and they could get me out in the next 10 to 15 minutes. Great! I'll order the food from Swansons! And I made it home!!!

Where I did nothing but rest. I had reverse culture shock....being around so many people and the hustle and bustle of a big city had exhausted me!! I also think that all that concrete had something to do with that too. I was happy to get back to the natural world...of snow.

I forgot to mention my walk of approaching death! I took a cab to Sam's Club and planned to walk across the parking lot, cross the street, and through the Walmart's parking lot...just like I did in August. The parking lots were a sheet of ice. And you know how I feel about walking on ice!! Well, I got halfway through one parking lot when I realized I was in tr-ou-ble!! I found some puddle to walk through, but I was terrified. Crossing the main street was fine....the sludge had all melted. I was still saying to myself: dontfalldontfalldontfall as I crossed. I still had to cross the next sheet of ice. I seriously almost asked this guy if he would drive me the rest of the way. But I noticed a trail of puddles....in the middle of the street. And yes, that's exactly where I walked! Right there in the middle of the road totally in other car's way. I waved one car to go around me because I was beyond caring. I said to the car "You can just go around me because I'm not moving." I was a woman on a mission. The last leg of the walk (it was seriously a major ordeal) I came across a young couple having a similar problem getting across. We laughed and they held hands together....but I was still in the middle of the road. Whatever...you two can die together...

And when I was done traversing the ice, all I could think of was: man, my mother is not going to pleased to hear I pulled another dangerous stunt! The wolf story nearly did her in!

It's come to my attention that I have not told the wolf story on my blog. I didn't think it much at the time, but since people liked this story, I'll go ahead and write about it:

It was a normal day in Akiak. Just as school was getting out, some people came to my classroom and said "Wolves have been sighted. Please go straight home and don't play outside!" There was a giant herd of caribou 6 to 10 miles outside the village, so I figured the wolves were just following the herd - which means they're not starving...or really hungry.

So it was my turn to walk home. I was walking with my friend the 3rd grade teacher (Jared) and we were debating going to the post office. Jared wasn't sure we should dare it with the wolf warning.

But see I know Alaska's true secret, so I say to Jared, "Jared, I have been here for months and haven't seen ANY wildlife! I know for a fact that I am not going to see wolves if I walk to the post office. So I'm walking to the post office!" And Jared agrees to walk to the post office.

And then we reach the path...it cuts through some woods and leads out next to the post office...aka a short cut. Poor Jared. He wanted to take the road and not go on the path. Not I. Here's my argument 1) wolves aren't hungry 2) I'm not going to see any wolves anyways

I win the argument so when the village was under a wolf warning...I went traipsing through the woods...dragging the poor 3rd grade teacher along with me.

But guess what we didn't see any of? That's right! Wolves!

And what do I see during my 10 days in Benicia? Hawks, skunks, possum, raccoons, & rabbits. I saw more wildlife there than in my whole 5 months in Alaska. I have serious doubts as to the existence of actual wildlife here, to be honest with you. But my mother says I can't do things like that again....ah well.