Alaska Wouldn't Let Go...

This past month has brought new adventures....and a lot of extra stress!

And the stress boiled down to one simple thing: getting Dakota out of Alaska.

Some would argue that job searching would be more stressful, and I would agree. However, the hiring season hadn't started yet (it just did) so I couldn't be stressed about that yet. 

Now, I've flown Dakota to California before. How hard can it be to do it again? Yeah, Dakota was only five months old when I did that. (Yes, friends & family who met him, he was only five months old and that big!) He fit a large crate then, he's in a GIANT crate now.

So, when I decided to move back to California, I figured I would just buy a used vehicle and drive it down for the adventure. And I do love adventure. But, I wasn't seeing any cars, trucks, or SUVs I was really into. And I began to doubt the taking 7 days to drive. I was anxious to get to California sooner rather than later. So, Plan A was scratched.

Alaska Airlines is great with pets. They give you this note when you are on the plane that your pet is on there with you (they pull it from the intake sheet as they load your animal) so you KNOW where your pet is. I haven't had any problems with them. However, their cargo doors are 34 inches high, and a giant crate is 35 inches high. So, Alaska Airlines doesn't fly giant dog crates.

But United Airlines does and they have a pet program as well. Great! Plan B! Except they can only fly giant crates on certain sized planes and whoops! None of those planes are flying in or out of Anchorage. Scratch that plan.

Delta also says it can fly crates that size. But their phone lines were acting up and I couldn't get a straight flight to any of my destination choices....it was weird on their website. Delta wasn't ever a plan...

Plan C: maybe I can rent a car, drive it and return it in California. After contacting every car rental place in Anchorage, scratch Plan C.

Plan D: Rent cargo space from Alaskan Airlines on a cargo flight! It can only get me to Seattle, but from there I can rent a car and return it to California easily. They just have to return my phone call.

Two Weeks Later: Still waiting for my phone calls and e-mail to be returned for Plan D.

While I'm waiting for Plan D, maybe Plan E will work better: a private flight from Anchorage to Seattle, rent a car.....$18,000? Ummmm, thanks but no thanks. Scratch Plan E.

Plan F: perhaps a charter plane from a smaller freight company in Alaska? Oh, they don't fly to Seattle, nevermind. Scratch Plan F.

Started contacting other people listed for Plan D. Maybe someone else can help me. Oh, they all seem to be out of the office for the rest of the week.

Plan G: Rent an RV and drive it down to Seattle, then rent a car. I found all sorts of RV rentals, but the ones where you can rent it to drive down (most of them were for driving up to Alaska) had a no pet policy. And with 2 cats and a giant dog by myself, I figured that wouldn't be fair to omit that information. Scratch Plan G.

Plan H: Take a ferry! Animals have to stay in the vehicle (which I don't have) and can only be walked for 15 minutes when the ferry is at a port. Ummmmm......no, scratch Plan H.

Still waiting for Plan D, Plan D will work.....????

Plan I: Trains? No trains to Alaska....plus, Amtrak only allows service dogs....

I could just take him on the plane!

note: getting Dakota labeled a service dog would solve ALL my problems!!!

Plan J: Bus? Service dogs only!

At this point, Plan D has finally gotten back to me, only to tell me that I would really only be able to fly out of Anchorage May 18th, if they can fit me in at all. Fishing season will have started by then and the fish take priority. My contract ends May 16th and even though I have serious doubts about being able to get from Akiak to Anchorage before leaving May 18th, I agree to it. They told me they would get back to me. (Again.)

Plan K: contacting several pet mover companies to just deal with Dakota for me. Most of my queries go unanswered, if not some crazy total. Scratched!

Plan L: have my Uncle Val come and get me. He can drive up with his truck and then drive us all down. But, my uncle is moving that same weekend. He's willing to come get me or even just have me fly down and he can get Dakota, but I can't leave my baby boy. So Plan L is scratched.

It was back to Plan A. Except I didn't want to get stuck with a car that I didn't really want, or was overpriced because it was in Alaska. I really wanted a Honda CRV.

Me Likey

No wonder every article I read about traveling with giant dogs in Alaska involved the owners driving to and from Alaska. This was insane trying to get Dakota out. It felt like Alaska just wouldn't let me go.

I had done an internet search of Honda Dealerships in Anchorage. And at the time, I couldn't find one. However, while I was waiting for Plan D to get back to me a second time, my mother called me and told me she found a Honda Dealership in Anchorage. I contacted them and they had the exact model & color I wanted. 

It was more expensive than it would have been if I bought it in California. But the real question was: would the expenses balance out? I would be buying the car anyways, and if Plan D works....I just might be paying the same amount no matter what.

After hearing back from the dealership, I heard back from Plan D: $3,500 to reserve cargo space for Dakota. Plus, I'd need his health certificate sooner, which meant a Bethel trip to the vet instead of going to Anchorage while we were already there....so that's an extra $500. Plus a rental car fee for once we got to Seattle....not to mention MY ticket and my 2 cats....

So buying a car in Anchorage and driving it down is probably the best way.

After many, many phone calls, e-mails, internet searches and Facebook posts, I have landed on a plan that is in motion, far from perfect, but solid. Whatever else comes up, I will deal with it then. I call this plan: Plan Z.

At Dawson Creek, veer off & hug the coast

Plan Z: I buy a SUV in Anchorage. I fly my critters out of Akiak and Bethel May 18th. (And notice that flight wasn't mentioned, cause that was the easy part!!!) My mother is going to fly up to Anchorage and meet me there. We are going to spend two days getting our supplies ready, and then May 20th, we will be driving the Alaskan Highway out of Alaska and through the Yukon, then taking the Western Access Route  (off the Alaskan Highway) through British Colombia to Seattle. From Seattle, it's I5 to California.

My Honda CRV is already bought. It's waiting for me to pick it up when I get to Anchorage.

So, in 20 days, I will have a new adventure to post about. The thing is, it's not a vacation. My trip to Iceland is my vacation. My driving the ALCAN is just to get me to California. It would be great if I could enjoy myself and take my time, but right now, I need a job. And I feel like I need to be available for interviews. I want to push the drive so I can get to where I need to be. Iceland is going to be my real treat. 

I feel very practical about my road trip. I do plan on enjoying the view, and stopping regularly to stretch my legs (and Dakota's). I'm not going to spend the whole time driving. My mindset is really focused on getting home though. Focused, determined, hell bent....you know, whatever.

                                       

Road tripping for 7 days with a giant dog, 2 cats, and my feline allergy sensitive mother doesn't really sound all that relaxing to me. If it were just me in the car, I bet I could do Anchorage to Seattle in 3 days. And as for my mother, she's going to talk to her doctor and get her own hotel room, so the cats shouldn't be a problem. Ah well, maybe another flaw to the plan. 

At this point, it's whatever works. Plan Z will have it's bumps, but it's the best I got. That stress of trying to figure out what to do is gone. Once I get to California, I'll be staying with my brother, sister-in-law, and my 5 year old niece. I'm excited about that.

And if you have a giant dog and are wondering how to get it in and out of Alaska....drive it.

Okay, so now onto the job search stress. Fantastic!!! 

The Grizzly Awakens....

And with that, I mean my 4 wheeler. I have a Yamaha Grizzly 350 that's been covered up and sleeping this past winter. I haven't been driving it since the temperature dropped back in November or December. 

The Mud Spattered Grizzly

I really wanted a 4 wheeler when the snow started to melt. Every year in Akiak at this time, the area surrounding my teacher housing complex becomes a giant pond/lake. And we become an island. The other thing that happens is the snow becomes mushy underneath, so when you step down, you fall through the deep layers. And because not all the snow is melted, it also means that on the bottom of those lakes/puddles is slick ice. I have since learned to walk on ice, but that first year was terrifying. I remember one teacher sticking his head out of the window to comment on my slow, slow progression through the puddle. 

Here's a picture from my first year (2011) of the Literacy Leader demonstrating how deep the "puddle" in front of the house was:

I kid you not....

So now that the snow was melting, I really wanted to get my grizzly back up and running. The problem was that the wheels were in several inches of ice. I'm sure that there are all sorts of methods to defrost wheels in ice. My method was very effective. I waited a couple of days for the sun to thaw them out for me. And it worked nicely. Sadly, as I type this, the nice cover for the grizzly that protected it all winter is still somewhat encased in ice.

Back in November, someone wanted to use my 4 wheeler, however it was stuck in ice in another part of the complex. And instead of asking me if they could use it, they just offered to get it unstuck for me. And I was happy to let them. However, the ignition had frozen and was just stuck. So, some friends of mine helped me get the right part (help = do it for me) and then another friend helped change out the key thingy part (again, help = do it for me). So the grizzly was all set to go, but I just needed to get gas. And then the temperature dropped and I had no desire to freeze driving around. I could have because there are a lot of 4 wheelers zipping around Akiak year round, but I didn't feel like it.

But this time....this time, I dug out my grizzly myself! (And then gave up.) And today, a friend helped me (help = do it for me) get some gas. And the grizzly started right up and I was able to drive around Akiak. I even took some things to the dump!

I feel so tough driving my grizzly. Remember, I was a total city girl and a nerd. Talk to me about movies, comic books, books....I'm your gal, but outdoorsy stuff? Oh no. I didn't like camping because you couldn't shower every day. So, it was completely out of my character to move to the bush. And add a 4 wheeler/ATV/quadrunner/whatever you call it to the mix? Someone called me a free spirit the other day, and I loved it! Getting out of my comfort zone was the best thing to ever happen to me.

And driving through Akiak was so out of my comfort zone! Driving through slushy snow, packed snow and the road was not a problem. Driving through icy snow puddles was something different. I was sliding and fish tailing.....I got the hang of it, but I actually told myself out loud, "This is good for you, Lara!" And then I went through this thick, muddy mud and again I was slipping and fishtailing. And I was dragging a sled behind me with boxes for the dump. At one point, there was a lake in front of me. I was sure it was deep and I was going to flood that sled. But it was trash anyways, so why not? I was pretty mud splattered myself afterwards though.

Spattered Jacket

Kids got a big kick seeing me driving around. I remember last year, when I first bought my grizzly, I was driving it around Akiak (which is only 2 miles, so it's really not that much of a drive.) when one of my former students shouted at me, "Looking good, Ruark!" and gave me a thumbs up.

One thing did not survive the winter freeze: my stupid gas can. The spout part cracked and when I went to pour in the gas, I spilled. I need to figure out a way to get my gas into the grizzly without dumping a whole bunch of it. Gas is $6.90 a gallon. OR maybe I can ask someone to "help" me. That would work too.

Having my own vehicle gives me such a feeling of freedom and independence. Last Saturday, I wasn't able to borrow a school vehicle to load my totes & boxes up to take them to the post office to mail off. So I had to drag my 4 totes, 3 boxes, and 1 poster tube to the post office on a sled. Now, I don't have to try to borrow anything. I can take my own stuff to the post office. I don't need rides anywhere. I don't have to wait for people to bring me anything. 

While I was test driving my grizzly after his hibernation, I drove up to the airstrip and a plane was unloading their stuff. The guy waved me over because I had pulled up just as they were taking out my box of groceries. So I drove it home myself.

The Grizzly and I will soon be parting ways, as I am selling him before I leave. However, I fully plan on keeping him up and running through those puddles until I leave!

Teaching in Alaska Part 3 AND a Rather Big Announcement

It's been a while, and for those who asked me questions, I apologize. We had our state testing and my internet has been spotty on the weekends.

I have been busy. My friends know my announcement, but I've only recently told my students, so now I can throw it out there for the world to know: I am leaving Akiak.

I am moving back to California. I have loved my experiences here in the bush, but 3 years of isolation is hard. I miss my friends and family. And I am single. I miss the possibility of a chance encounter with my own Mr. Darcy. We don't get too many strangers out here. And my animals make it hard for me to get to Anchorage.

Plus, I miss the Bay Area. San Francisco, Napa, the bay.....there's so much there that I didn't take advantage of when I lived there before. I want to soak it all up. Take Dakota hiking, maybe even try my hand at urban mushing (him pulling me on a scooter). It will be so much easier for me to leave my furbabies for a weekend trip somewhere.

The adventures are not stopping any time soon.

Getting back to California was quite an ordeal to work out. Dakota's crate is too big for the commercial jets to fit him. Unless I pay $3,200+ for cargo space or $18,000 for a private plane (and that just gets me to Washington), the only option for me is to drive him down the ALCAN to California.

So, I bought a car. A Honda CR-V, and my mother is meeting me in Anchorage. We are going to drive Dakota and my two kitties home that way. Look for that adventure mid-May!

I do not have a job in California yet, however the hiring season hasn't really started. I am hopeful and determined. It will work out.

So, now to the questions I have been asked about teaching in rural Alaska:

How do you find the weather. Does the shorter daylight cause some depression? 

The weather is extreme. However, if you bundle up, it's manageable. Teacher houses here don't have a fireplace or a wood stove, so as long as you have power and a working heater, the weather is not really bad. If you are planning on traveling at all. The weather can mess with your plans. EVERYTHING is subject to the weather on that regards.

Does the shorter daylight cause some depression?

I had an Aerogarden in my house that gave off natural light. And I had a Happy Lite. I did not get depressed. I did in February (which seems a hard month for most people) but other than that, I enjoyed the darkness. I got a kick out of the weird darkness. But the lights really do make a difference.

 You mention a lot of coaches. Would a new teacher or teacher returning to the field find a lot of mentorship there? 

At my site this year, we had two coaches, one a peer coach and another classroom coach, plus new teachers are partnered with a mentor for two years. 

Are most of the staff supportive of each other? 

I would say yes. It's really just like life. There are some people you meet you like and others you don't. I've had a very supportive year and a year that was kind of on my own. It also depends on you and how involved you want to get. When I first moved here, everyone was so helpful and supportive, it took me back. I think maybe I'm used to it, because if you have a problem, even people you don't normally talk to will jump in and help you out. 

Is it super expensive to get school supplies or professional books sent there?

Yes. It's super expensive to get anything out here. There are some tricks. Amazon Prime offers free shipping on most items, as does Walmart. If you find free shipping deals, then nab them while you can. Most companies though charge a lot to ship out to rural Alaska. I was very lucky with school supplies. My mom and a friend of mine went crazy this summer and bought a bunch of stuff and sent it up to me.  Care packages are a good way to get what you need and what you miss. Let me tell you, I've never appreciated opening a box with lined paper in it so much!

What math program do they use?

For elementary we use Every Day Math. 

So, I assume you are staying for another year?? 

I am not actually.

What are the ramifications of not making the reading progress you mentioned? 

According to the new Teacher Evaluation Tool adopted by my district, nothing this year. However, if I do not make proficient in my Student Progress section for two years in a row, then I don't remember if I would be placed on a Plan of Improvement or let go. I think I'd be let go. I have to be honest, being given an unrealistic goal was not a good feeling. Grades 3+ just have to show a year's worth of growth, and my students actually have made a year's worth of growth if not more. However, that's not a piece of my evaluation. While it wasn't a motivating factor as to my leaving, I won't miss my district evaluating me. Common sense tells me the district will have to go back and re-evaluate that piece, at least for future teacher's sake, I hope they go back and re-evaluate. They should anyways. For some of my students, they needed two years worth of growth. Yeah, that's been a thorn in my side this year.

Did you get to choose your grade level? 

I did not, however I was able to apply for a Second Grade position. If I really wanted to change grade levels, I think I could have if those positions were available. Some teachers I know have changed and others, like me, have stayed in the same grade. 

What do you do if you are sick?

Hope it's not serious. Ha ha. We have subs, but it might be someone's spouse or significant other. There are people in the community who come in. I've had some very good subs. Actually, subs like subbing for me. I'm not sick too often, but it happens. There's no real training for being a sub, and sometimes they really do just need a warm body to supervise. Like I said though, I've been lucky. I write detailed sub plans with times and next to my sub plans I have the Teacher Editions with the pages flagged and a stack of handouts labeled. I'm pretty specific about what I want and where they can find things. For example: my student readers I call: The Hardback Green Books. And I let them know which student can help with that.

On another note, I've also decided I'm not going to shut this blog down. This blog was designed for my adventures and since I plan on having more adventures (Iceland - July 2013!!!) and day trip adventures, my blog will stay. I just won't be writing about rural Alaska. Some would argue that a fresh start needs a fresh blog, but no. I've grown and changed and life around me has changed but the blog has been here.

So thank you for reading me and please, stick around....with my life, you never know what's around the corner!!!