It Begins

We got back to Kaktovik yesterday. And it feels so good to be back! I love this village and if anyone  is feeling exceptionally adventurous they should give it a visit sometime. All of the people here are very friendly and the kids are great. Plus, I really like the staff here. I have people I can go to for advice and leadership, and even someone who can keep me up on Doctor Who news. Are there difficulties to living in a village? You bet. The prices are much higher than I am used to, shipping takes forever, shopping options are... limited, I can't drop over to visit my college friends, and it can be hard to leave work when your commute is less than a minute. Would I trade it for anything? Not at all! I love it here and am so excited that more than two years of research into the Alaskan Bush has culminated in this experience! Today some co-workers and I went for a tundra walk (the tundra nearly ate my boots!), I get to rack up some serious airline miles without having to spend a penny because the district covers it, and a polar bear met us down at the beach when we flew in yesterday. Hard? Definitely. Worth it? Most definitely. Now, if you don't mind, my books finally got here, so I'm going to read a little and then be ready for my first official in-school workday.