White Mountain or bust!

Anchorage is such a beautiful place! I was so happy to have the opportunity to stay there for several days to acquaint myself with this state, its weather and some of its people. Apparently I was not ready to leave the area because only one minute's time separated me from my timely departure to Nome. My baggage needed at least forty minutes to make it on the plane with me. With the charter bus of people that arrived just before me and line closings for one reason or another, 39 minutes remained by the time I made it to the baggage check. The very kind attendant at the counter insisted that were the decision hers, on the flight I would be. However, technology reigns, and there was no convincing the computer that I was there with enough time to board. Lesson learned- arrive earlier next time!

Call it divine intervention, call it what you will, but I was thrilled to share one more day with the amazing people I had met at Welcome Wagon (our teacher orientation). A few of us hiked to the top of Flattop Mountain, one of Anchorage's most popular hikes. It was quite a foggy day for mountain climbing, but with patience came sunshine and stunning views of the city. We enjoyed picking wild blueberries and braved a few others we could not identify. I ventured off to meditate for some time and gained some calmness and clarity before rejoining my new teaching companions. And to think I would have missed this experience had I made my flight... It was well worth the reputation as "that one girl" that missed her flight!

I made my flight on Friday with a setback of a whopping $115 for the last minute flight change. While on the one hand I wanted to be upset about the cost, it was certainly no one's fault but my own that I missed my flight, and I have learned from it that I must be more self-sufficient. Duly noted! I was able to meet several very nice people- one on her way to Golovin (a town nearby) and three White Mountain residents- at the airport/on the flight because of my delayed departure. I was concerned about whether or not I would have a ride back from the airport. Luckily, someone had gotten the memo to my principal and a friendly native from the village was waiting for me to take me to my home via ATV. We helped to load some more freight from the plane and were on our way!

Now here I am in my home away from home, and I have lost count of the moments that my breath has been taken away. Every single thing about this village has exceeded my expectations. My home is very modern and cozy, with nicer amenities than any place I have ever resided in! The view from my windows is spectacular. I can see the Fish River, its beach and far bank. Pine trees stand in uniformity on the far bank and stretch for miles until they greet the flats that becomes the mountains. A single tree stands much taller than the others, and I can't help but smirk at this peculiar event. I think of the trees in Anchorage, groupings of which had long died from root dislocation as the aftermath of earthquakes. I see mountains in three of four cardinal directions. The other I see the hillside, which when climbed extends to yet more mountain ranges. The river is also clear, as was the water in Anchorage. There are many berries this year. A fellow school employee and myself went hiking today and located quite a few, but we are yet in search of the popular salmon berry that is frequently mentioned in the village. We met a local at the airstrip who pointed us to a better location for hunting berries in the future so we will have to embark on that mission another day.

Today we met with our principal to be given our computers and get some more information about our school. I toured the school building yesterday and was really impressed by how nice it is. The old school had a fire some years ago and this building replaced it. The new facility is located farther up White Mountain and so the climb to the top is only a five minute hike! There is so much land to uncover, so many people to meet, and I am so excited as I begin this journey as a teacher in the Alaskan bush. I am so grateful to have been blessed with such an adventurous spirit! It has and will take me so far. <3
 

 Here is a view of the village from the top of White Mountain.

For those of you who are curious, this is my cozy little nest on the hill. <3

Here is another view of the town from the mountaintop. 

This is my newest hiking buddy. He tagged along for the adventure!

Like I said... what breathtaking views! A little overcast, but still gorgeous!!

 Here you can see the town a little more up-close. If you can spot the bright yellow house, mine is the red one just to the left of it (near the right side of the photo).

Love the views!

And yet another.

This is a photo of the school I am working at, looking down from the top of the mountain. What an easy hike!

This might give you a feel for what the roads look like when walking around town. Most are more narrow than this one to accommodate ATVs and snowmachines. I did discover there are at least two trucks in the village that can navigate the wider roads such as this one.

Another view of our school. What a nice facility!

The fence that lines the basketball court is decorated with lovely images of mountains, animals, and children playing that the schoolchildren painted.

This is a view looking from the beach, which is frequently dotted with boats waiting to take off for berry-picking, fishing, swimming, and other water activities. I hope to ride in one sometime if I am lucky!

What a beautiful color for the Native Store, our local grocer. I am very impressed by all the goods they have available to us.  They even have waders and boardgames right now!

Got to love those panoramic views. Wish I could get an even wider angle with my camera, but this will do! 

Here is our lovely itinerant counselor who braved some bluffs on a hike with me.

...And was kind enough to snap this lovely picture. <3

Enter: dramatic camera angle of bluffs. :)

I don't know what kind of mushrooms these are (help me out?), but I am hoping to discover that some of the fungi around here are edible because they are EVERYWHERE. 

Look at this beast! He was probably a solid 8 inches tall, just hangin' out on the path.

If you learn nothing else by reading this blog, it will likely be that I either  A) love photography, B) love emoticons, or C) love exclamation points!!!!!!!!!!! 

Hope you enjoyed! Feel free to comment. 

<3 Namaste and peace be with you all!