October

October was a busy month, which I'm sure all of you could have figured out by my lengthy blog silence. On top of our state of almost constant motion in the school, I was also suffering through some tough pregnancy symptoms. Throwing up became a constant annoyance in my life. By the time October ended I was actually 15 lbs lighter than I was at the start of my pregnancy, which didn't thrill my doctor since I am already a fairly small person. Fortunately, by the time I hit 16 weeks the doctor had prescribed me some wonderful medications and I was able to start to return to a more normal state of being. Unfortunately, I had to go all the way to Anchorage to be prescribed anything worthwhile. The views on my travels from Pilot Point to Anchorage were spectacular, but the need for a barf bag was not. 

After I returned from my little journey to Anchorage, things only seemed to get busier. Our all-staff inservice was in middle of October and I had to travel to King Salmon for four days of meetings and trainings. Thankfully, I did get to spend quality time hanging out with a few of my favorite teachers and I made another pair of beaver fur mittens (this pair I gifted to Cody since I made myself a pair last year). 

Towards the end of the month we hosted our annual school Halloween Party. It was a blast, as always, but also a ton of work. In the bush, the school is the center of all of the action in town, so the turnout for these kinds of events is pretty large. Amber (the MS/HS teacher), Cody, the parent committee, and myself put a ton of effort into cooking food, decorating the school, making games for the kids to play, and organizing the event. It was all worth it though to see how much fun the kiddos had at the party. 

As the month ended, we said goodbye to our nice, beautiful weather. October actually gave us some rare sunny days and I got the opportunity to get out and do a little hiking and adventuring before the weather turned. It was a wonderful break, especially after September gave us nothing but rain and wind. 

Now that it is November, we have transitioned into winter pretty firmly. Snow has fallen on multiple occasions, the wind is at an almost constant roar, and the temperatures are sitting firmly below freezing. I'm sure I'll be posting pictures of a winter wonderland here before too long, and I really don't mind the weather changing because it just means we are onto another season of adventures and one step closer to our biggest adventure - parenthood. 

Your turn...How was your October? 

Currently listening to...Zombie - The Cranberries 

Pilot Point, Alaska

So far, I don't know a ton about Pilot Point (aka PIP).  Mostly, it's just hard to find information about the village because so few people live there.  I did stumble across this blog, which is written by someone who previously lived and taught in the village. I've also talked to the principal quite a bit and the current teacher who I am replacing.  Honestly, I'll be pretty stoked to get to the village and start learning more about it firsthand.  That's always my favorite part of moving somewhere new anyways.

One of the things that I do know is that there are between 65-80 people living in PIP. This will be a HUGE change from our lives in Juneau, a town a 30,000 people.  It will be a smaller change compared to our lives here in Northern Michigan on Beaver Island, which boasts only about 300 year-round residents.  PIP is only accessible by airplane, another non-adjustment for Cody and I because we haven't lived on the road system since 2011.  However, that, coupled with the low number of people, will make it the most isolated place we've ever lived.  The isolation is probably going to be one of the biggest adjustments to our lives, and we are certainly thinking about how our lives will change (for better or worse) because of this isolation.

Because of the small population, the school is in danger of closing almost every year.  In Alaska, a school must have ten children enrolled to stay open.  Pilot Point will have 11-14 children enrolled this year, in grades K-11.  The school only has two teachers, and they must work very collaboratively to serve the wide grade ranges.  I'll primarily be working with elementary students for core academic subjects, and I'll also be serving as the sites Head Teacher (think added responsibility when the principal isn't on site and lots of paperwork). Another random factoid that I've learned, thus far, is that there are three school-owned teacher housing units.  There is a one bedroom, a two bedroom, and a four bedroom. The one bedroom is strictly used for the principal or other itinerant staff when they travel to the village. All of the houses have basic furnishings (furniture, washer/dryer, etc) and are located only steps from the school doors.

Businesses are hard to come by in the community, but there are three establishments: the grocery store, the post office, and the medical clinic. The medical clinic sounds similar to the Beaver Island Rural Health Center that Cody and I currently use.  There is a medical professional on-staff, but you have to be flown to Anchorage for anything serious (on BI we have to be flown to Charlevoix). As, for the post office, mail will be slooooow.  Think, like, ordering something and waiting six weeks for it to arrive.  Lots of planning is going to be needed for holidays and such. All of our household goods will have to be mailed to PIP from Beaver Island in Rubbermaid totes WAY in advance.

The information I've gathered so far has definitely been eye opening.  No matter how much we learn, I do not doubt that this move will be a huge change and adventure for my family.  At this point in our lives, we feel totally up to the challenge and overwhelmingly excited to get moving on everything.  It'll be fun to share this new adventure on the blog, and I hope everyone is looking forward to the shift in content!

Your turn...What are some interesting facts about the town that you live in?
Currently listening to...Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - 40 Day Dream