Adventures of Jen

Today has been overcast and about 60 degrees F. It kept wanting to rain, but not quite having the guts. This morning I set off for my run with Jack, expecting greatness due to the sea level altitude (not attitude) I've recently found myself in. I jogged at my gentle pace and made it all the way to the park across the street before I had to stop to catch my breath. Progress, yes, but not necessarily greatness. After starting off again I was able to make it about 4 more blocks before my heavily congested lungs decided they needed another break. I kept up this break-neck pace for about 15 more minutes before returning to the house, actually proud of myself for "exercising." That's when the fun began.

The sky was spitting just a little, and the mosquitoes were hovering voraciously, and I was thinking, "thank goodness I'm home!" I turned the knob of my front door to discover . . . it was locked! Fine if I'd brought the key, but I hadn't. So I paced a little, and tried to climb up to my front porch where, of course, I had actually left the door unlocked. No dice. I used to climb when I was younger, but those days are long over. In my classroom, whenever I can't reach something, I call for my monstrously tall student, Trent, who gladly helps us short people of the world (especially if he gets to make fun of us), but there was no way he could answer my call today! At this point I realize, of course, that my phone is nice and warm inside, so I can't call Matt. My landlady Joy, who only lives down the block, is on a road trip with her daughter for the next few weeks. She can't save me either. I pace some more, and decide I'm going to have to walk to Matt's work. It's only about 2 miles away, but he's the only person I know here who can help me! He's basically the only person I know here at all.

Just at that moment a truck pulls into our driveway. I'm thinking, "no way! A savior!" It turns out to be my land lady's daughter in-law, Kelly. She calls Joy and goes to get the spare key. While I'm waiting for her my neighbor comes over to mow our lawn. I'm a little surprised to see him, but I figure at least I don't have to mow it! I also hope he hasn't seen me lamely trying to climb the balcony and failing. He stops mowing to introduce himself, despite the swarm of mosquitoes around his head. His name is Luis, and he has a son who lives in Colorado Springs. He offers a ladder or a phone if I need one.

Kelly returns, and of course the key doesn't work. She then goes up into the unit next door and climbs over the connected balcony to our unit and tries a key on the back door. No luck. She comes back down and offers to go look again for the right spare key, but I tell here Luis has offered me a ladder so I can climb up to my balcony and get in. She replies, "Oh! I have a ladder!" And proceeds to extract the longest (thank goodness) ladder I've seen in a long long while. I help her maneuver it, and it's almost as easy as trying to walk a cat. Kelly, Luis, and I get the ladder up against my porch and I climb up. As I walk across the porch I hold my breath just hoping the door won't be locked up here too. I turn the handle, and hooray! I have access to my warm, lovely home.

I come back down through the front door to help Kelly maneuver the ladder back into place, and thank her profusely. She mentions that if I need anything else while Joy's away she's lives just down the street.

So I made an idiot of myself, and met two helpful friends while doing it. Aren't I lucky?

It's now drizzling slowly here and reminding me very much of Oregon: so green and wet. I know most days will be overcast like this here, but I'm hoping the sun comes out tomorrow anyway.

Arrival

I had a lovely window seat on the flight up here. And though you may think that's inconsequential for a 1 am landing, it was breathtaking. The sun was going down--the horizon bright rosy pink--and in the dusk I could see the lovely mountains, snow, and ocean that are Alaska. Welcome to your new home!

At home Matt introduced me to this awesome sleeping mask, that I just felt I had to share with you all. Matt said, "you're weird" when I showed him the picture, but we all know that already, right? This is going to be my good pal for the next three months. It's definitely a different experience knowing I don't have to worry about the daylight for the time being. We could eat dinner at 9:00 pm outside and still have plenty of light. Today at 7 am it was about 60 degrees, but by 1 pm it was a beautiful 70. I sat on the porch and read with the animal menagerie in the gorgeous sun, and actually got so hot I had to go inside. The sky is lovely blue, the trees are lush and green, and as an extra treat the tree across the street is even in bloom.

I have to keep reminding myself I am at sea level--those majestic mountains that surround me make it easy for me to think I'm in familiar Colorado mile-high territory. Every time I boil water I remember though--and I keep trying to figure out if it will take more or less time to boil me egg (sorry Mrs. Jackson--I know you taught me this, but my reason and knowledge escapes me!). I'm going to go running with Jack tomorrow and then let myself think I'm the bomb because I can run so far all of the sudden.

More than anything I am glad to be back with Matt--which is more than ever clearly right where I should be. We function so much better as a unit that apart. It's so nice to be able to share the same space with him again, and have his presence as book ends to my days. And that, truly, is home.

It's Jen's Turn Now!

So I finally get to take the leap. I leave Colorado in four more days to join Matt--and I can't wait! The trucking company came to pick up our car today, and it finally felt real. I'm moving to Alaska! I'm excited to see the northern lights, I want to see the belugas in Cook Inlet, I can't wait to experience my first midnight sun, and I want to hike, run, snowshoe, and ski my uhhhhhhh . . . . . thighs off. I'm really looking to experiencing this unique place with Matt.

Matt says the sun is now setting at about 11 pm and rising just before 5 am. I (and the two cats) will arrive (if all goes as planned) at 1 am in Anchorage on Memorial Day. That means the sun will rise only 4 hours after I arrive! He also says the sun has been shining every day, but that the air is still crisp. No sweltering Colorado summer for us! I'm looking forward to standing on our porch with him, and . . . I was going to say watch a sunset, but it's more likely we'll see our neighbor pee in his yard because the sun is setting so late.

It's definitely been a move with many stages, after it's all said and done it will have taken about seven weeks total to get everything and everybody up there. It'll be nice to finally be an official resident of Alaska! Now if I could just get that job . . .

Matt's Emmonak Trip

I had a good experience for my first taste of bush travel. Emmonak is a Yup'ik Eskimo village in Western Alaska. I won't bore you all with facts and details about the village and the Yup'ik Culture because you can read all about it in the links below. I was able to meet several community members and talk to them about their existing water and sewer systems and as well as some of their plans for the future. I am excited to be able to use my engineering background for what I hope is a higher purpose, and I can't wait to learn some new things along the way. What a treat it was to be in the community when they had a potlach followed by hours of traditional dancing. I was also there to see some preparations for the annual flood that is expected this week.

http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/commdb/CIS.cfm?Comm_Boro_Name=Emmonak

http://www.alaskanative.net/en/main_nav/education/culture_alaska/yupik/

Matt's First Bush Travel

Matt has received his first bush travel assignment!

For those of you who don't know, the main reason we're moving way up there is because Matt got offered this awesome job with the state of Alaska. He will be working for their Village Safe Water program where her will be helping to facilitate (get grants, oversee projects) sanitary systems for the rural and native villages in Alaska (man, I hope I got that right!). He gets assigned specific villages to work with, and has to travel about 1-2 times a month coordinating various aspects of the projects.

His first village: Emmonak. He leaves Monday and gets back on Wednesday. I can't wait to report how it goes!

Here is a link to a zoomed-in view of Emmonak:
http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Emmonak&state=AK
It looks like it's right at the fork of two rivers.

Below is a map so you can see where it is. The red "A" = Emmonak.


View Larger Map

Matt's Move to Alaska

Matt has arrived in Anchorage!

With a cat, a Golden Retriever, and four large pieces of luggage to check, Matt patiently waited his turn in the Alaska Airlines baggage check line (boy did he ever have luggage to check!). The first class customer service rep, having no customers in line, motions for Matt to come over to him. As Matt moved forward the rep. realized he was towing a very large luggage cart behind him. "What, are you moving to Alaska?" he asked snidely. "Yes." was Matt's reply. And thus the adventure began!

The trip up went as good as could be expected given the all the varied pieces of luggage he was toting (Matt claims there was only minimally persistent meowing during the flight--but you should have heard the kid screaming on board!! Matt called just before takeoff from Seattle and I could barely hear him!!). But Jack, Hugo, and Matt all arrived happy and healthy around 11 pm on Wednesday April 29. The next day Matt signed the lease our our little place and moved his necessities and the animals in. He reports lots and lots of dust, which apparently is normal up there (I can't wait).

He's living a minimalists life for the next three weeks--only an air mattress and Crazy Creek chair for furniture (thankfully Joy, our landlord, lent him a table), and two pans to his name. He thought he would be able to keep in touch with sports via the XM radio he brought, only to find out XM only works in the lower 48. I'll bet he's really glad I made him pack the 2,000+ page Les Miserables! Tonight he reported his activities so far have consisted of: reading, reading, sleeping, sitting on the porch and brushing the pets, reading, walking jack, reading and eating. He's already finished a book! He says the sun is going down at about 10:30, but it stays light for a long time after the sun goes down. That is going to take some adjusting to!

The pictures are of the sunset over Cook Inlet from our deck, and then him and the boys (Hugo and Jack) in front of said sunset!!

This completes phase 1 of the move, phase 2 (the stuff) began last Monday and is scheduled to arrive in about three weeks. Phase 2, Jen's move, is hopefully going to happen Memorial Day.

We'll report more when there is more to report!