Hello World!
The last week has been a whirl wind. Time has gone by so fast.
I was able to have 2 full days of family and friends as we celebrated this new chapter and adventure I was getting ready to embark on. Without all these people, I would not be where I am today. So I thank each of you! Thank you for being my support, my encouragers, my strength, and my family. This entire process of getting ready solidified once again how lucky I am.
Thursday at 5:15 a.m., my parents and my brother dropped me off at the airport and we said our "see you laters" and then went on our separate ways with heavy hearts. This was extremely challenging. It was one of the first times I realized how much I am going to miss out on and that feeling... was really hard to swallow.
My flight to Seattle, Anchorage, and Kenai were all great. I slept like a baby through all of them. Each flight meant the plane size gradually got smaller plane.
Once in Kenai, I finally got to meet the Deaf and Hard of Hearing teacher, Ms. E, who was able to show me the ropes on how things are done here in Alaska. They are a little different than what I am used to, but I am discovering that it is a good change.
We made a stop at Walmart (yes, they have a Walmart here in Alaska) and loaded up on the little things that I did not purchase for my room, and of course I needed food. This kid likes to eat- make no mistake! Once all the shopping was completed, She showed me how to pack to get my things over to the Village. (It is not done with suit cases because they are to hard to stack and move around into small spaces.). So, we broke my stuff down into plastic storage containers-not the hard plastic ones though because they freeze and break (the little things I have to start thinking about). So I of course got 3 hot pink ones!
Getting everything to fit is like a crazy game of Tetris...Having limited space and getting it all to fit to win the game. When we got to Homer Air, they have to weigh everything. Never have I been so self concious before as I was as that moment, and I wasn't even stepping on the scale. All my stuff came in at a whopping 243 pounds... crazy that I need that much. Once my ticket and cargo was paid for, we jumped in a 5-seater little bush plane and we took off. The view over the Homer Spit was unbelievable. You could see sea otters playing in the water, the snow and ice that is still in the mountains, and all the beautiful green landscape. The hills were covered in trees that look toothpicks with branches and beautiful purple flowers. Breath taking!
Once we landed here in the village, I felt at home (good thing because I will be here for 9 months). Any worries I had melted away. Right off the bat I was able to meet some of the staff at the school including the Principal who is truly amazing. Then came the moment I had been waiting for..... I met my student! She is super cute and was a little shy. With time, she warmed up to me and her and her younger sister became my shadow. She showed me around the school and introduced me to some of the staff that we came in contact with. I have a great feeling about this year!
Of course it is not all fun and games. I sat down and reviewed all the important things for a few hours to help me get ready for this year. I want to make sure that I can do everything in my professional role as the interpreter to make her successful. I never thought I would be so excited for school to start.
Overall, Alaska (the parts I have seen) is unbelievably beautiful and everyone here is so nice. I am so glad I decided to take this adventure. If I hadn't, I would be missing out on this life changing adventure. Until next time.....
Hope you are all still buckled in on this crazy ride of life.
Pictures will come soon. Promise.
