Settling in

After flying over the Kuskokwim Delta and out into the Bering Sea. The airplane ride was completely surreal because the plane sort of sways back and forth like a fishing lure. We had a hardcore chick bush pilot with an Alaskan Amber shirt and a twitch. She was constantly turning levers and you could watch our progress on the GPS monitor. I couldn't stop giggling and smiling as we started our decent onto Nunivak Island. The landing was really smooth and I guess we were really lucky because clear sunny weather landings are rare on Nunivak. After we landed my principal, and amazing new friend, took us to town in his truck. He has a wife, Melissa, son Elliot, and niece name Michelle. They are a wonderful family and after I got settled in they had me over for sit down dinner. It was good to know that good normal people live one door down. I met a few locals right away and they are mysterious and smiling. That night we took a very long walk out on the tundra and down to the beach. There are stink weed, chamomile, salmon berry, blue berry and many other edible and medicinal plants growing around the island. There was a large whale bone near the beach and as we walked along the sand I realized that if it weren't for the cold weather, it would be a skimboarding paradise. We scared some kids on a four wheeler smoking cigarettes behind a rusted tractor dinosaur skeloton on the beach. They sped away and we wished we would have brought a plastic bag to pick up cigarette butts and other garbage. As we walked back into town past the cemetery and fish factory I was amazed at how it seemed like another country. It reminded me a lot of a cold version of the neighborhoods on the outskirts of Santiago. Other odd things like the proponderance of people riding four wheelers and the quite plodding pace that the locals walk in. The little kids are incredibly endearing and one named Robert William got my name on the first try. He had a huge snotty coming out of his right nostril and I didn't want to tell him because it was so cute. My next door Annie is a spunky red head who is dating the maintanence man. I saw my class room briefly then went to lay on the couch in my apartment . I borrowed two chick flicks and stayed up till 4 in the morning watching them on my laptop before I got to sleep. The next day I slept in, got my 4 boxes from the post office, set up my sweet pad, and helped Josh and his family fillet, bag and seal 200 lbs. of halibut. The made spaghetti for dinner and let me stay again. Tomorrow I will be going to church for the first time in over 18 years. I am not scared. It is a good way to meet everyone. I promise I won't become a christian. Till next time love you all and things here are pleasant. I am content.