Goodbye Mekoryuk

Come on! Let's go! Lets get outta here! Let's get a move on!

The classroom is clean, the posters are down, the electronics are covered, the shelves covered and organized, the drawers emptied, the students are all but gone, there isn't any reason on earth for me to come to work tomorrow, I should just get on the flight tonight. Union contract be damned!

Oh wait...I haven't cleaned the toilet, or the bathroom sink or the floors, in my apartment. I still have a we bit of packing to do yet, and my ticket isn't till tomorrow . But now that my tv, and cable box are gone, xbox packed, knitting materials given away, I am totally freaking stuck and bored. What will I do?

Hopefully Gary will let me hang out with him one last night. I'm going to miss a lot people here too.

Gary, my awesome principal, neighbor, and best Alaska friend. We watch boxing together, talk about America and the state of the world, and live the bachelor life eating junk food and drinking soda pop (even though he's married and I am in love both our ladies are far away...alas...bachelors.) I'm going to miss Gary and his wife Pam a lot, they became my family.

Annie and Ralph. Annie is a fiery red headed Irish Catholic woman from New York State and married Ralph our ex Navy Maintainence Man. Annie lived next to me last year before moving in with her husband and I lovingly call them "Mom and Dad." Ralph shows me how to fix stuff, start engines, and takes me fishing. Annie worries about me and lets me vent to her. I will miss them too hopefully a little one on the way soon.

Alice the school secretary has become like a close aunt/mother to me. She has had 13 different principals work over her at the Nuniwarmiut School and she is the one who really holds the power. She sends me funny emails, laughs at my jokes, and flips me shit in a good way. She is always on my side and looks out for me. She is an amazing grandmother to on of my students Dawn.

Carol is the mother of my College bound student Hazel and the HS Cup'ig teacher. She has filled a very important role in my life. In a world where everyone I meet is either a student or a coworker I have been forced to go weeks with out the human contact of a simple hug. Carol is my hugging mom. She gives me a hug at least once a day (more now that I'm leaving). She is a very good mom to Hazel and a caring teacher. I will miss her so much!

Edith the lunch lady has been a very interesting lady. She works hard to turn the overprocessed low quality food the government sends us into something delicious and edible. She makes a mean mac'n'cheese and awesome pudding. I try to speak Cup'ig to her and she always complies. She is like an aunt too, not so warm and loving on the surface, but underneath that lunch lady bravado is a very nice warm loving wonderful woman.

Jack the Army Reserve janitor is a good family man trying to raise a big family, serving time in Iraq and coming to work and doing his job religiously and well too. He's a rock of a man and our school is lucky to have him.

Lydia is the Postlady. She has consistently helped me with my conversational Cup'ig speaking as well as put up with me relentlessly asking for two years if I have any packages. I gave her a hug yesterday when I turned in PO box key...single tear.

Chance is the cashier at his father's convenience store across the street. I buy candy bars, pop, and illegal movie rentals from him (probably over 1000 dollars in business over the years). He is really quiet, works long hours, and plays a lot of flight simulator. He found a picture of Forest Gump during his running stage with a beard and long hair and showed it to everyone saying it was me, that was a good one.

Sarah is the anime loving graduated older sister of one of my graduates this year. She works at the store, wears lots of black gothic clothes and has interesting hair do's and loves anime cartoons. She is incredibly smart and hard working. She always reminds me how hard it is to be alternative out here.

The Barnett's have only been here this year but they have been good friends to me, let me rent a cable box, had me over for pizza and real latte's, and Kevin and I picked berries and fished a lot. They let me watch their dog foster and he kept me company despite his shenanigans.

Nathan is the pastor of the church and former teacher at our school. He and his awesome Cup'ig wife Sandra (LEP teacher at school) run the Covenant church and are great Christians and people. They don't judge, they treat everyone with generosity and kindness, and they have me over for dinner a lot to eat strange and unique traditional food and their two children are growing up fast, they have showed me a lot of love and hospitality and I appreciate all they have done for me. Nathan loves the underdog in boxing and Oklahoma State Football both of which I will root for the rest of my life.

There are so many other characters I am going to miss from my two years here. Local's around town, students, drop outs, graduates, parents, I'm going to miss this little slice of history in many ways. But the time has come to go, and go I must, goodbye Mekoryuk, goodbye Alaska,
HELLO WASHINGTON!

Puirci Quayana