Return

Thursday afternoon Colin and I were sure to make certain that the school knew we were leaving Friday, since the office was also the communication with the plane picking us up. The conversation almost everyone brought up when we mentioned we were flying out Friday went something like:

"Who you flying out with?"

"Grant."

"PFFFFT."

"..."

"They never fly on time, shoulda taken Shannon's. Or Dena'ina."

And thus we knew how important air travel really and truly was out there. In the winter, it is the only way to get anywhere, unless you drive snow machines, but the cost of gas can easily outweigh the cost of a plane ticket. 

We also learned that there was a reason for the response we got every time we mentioned Grant Aviation. They are periodically late, or simply not flying when the weather is iffy. We asked to make sure we got on the earlier flight just in case the weather got bad, and the earlier flight got there almost at the time the later one was supposed to.

A five hour stay in Dillingham was better than a day or more in New Stuyahok, so we got on the plane and made our way back home. I have a family friend in Dillingham that I had hoped would host us for our layover, but we all have to work, and the story is the same out there. She was busy, and we had no way to get into town from the airport unless we wanted to pay for a taxi.

So, we spent our five hours napping, eating, and lacking internet. Colin got creative and played games on his computer he didn't know he had. I plowed through a good portion of my book.

Colin examining a fish during our five hour wait in Dillingham.

Thinking back on the experience, I think it was everything it needed to be, as a guide for myself to know whether or not I would be prepared to teach out in Rural Alaska. I got to see the teachers who struggled, and the ones who did well. I saw the community and the school in different lights, and I saw that it could be really tough living in that situation. I am not sure if I could commit to it, but the experience was great, and I loved being out there. Perhaps teaching wouldn't be my calling, but I would love to have a job that takes me out to these places.