A Yurt, and Other Adventures

Here it is, folks, the moment you've all been waiting for. Just where am I moving all my stuff to??? This cute, rugged, little, brown yurt is my new home. And I love talking about it. No really, I am still wigging out about the whole thing. Really?? I live in a YURT???



Life seems to always be an adventure when you move to a small[er] village, into a yurt. One distinguishing feature about my new dwelling (besides it's roundness, one room-ness, and lack of solid walls-ness) is the fact that it has no running water. This means that, yes, I have to haul water (if I want any). Well, first things first, I had to move all my stuff in. Started out just an empty little spot, kind of brown, full of boxes, a wee drab...



And then it all exploded.









Pretty soon it will look less like a college dorm room, I promise. If you can believe it, I still have more boxes coming. So much for simplifying my life... Where did all this stuff come from??

Anyway, so my first chore, before I even unpacked everything, was to get water. Erika very kindly went with me. It was quite the adventure slash learning experience. We started off pretty okay. Corinne let me use her Honda to make the trek. We bungy tied some buckets onto the back...



Went about 2 inches, and...



Plan B: Erika holds on to them for dear life. Except that we still lost some pieces on the way...



I had to run back this far to get the bucket lid. It's also a nice view of the area around the road. :)

We finally got to our little creek where I will be getting water for the next 9 months...



And began the process:





The way back to town was much smoother. No buckets spilled or fell off the Honda. Yay!

Since most of the staff is in Unalakleet this week for new and returning teacher inservices, administration meetings, SFA training, radda radda ra, Erika and I began our week of fun by taking a walk out to the river for a bit of fishing. Her and Kyle just got a new pole, which she doesn't actually know how to use. Well, now she does (sort of). Before we could even leave we had to get the fishing line onto the rotary thingy (I'm sure there's a name for it), which neither of us really knew how to do. Thank goodness for helpful people! So we got that going... and going... and oh, we have yet ANOTHER tangle... it was a process...



You can't see, really, but there is a lot of line there that just kept not working...



...wrapped all around the pole... how does this thing work again?

Alright, so we finally got it put together right. My general answer included scissors, which Erika didn't think always worked, but whatever, we just went fishing.



And what a beautiful day for it! Erika learned how to fish, which I think is funny. A year in the bush and just NOW you're learning? Good thing Kyle likes it. :)



Unfortunately it was not a day of catching fish, just casting and reeling. But we had a good time anyway! We filled little tupperwares with some blackberries. I don't really like them to eat alone, so I think I'll try putting them in cinnamon rolls or something.



Star was a very happy dog today. She is very happy to be out of the city and free to run around and do as she likes. No more fences, and only leashes in town. This also means that she won't always be sleeping in the house, smelly pup. But it was fun to see her so happy and at home again. She is getting back to her normal self after lots and lots of traveling, lots of new and strange things, places, and people. We are both settling in just fine.



So there's a little peek into life here so far. Never a dull moment, that's for sure! Hope all are well!!! Write often. :)

I'm in a Yurt!

It finally happened: I moved into the Yurt. Yeah! My life in the round, as they say, has officially begun. My first evening there was spent unpacking and, oddly enough, decorating, making it look (and feel) more like my own home - pictures, maps, Tibetan prayer flags, etc. I won’t lie, it looks pretty great in there. There were dead flies everywhere when I first got in, and I have a feeling that until fall is over I will be sweeping them up regularly. Jenna left me lots of goodies, mostly appliances, and although not all of my things have made it here yet, I am settling in just as well as anyone would in a new place. The biggest challenge so far has not been using the honey bucket (which has a box over it with a seat, making me cross my fingers every time I go that the bucket is aimed appropriately underneath me). No, I am having more trouble finding a place for everything. I feel like my tubs will play an important role in this. I’ve also realized that I perhaps have more blankets than I need. I might not think so in January. But I do want to get a heated blanket for those chilly nights.



From this picture I can give you a little tour... To my left (your right) is my "bedroom." Directly behind me is my "bathroom," and next to that you can see my "kitchen." To my right is my pantry. And in front of me is my "office" and "living room." But considering the entire thing is just one big 20-foot room, I like to consider the whole thing my living room. I guess since Star is living with me I could call it a "family room." Ha. :)

We’ll see how I feel in a few months, but I think life is better this way. It’s less slothful, less lazy, less dull. There is always something to do, and it has to be done. It’s a matter of survival (almost – we’ll just pretend as though it is). It reminds me of camping. Be organized, be prepared, be aware, and be healthy. Okay, that last one was a stretch, and I’m not sure it’s actually quoted on the list of Expedition Behavior, but I think it fits. Take care of yourself, be safe, and that’s the best you can give to anyone else. In my case, it’s the best I can give to my dog and my yurt. I feel pretty good right now about how things are going. I am taking it slow, learning things every day. Alright, it’s only been two days, but I’ve already hauled water and learned that it will take more than one trip to get enough water for a week, to fill up that big bin of Jenna’s (now mine). I made bread in the little toaster oven last night, and it turned out pretty well. I’ve certainly used the honey bucket a few times. Pretty soon I’ll master the propane stove – I have to use it first. I’m getting to know my space. And I have a few more boxes yet to come in, so we’ll see how it all goes down. I’m sure I’ll have some bad days, some sad days, some days when I wonder what the heck I was thinking, but this is my choice. And it was a good one. I really am in my own little space, the rural part of rural Koyuk, Alaska.

Anyway, I will be spending this week settling in, fishing, hiking out, picking berries, and of course, beginning the process of setting up my classroom. Next week work starts, and the week following kids will come. Oh my goodness!! Hopefully my brain will wake up from summer slumber by then.