I settle into my new life!

The first morning I woke up, I realized I could not tell which way was north. This was a new experience for me. I could usually tell what direction I was facing, and about what time it was by looking at the sun.

In Kotzebue, at least at this time of the year, the sun rises in the northeast and sets in the southeast. It basically makes a small arch at the front of the house. The sun comes up pretty late in the morning, around 9 am at the present time. Eventually it won't come up for more than about 45 minutes, and those 45 minutes will be more like twilight. I have heard the northern lights help to make it not so dark, but so far, I have not been outside at night to look for them.

My first trip to the store would have been a real shock, if I had not had some warning about the expensive cost of food. I thought I was being really careful. I got all sale items, except for the few things that could not wait for a sale. Some examples of cost: $9.95 a gallon for milk, $9.95 for 12 cans of coke, $18.00 for a bag of Halloween candy, $14 dollars for cough medicine, etc. I bought the basics, and paid out a whopping $280. You read it right, $280 dollars! I had 2 boxes of food. The cashier asked me not to faint when she read the total. She knew I was new to Kotzebue.

I walk to the store to save money, unless it is icy. Then I bring a taxi home. The taxi took some getting used to as well. It costs $6 a stop per person. A taxi is shared, and don't be in a rush. Sometimes they pick up relatives and drop them off as well. It is an interesting way to see the village, and most of them have gotten to know me, and respect my questions. They know I want to learn, and enjoy teaching me. They are a very nice people. I think I am going to really like it here.

I found out last Monday, that this is considered a desert. It is very dry. People actually look forward to the snow and ice, as it cuts back on the dust. Anual rainfall is only about 5-14 inches a year. Average is only 8 inches. That is how it qualifies as a desert. We really have to be careful about dehydration. We need to drink extra water to prevent this.

Speaking of water, I am not sure where it comes from, or what they do with gray water. That is one thing I plan to find out about. Well enough for today. I hope you are enjoying my blog!