The Journey North Begins!

Well, here we go. I left Tennessee on Sept. 17th. It was the beginning of my journey to the great frozen north. Getting to Kotzebue was no easy trip. First plane was American Airlines. I landed in Chicago, got a wheel chair, and the poor guy nearly died pushing me to the next gate.

After a few hours, I boarded a Air Alaska plane heading for Seattle Washington. The trip went smoothly. Then it was a race for the next plane. That plane took me to Anchorage. I arrived at around 11 pm and checked into my hotel.

I had to stay over night in Anchorage. Flights to Kotzebue are only in the morning and early afternoon. I took the second flight. It had a lay over in Nome. Each stop got a little colder. Finally after a brief hop, I landed at my new home, and was happy to be here. It only took me 27 hours to get here!

It was the first time in my life I departed a plane from the rear, and had to climb down stairs to get off. Next was the shock of my life.

Kotzebue is not anything like the lower 48 states. The buildings are all up on stilts. The roads are all dirt, except for 3. And stuff is piled everywhere! I never saw a plane in someone's yard until I got here.

I was met at the door by someone with a wheel chair. Since the building was the size of a small house, I told them I really didn't need it. They said 'But we got you a chair!' I told them I appreciated it, but my husband was waiting right there.

It has been culture shock adjusting to the new place. Mail takes about a month to get here, so I had to make due without most my clothes and stuff. Finally, it was all delivered, or I hope it all was. Never ship anything to Alaska without putting it in good boxes and using a lot of tape. It barely makes it in one piece!

The apartment was really nice, but was very dirty. Apparently, the cleaning person had quit, and the last person didn't feel the need to clean much. It took me a week to get it in a good condition, and I still find stuff I missed. Eventually it will be to my standards.

I am tired, so I will write more later. I hope you enjoy my blog!