Monday, April 14, 2014 - Arriving in Wales and my first day at Kingikmiut School
I left Nome on a Piper airplane at 9:30 in the morning and arrived in Wales by 10am. I was the only passenger, but the rest of the plane was filled with cargo headed for the stores in Wales. As I buckled myself into the seat, I asked the pilot if we were taking the scenic route, and he replied "only if you clean off your glasses." A cryptic remark, but I soon discovered what he meant, because as soon as we were off the ground and into the cloudy cover, the only thing I saw were the dirt spots on the windows of the plane and whatever dirt there was on my glasses. It was a thankfully smooth ride crossing the bay and heading north to Wales along the western coast of Alaska.

Now, I've been in Nome, Kotzebue, and even Shishmaref, which is slightly north of Wales, but those ares were relatively flat compared to what I finally did see amidst the occasional parting of the clouds which teased me with glimpses of the earth below me. The coastline in this area was rocky, mountainous, and had cliffs jutted out into the Bering Sea, which is what separates Alaska from Russia. Wales is on the western-most point of the continent where the Russian coastline is only about 60 miles away, across the Bering Straight. The most striking thing I saw were the islands, including Diomede Island, visible from the plane as we landed in Wales, along with the icebergs, and the broken ice fields out on the Straight. It was beautiful; windswept, white, mystical and extended far beyond my sight, like a fog that gradually covers everything as you travel into the distance - leaving no horizon line. The funny thing is, though, I hate the winter and I hate being cold, but I love the tundra in the winter.! To me, it's a realm of endless possibilities, full of surprises and hidden life. It's a place that demands your attention, for survival and fulfillment. Have you ever laid down, flat on your back, between two snow drifts, closed your eyes and just listened? I imagine it feels similar to what a mouse might feel sleeping under the snow, waiting for summer. You know something is out there, and it's probably dangerous to you, but you feel mostly safe, for this small moment, and the things you have around you at that moment are all you will ever need in the world.

As we descended into Wales, I saw a man standing on a snowdrift looking up at the plane and I had to wonder what he thought of me. After landing, I caught a ride into town on the back of a snow machine, with someone who had come out to the runway to meet the plane and haul in cargo to town. I couldn't help but grin and chuckle on the way to town, the smell of the two cycle engine, the wind and snow, and the reckless abandon of the driver knowing exactly where the bumps in the trail were - well, he drove fast, AWESOME! I didn't realize how much I missed the north country.

The principal met me at the door of the school and showed me where I'd be sleeping, in the special education room. The special Ed teacher hauled out a mattress and a cot for me - very thoughtful. The school was nice and warm. I immediately dumped my gear in a corner of the classroom and met with an elementary teacher. We decided that we would make the journals with her class that afternoon. In the meantime I ate lunch with the school students in the gym, pizza-best lunch ever, according to the students, lucky for me to show up today.

There is an artist in residence at the school this week also, who's working on a mural of the town in the library, but is sick with the flu that she caught here. I found out that the other grad student coming to Wales was stranded in Anchorage last night, the flight from Anchorage to Nome was canceled due to weather. So I'm on my own tonight. My phone is getting reception, but when I call anyone, I get a computer saying that the number is invalid. I cooked dinner in the hospitality room, which doubles as a science and math room, and went to bed at about 9pm, but I didn't get to sleep until after 11pm, because there was an open gym night at the school - the entire building shakes with the bouncing basketballs. I had planned on going for a long walk on the ice field along the shoreline, but the clerks at the store told me that I should watch out for polar bears and wolverines, which were prowling around on the sea ice. So I went for a shorter walk, closer to town and then back to the school to eat some dinner and get some sleep.